Fiscal Note - SB 0229 - Raises Compulsory School Attendance Age to 18 Years and Revises Readmission and Reassignment of Suspended Pupils
L.R. NO. 0994-01
BILL NO. SB 229
SUBJECT: Compulsory School Attendance: Age 18
TYPE: Original
DATE: February 4, 1997
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
General Revenue ($182,559) to ($190,790) to ($195,710) to
($25,915,059) ($26,391,690) ($27,183,441)
Total Estimated
Net Effect on All ($182,559) to ($190,790) to ($195,710) to
State Funds ($25,915,059) ($26,391,690) ($27,183,441)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
Federal ($89,917) ($93,971) ($96,395)
Total Estimated
Net Effect on All
Federal Funds ($89,917) ($93,971) ($96,395)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
Local Government $0 to $0 to $0 to
($15,951,000) ($16,429,530) ($16,922,416)
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DES) assumes that there
could be an increase in the cost to fully fund the foundation formula due to
an increase in attendance. Based on the 1990 census, about 13,000 students
would be affected by increasing the compulsory attendance age to eighteen.
The increased cost to fully fund the formula was estimated by DES as follows:
13,000 x $3,650 (average cost per eligible pupil) x .90 (attendance) =
$42,705,000
The average cost per pupil is $3,650 when local deductions are not increased.
The actual cost would be subject to appropriation.
At the local level, DES assumes that 13,000 students would be affected by
increasing compulsory school attendance to age eighteen. The instructional
cost for high school students is about $907.3 million or $3,650 per student.
Support services cost about $1,680 per student. Therefore, DES estimates the
added cost for 13,000 high school students remaining in school with no
decrease in spending per student for the 1997-98 school year would be:
13,000 x ($3,650 + 1,680) = $69,290,000
Some of the costs would be paid through increased state aid. For example,
increased foundation formula funds (if the formula would be fully funded) and
redistribution of Proposition C, Fair Share, and Free Textbook funds would
help pay a portion of the increased local costs. On average, DES assumes
state aid (including Proposition C) accounts for 53.9% of school district
revenues. DES's calculations assume the formula would be fully funded and
would provide income to the districts.
DESE assumes that 13,000 students would be impacted by this proposal, but
currently students are required to remain in school until age 16. This
proposal would only impact those students in the eleventh and twelfth grades.
Based on the 145th Report of the Public Schools of Missouri, Oversight
assumes that approximately 7,800 more students would be required to attend
school until age 18. Costs have been ranged from $0 to the amount indicated
below since the increase in attendance would be depend on the reduction in
the number of drop outs for this group.
Increase in Foundation Formula
7,800 x $3,650 (average cost per pupil) x 90% (attendance) = $25,623,000
Total Costs to School Districts
7,800 x ($3,650 + $1,680) = $41,574,000
A 3% inflationary factor was assumed per year.
The Department of Social Services (DOS), Division of Family Services (DFS)
assumes that it would be fiscally impacted by this proposal. DFS assumes
that requiring children to attend school until age 18 would result in
children being reported to the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline for educational
neglect since a parent's failure to send a child to school is a reportable
condition.
In 1995, there were 4,120 reports for educational neglect of which 1,976 were
children from 12 to 15 years of age. It was assumed that these children
would be evenly disbursed over the age categories (i.e., 12, 13, 14 and 15)
for a total of 494 children per age group. Applying the 494 to the 16 and 17
age groups means that DFS would receive an additional 988 educational neglect
reports. In order to calculate the number of families involved, it was
assumed that there would be an average of 1.2 children per family for 823
families to be investigated. The average case load per Children's Services
Worker is 240 reports per year, resulting in the need for an additional 3.4
FTE to handle the increase in reports.
Family Centered Services (FCS) are offered to families when an investigation
yields probable cause; is unsubstantiated, but Preventive Services Indicated
(PSI); or a Family Assessment is required. Based on 1995 data, probable
cause was found in 21.3% of the investigations; PSI in 8.4%; and Family
Assessment in 1.9% for a total of 31.6% of the families requiring services
from DFS. Applying this percentage to the 823 families estimated above, 260
families would require services. It was assumed that FCS cases would be open
for six months. DFS assumes it would need 6.5 FTE assuming that each
Children's Services Worker would have 20 cases for six months. Oversight
assumes, based on the DFS's earlier assumption regarding the average case
load per Children's Services Worker, that only an additional 2 FTE would be
needed. No costs were included for foster care placement since it was
assumed that these cases would not become serious enough to warrant such
action.
DFS assumes that the fiscal impact from truancy would be negligible. Truancy
is a status offense for which the juvenile court could give the DFS custody
for the purpose of foster care placement and services. However, it cannot be
determined how many 16 and 17 year olds would be considered truant under this
proposal. The juvenile court would not be able to take jurisdiction over 17
year olds since its statutory authority only extends through age 16 and DFS
believes that it would be rare for a 16 year old to be removed and placed in
foster care for truancy. For these reasons, the fiscal impact would be
negligible. If the intent is for the DFS to provide services to 16 and 17
year olds without a court order then DFS would need an increase in its
appropriation for such purposes.
