2003 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1170 – Digital learning academy, fees

SENATE BILL NO. 1170

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View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



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Daily Data Tracking History



S1170......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
DIGITAL LEARNING ACADEMY - Amends existing law to direct the board of
directors of the Idaho Digital Learning Academy to set fees charged to
school districts for student participation, fees charged for summer school
and fees charged to students and adults for professional development
offerings; to clarify that there shall be no charge to students unless the
student enrolls in additional courses beyond full-time enrollment; to
provide that there will be a cost to school districts; to provide that
certain funds shall be included in the budget and audit of academy fiscal
records; to clarify the use of state funds; and to provide for additional
funding through fees charged to school districts for student participation
and fees charged for summer school and professional development offerings.
                                                                        
03/19    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/20    Rpt prt - to Educ
03/26    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/27    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/28    3rd rdg - PASSED - 32-0-3
      AYES -- Andreason, Bailey, Brandt, Bunderson, Burkett, Burtenshaw,
      Cameron, Compton, Darrington, Davis, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill,
      Ingram, Kennedy, Keough, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McKenzie,
      McWilliams, Noble, Noh, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder, Sorensen,
      Stegner, Stennett, Sweet
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Calabretta, Werk, Williams
    Floor Sponsor - Gannon
    Title apvd - to House
03/31    House intro - 1st rdg - to Educ
04/03    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
04/04    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
04/08    3rd rdg - PASSED - 69-0-1
      AYES -- Andersen, Barraclough, Barrett, Bauer, Bedke, Bell, Bieter,
      Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Bradford(Larsen), Campbell, Cannon, Clark,
      Collins, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Douglas, Eberle, Edmunson,
      Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Gagner, Garrett, Harwood,
      Henbest, Jaquet, Jones, Kellogg, Kulczyk, Lake, Langford, Langhorst,
      Martinez, McGeachin, McKague, Meyer, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle,
      Nacarrato, Nielsen, Raybould, Ridinger, Ring, Ringo, Robison,
      Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd, Shirley, Skippen,
      Smith(30), Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Tilman,
      Trail(Young), Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Roberts
    Floor Sponsors - Boe, Jones & Nielsen
    Title apvd - to Senate
04/09    To enrol
04/10    Rpt enrol - Pres signed
04/14    Sp signed
04/15    To Governor
04/21    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 306
         Effective: 07/01/03

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 First Regular Session - 2003
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1170
                                                                        
                                 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE IDAHO DIGITAL  LEARNING  ACADEMY;  AMENDING  SECTION  33-5504,
  3        IDAHO  CODE,  TO  DIRECT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE ACADEMY TO SET FEES
  4        CHARGED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION,  FEES  CHARGED  FOR
  5        SUMMER  SCHOOL  AND  FEES  CHARGED TO STUDENTS AND ADULTS FOR PROFESSIONAL
  6        DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS; AMENDING SECTION 33-5505, IDAHO  CODE,  TO  CLARIFY
  7        THERE  SHALL  BE NO CHARGE TO STUDENTS UNLESS THE STUDENT ENROLLS IN ADDI-
  8        TIONAL COURSES BEYOND FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT, TO PROVIDE  THERE  WILL  BE  A
  9        COST  TO  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  AND  TO  PROVIDE  THAT CERTAIN FUNDS SHALL BE
 10        INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AND AUDIT OF ACADEMY FISCAL RECORDS;  AND  AMENDING
 11        SECTION  33-5508, IDAHO CODE, TO CLARIFY USE OF STATE FUNDS AND TO PROVIDE
 12        FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH FEES CHARGED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS  FOR  STU-
 13        DENT  PARTICIPATION  AND  FEES  CHARGED FOR SUMMER SCHOOL AND PROFESSIONAL
 14        DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS.
                                                                        
