September 2015 Committee on School Finance Permanent School Fund Item 2
Per Capita Apportionment Rate for the 2015-2016 School Year
September 11, 2015
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL FINANCE/PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: CONSENT
SUMMARY: The board is responsible for setting a per capita apportionment rate for each school year based on an estimate of the amount available for expenditures from the Available School Fund. Agency staff members will propose a recommended revised rate for the 2015-2016 school year at the September meeting of the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §42.004 and §43.001(b).
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The board adopted a final rate for the 2014-2015 school year in July of 2015. This action will set the initial rate for the 2015-2016 school year.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: House Bill 1, the General Appropriations Bill enacted by the 84th Texas Legislature, 2015, contains an estimate of the amount that will be available for expenditures from the Available School Fund for the 2015-2016 school year. The per capita apportionment will include distributions from the Permanent School Fund and funds from state occupation taxes and from the Motor Fuels Tax. The recommended preliminary per capita apportionment rate is based on an estimate of the funds available for expenditure. The rate is revised later in the school year based on actual funds available for expenditure.
FISCAL IMPACT: The per capita apportionment rate finances part of the cost of the Foundation School Program. State aid comes from the Available School Fund and the Foundation School Fund. The per capita apportionment rate determines how much of each district's total state aid is paid from the Available School Fund. The part that is not financed by the Available School Fund must be paid from the Foundation School Fund.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: State aid for the Foundation School Program is partially funded by the Available School Fund per capita apportionment. If this source of funds were not available, the shortfall would have to be made up from the General Revenue Fund.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
Staff Members Responsible:
Lisa Dawn-Fisher, Associate Commissioner
School Finance / Chief School Finance Officer
Amanda Brownson, Director
State Funding