Based on the DFS's staffing ratios, Oversight assumes that 5.4 Children's
Services Workers, 2.1 Clerk Typist and .9 Supervisors would be needed as a
result of this proposal. The DFS assumes a staffing ratio of 1 clerk typist
for every 3 professional staff and 1 Supervisor I for every 6 Children's
Services Workers.
The Division of Youth Services (DYS) assumes that it would need additional
FTE to provide day treatment to the potential dropouts. In FY95,
twenty-eight youths under the age of 15 were committed to DYS for truancy.
According to DES's 1994-95 Annual Report on Dropouts the drop out rate
increases with age. Therefore, it was assumed that the additional two year
period (i.e., 16-18 years) could result in between 15-30 youths ages 16-17
being committed to DYS annually.
According to the 1995 Missouri Juvenile Court Statistics Report, there were
4,979 referrals for truancy made to the juvenile courts involving youths
under the age of 16. DYS assumes that the court would act on referrals for
youths 16-17 as a result of this proposal. Furthermore, DYS assumes that
little action would be taken by the courts on truancy referrals where the
youth is 17 years of age or older since under section 211.021 RSMo, a youth
is considered an adult at 17 years of age.
Oversight assumes that DYS would not incur any new costs related to providing
day treatment for 15-30 youths. It was assumed that the youths would not be
placed at one facility, but could be placed at any one of the 33 facilities
that currently provide educational programs for DYS. Furthermore, it was
assumed that DYS would obtain state aid through the state foundation formula
based on the number of students and their attendance records. Assuming full
funding of the state foundation formula, an average instructional cost of
$3,650 per student, and that DES's estimate to fully fund the foundation
formula included costs for DYS, no additional costs were included for DYS.
The DYS portion of DES's costs have been shown separately and would be based
on 30 students receiving $3,650 per student for a total of $109,500.
FISCAL IMPACT - State Government FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
(10 Mo.)
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
Costs-Department of Elementary &
Secondary Education (DES)
Fully-Funded Foundation Formula $0 $0 $0
to to to
($25,623,000) ($26,391,690) ($27,183,441)
Costs-Department of Social Services
Division of Family Services (DFS)
Personal Service (5.628 FTE) ($101,439) ($124,820) ($127,940)
Fringe Benefits ($28,941) ($35,611) ($36,501)
Expense and Equipment ($52,179) ($30,359) ($31,270)
Total Costs-DFS ($182,559) ($190,790) ($195,710)
Division of Youths Services (DYS)
Instructional Costs-Foundation Formula $0 $0 $0
to to to
($109,500) ($114,975) ($120,724)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT
ON GENERAL REVENUE FUND ($182,559) ($190,790) ($195,710)
to to to
($25,915,059) ($26,697,455) ($27,499,875)
FEDERAL FUNDS
Costs-Department of Social Services
Division of Family Services (DFS)
Personal Service (2.772 FTE) ($49,963) ($61,478) ($63,015)
Fringe Benefits ($14,254) ($17,540) ($17,978)
Expense and Equipment ($25,700) ($14,953) ($15,401)
Total Costs-DFS ($89,917) ($93,971) ($96,395)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
FEDERAL FUNDS ($89,917) ($93,971) ($96,395)
FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000
(10 Mo.)
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Income-School Districts
Fully-Funded Foundation Formula $0 $0 $0
to to to
$25,623,000 $26,391,690 $27,183,441
Costs-School Districts
Instructional & Support Services $0 $0 $0
to to to
($41,574,000) ($42,821,220) ($44,105,857)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
SCHOOL DISTRICTS $0 $0 $0
to to to
($15,951,000) ($16,429,530) ($16,922,416)
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
This proposal would not have a direct fiscal impact on small businesses.
DESCRIPTION
The proposal would require children not more than eighteen to be enrolled in
and regularly attending a program of academic instruction unless the child
has graduated. A child, at least fourteen, could be excused from school
attendance upon joining a branch of the military or married with at least one
child. A child five or six could be removed from the school's rolls if a
written request were received from the parent, guardian or other person
having charge, control or custody. Children under eighteen, lawfully
employed, could attend classes part-time (i.e., at least four hours per week)
where the current law only applies to children under sixteen.
The proposal would allow the school board to establish a special educational
program for disruptive students and to assign or reassign a student to such a
program. A suspended pupil could be readmitted to a regular classroom or
special program if the school board determines that the suspension or other
remedial actions are sufficient to prevent any other occurrences of conduct
which resulted in the suspension.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other
program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental
space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Department of Social Services
This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.