 15    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 16        SECTION 1.  That Section 33-5504, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 17    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 18        33-5504.  DUTIES  OF  THE  ACADEMY  BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The board shall be
 19    responsible for ensuring that academy procedures and courses are in compliance
 20    with the rules of the state board of education and applicable statutes of  the
 21    state of Idaho. In addition, the board shall:
 22        (1)  Recommend  policies  to be established by rule of the state board for
 23    effecting the purposes of this chapter.
 24        (2)  Employ staff as follows:
 25        (a)  A director who shall be  responsible  for  staff  development,  staff
 26        evaluation, program development and oversight, and quality assurance;
 27        (b)  A  professional  development coordinator who shall be responsible for
 28        training faculty in online course design, development  and  delivery,  and
 29        shall assist the director in quality assurance;
 30        (c)  Clerical  staff  as necessary to manage student information, maintain
 31        student records, manage academy correspondence, and oversee  basic  finan-
 32        cial accounting as directed;
 33        (d)  Appropriate technology staff who shall support faculty in understand-
 34        ing  and  applying  the technical aspects of online course development and
 35        delivery;
 36        (e)  Faculty and teaching staff who are fully certificated Idaho teachers,
 37        to design and deliver planned curriculum content. Such staff shall be pro-
 38        vided appropriate and sufficient training as necessary. The number of such
 39        staff shall largely be dictated by the number of  courses  under  develop-
 40        ment,  the  number of courses offered, and the number of students partici-
 41        pating in academy programs.
 42        (3)  Obtain housing with a host school district where actual operations of
 43    the academy are conducted by academy staff. Housing should be minimal and rea-
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    sonably portable so that it can be transferred from one (1) host  district  to
  2    another without disruption of the program.
  3        (4)  Contract  with  a  service  provider  for delivery of academy courses
  4    online which shall be accessible twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7)  days
  5    a week.
  6        (5)  Ensure  that  the academy is accredited by the state of Idaho and the
  7    northwest accreditation association.
  8        (6)  Develop policy for earning credit in courses based on mastery of the
  9    subject, demonstrated competency, and  meeting  the  standards  set  for  each
 10    course.
 11        (7)  Provide  for  articulating the content of certain high school courses
 12    with college and university courses in order to award  both  high  school  and
 13    undergraduate college credit.
 14        (8)  Develop  policies  and  practices which provide strict application of
 15    time limits for completion of courses.
 16        (9)  Develop policies and practices on accountability, both by the student
 17    and the teacher, and in accordance with the  provisions  of  section  33-5507,
 18    Idaho Code.
 19        (10) Manage  the  moneys  disbursed to the academy board from the superin-
 20    tendent.
 21        (11) Set fees charged to school districts for student participation;  fees
 22    charged for summer school; and fees charged to students and adults for profes-
 23    sional development offerings.
                                                                        
 24        SECTION  2.  That  Section 33-5505, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 25    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 26        33-5505.  DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:
 27        (1)  "Academy board," also referred to in  this  chapter  as  "the  board"
 28    means  the  board  of  directors of the Idaho digital learning academy as such
 29    board is created in section 33-5503, Idaho Code.
 30        (2)  "Host district" means an Idaho school district where  the  operations
 31    of the Idaho digital learning academy are housed. The host district shall also
 32    act as the fiscal agent for the academy.
 33        (3)  "Idaho  digital learning academy" means an online educational program
 34    organized as a fully accredited high school with  statewide  capabilities  for
 35    delivering  accredited  courses  to Idaho resident students in grades nine (9)
 36    through twelve (12) at no cost to the student or school  district  unless  the
 37    student  enrolls in additional courses beyond full-time enrollment. Participa-
 38    tion in the academy by public school students  shall  be  in  compliance  with
 39    academy  and  local  school district policies. Adult learners and out-of-state
 40    students shall pay tuition commensurate with rates established  by  the  state
 41    board  with the advice of the superintendent, and such funds shall be included
 42    in the budget and audit of the academy's fiscal records.
 43        (4)  "State board" means the Idaho state board of education. The board  is
 44    authorized  and  directed,  with  the advice and recommendation of the academy
 45    board of directors, to promulgate rules to implement the  provisions  of  this
 46    chapter.
 47        (5)  "Superintendent"  means  the  Idaho  state  superintendent  of public
 48    instruction.
                                                                        
 49        SECTION 3.  That Section 33-5508, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 50    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 51        33-5508.  FUNDING.  (1)  Funding  for  the  infrastructure  of the program
                                                                        
                                           3
                                                                        
  1    shall be provided from an annual budget request to the  legislature  from  the
  2    superintendent  of  public  instruction. The superintendent shall disburse the
  3    funds to the Idaho digital learning academy board of directors who  shall  use
  4    the moneys to develop courses and maintain operations of the academy.
  5        (2)  Additional  funding  for  course  offerings through the Idaho digital
  6    learning academy shall be added to the Idaho digital learning  academy  budget
  7    by charging fees to the school districts for student participation. These fees
  8    shall  be  established annually by the Idaho digital learning academy board of
  9    directors and shall reflect the various types of course  offerings  available.
 10    Fees  for summer school and professional development offerings to students and
 11    adults shall also be established by the Idaho digital learning  academy  board
 12    of directors.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                             RS 13178
During the 2002 Idaho Legislative Session, Chapter 55, creating
the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, was enacted.  The purpose of
this legislation is to amend two sections of this chapter.  The
amendments provide for a district fee structure and provide
clarity regarding tuition payments.  The blending of appropriated
funds, tuition payments, and district fees ensure the continuance
of this public school choice option in Idaho.
                          FISCAL IMPACT
The request from the public school appropriation for FY04 is
$600,000.  As the fee schedule is phased in, the impact decreases
to $450,000 in FY05, and to $300,000 in FY06 and thereafter.


Contact
Name: Dr. Mike Friend 
Phone: 345-1171




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                       S 1170