Existing law requires the preparation of an annual report of accountability for each school district and sponsor of charter schools in this State, as well as for all public schools in the State as a whole. (NRS 385A.010-385A.520) Existing law imposes certain duties on the Superintendent of Public Instruction relating to the accountability of public schools. (NRS 385A.080) Section 3.3 of this bill additionally requires the Superintendent to establish metrics of performance for public schools for each grade and, along with each school district and charter school, publish such metrics on their respective Internet websites and report data on such metrics to the Governor, State Board of Education and Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education. Existing law creates the Education Stabilization Account in the State Education Fund and allows the Interim Finance Committee to authorize the transfer of money in the Account to the State Education Fund if actual enrollment growth in a fiscal year exceeds projected enrollment growth or if the collection of revenue in a fiscal year results in the State Education Fund receiving 97 percent or less of the money authorized for expenditure from the State Education Fund. (NRS 387.1213) Section 3.5 of this bill additionally authorizes the Interim Finance Committee to transfer money from the Account to the State Education Fund if: (1) money deposited in the State Education Fund was found by an audit to have been deposited in error; or (2) an error in the application of the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan by the Department of Education creates a shortfall in the State Education Fund. Existing law creates the Commission on School Funding and authorizes the Commission to meet only between July 1 of an odd-numbered year and September 30 of the subsequent even-numbered year. (NRS 387.1246) Section 4 of this bill: (1) requires the Commission to meet monthly; (2) authorizes the Commission to meet in person or, at the discretion of the Chair of the Commission, by use of a remote technology system; (3) authorizes the Commission to meet between July 1 of an odd-numbered year and December 31 of the subsequent even-numbered year; and (4) authorizes the Commission to also meet during any regular or special session of the Legislature, if requested to do so by the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Assembly Standing Committee on Education, Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Assembly Standing Committee on Ways and Means or Interim Finance Committee. Section 4.5 of this bill expands the duties of the Commission by requiring the Commission to: (1) review the academic progress made by pupils in each public school; and (2) review and consider strategies to improve the accessibility and ensure the equitability of existing and new programs within and between public schools. Section 7.5 of this bill: (1) expires the terms of incumbent members of the Commission on June 30, 2023; (2) requires the appointment or reappointment of members of the Commission on or before July 1, 2023, to staggered terms; and (3) requires the Commission to hold its first meeting during Fiscal Year 2023-2024 on or before September 1, 2023. Section 7 of this bill requires the Commission to conduct interim studies on school funding and school accountability. Section 7 requires the interim study on school funding to examine topics relating to: (1) the funding of building improvement and modernization projects by small school districts; (2) the number of professional educators graduating from institutions of higher education in this State; (3) the classification and compensation of professional educators and support personnel at public schools; and (4) changes to the laws governing sales and use tax and property tax to fully fund public schools in this State at an optimal level of funding. Section 7 requires the interim study on school accountability to include recommendations for performance metrics to assess the impact of increased investments in K-12 public education and accountability measures to ensure the effective use of such investments. Section 6 of this bill appropriates $500,000 from the State General Fund to the Commission for the cost of the studies required by section 7. Sections 6.3 and 6.5 of this bill appropriate money for the payment of travel and per diem expenses for members of the Commission on School Funding and employees of the Department of Education, respectively, for attending meetings of the Commission.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 387.1214, 387.1223, 387.12445, 387.1246, 387.12468
Reprint 1: 385A.080, 387.1213, 387.1246, 387.12463
Reprint 2: 385A.080, 387.1213, 387.1246, 387.12463
Reprint 3: 385A.080, 387.1213, 387.1246, 387.12463
As Enrolled: 385A.080, 387.1213, 387.1246, 387.12463
BDR: 387.1214, 387.1223, 387.12445, 387.1246, 387.12468