Report From The Capitol-Day 24 & 25 by Margaret Ciccarelli on 3/3/2009

Update on National Board Certification
Today the House Education Subcommittee on Academic Support passed a substitute to HB 243. HB 243 is sponsored on behalf of Gov. Perdue and seeks to repeal the portion of Georgia law which grants 10% salary supplements to teachers with National Board Certification. The substitute version of the bill which now moves to the full House Education Committee for consideration leaves the current law regarding National Board Certification on the books for teachers who already hold the certification or who are in the pipeline but makes funding of the 10% salary supplement subject to annual legislative appropriation.

Bill Allowing Extension of Contract Deadlines
The subcommittee on Academic Support also passed HB 455, which allows school systems to delay until May 15 the tender of contracts, instead of the normal April 15th deadline. HB 455 seeks to delay the deadline for contracts extended for the 2009-2010 school year only. The legislation will move to the full House Education Committee for consideration.

On Day 24, the House passed its version of the 2009 Supplement Budget, which now moves to the Senate for consideration. Work continues on 2010 Budget.

The Senate passed HB 233 which caps property tax assessments for the next two years. The House and Senate must agree on the same version of the legislation before it moves to Governor Perdue for his signature.

The House Education Committee passed the following legislation on Day 24:

HB 278 allows a temporary waiver of expenditure controls on direct instructional costs, media centers, staff and professional development costs, and additional days of instruction.

HB 400, Building Resourceful Individuals to Develop Georgia's Economy Act, mandates development of career and technical education programs to improve graduation rates and to improve the preparedness of students for postsecondary education and careers.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee passed the following bills on Day 24:

SB 114 provides for the transfer and placement of students who are military dependents into a local school system.

SB 178 recalculates Capital Outlay funds under QBE and embeds and extends a sunset date of June 30, 2011.

SB 137 would create the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.