FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 02, 2023
Time Requested: 05:17 PM |
| Agency: |
Education, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 3041 |
Introduced |
HB3221 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Education (K12) |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
0317
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund N/A
Legislation creates:
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
This proposed legislation, in its current form, does not have any fiscal impact on the WVDE through the PSSP to allow pre-school students to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship program under the current eligibility requirements; however, there will potentially be a cost to the State upon full implementation when all private and homeschool students are eligible for the HOPE Scholarship beginning with fiscal year 2027, but the cost is indeterminable at this time.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2023
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2024
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
This legislation, in its current form, has no fiscal mpact on the WVDE. W. Va. Code §18-9A-25 requires the WVDE to annually request an appropriation equal to the amount of not less 2% of net public school enrollment adjusted for state aid purposes or the total number of HOPE Scholarship applications received multiplied by the prior year’s statewide average state aid per pupil amount. To date, the WVDE has not received data from the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office (WVSTO) regarding the number of applications received; therefore, appropriation requests thus far have been based on 2% of net public school enrollment annually. Pre-school students are included in the net public school enrollment amount; therefore, the appropriation request already includes an amount equal to 2% of the FTE student count of that grade level multiplied by the prior year state aid per pupil amount; therefore, this is not any additional estimated amount to be requested under the HOPE Scholarship appropriation line. If additional information is obtained pertaining to the number of HOPE Scholarship applications received year-to-date, then the addition of pre-school students could have a potential increase on the HOPE Scholarship appropriation request.
Please note, there will potentially be a cost increase for the State upon full implementation of the statute as currently written when all private and homeschool students have the potential to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship beginning with fiscal year 2027, but that potential cost is indeterminable right now due to a lack of dependable pre-school enrollment data among home school and private school students. As the statute is currently written, “…if on July 1, 2024, the participation rate of the combined number of students in the Hope Scholarship Program and students eligible who have applied to participate in the Hope Scholarship program during the previous school year is less than five percent of net public school enrollment adjusted for state aid purposes for the previous school year, then, effective July 1, 2026, a child is considered to meet the requirements of this paragraph if he or she is enrolled, eligible to be enrolled, or required to be enrolled in a kindergarten program or public elementary or secondary school program in this state at the time of application.” This additional cost for the State is projected for 2027-28. Although private school and homeschool students will be eligible for the program effective July 1, 2026, (2026-27 fiscal year), the higher level of applications to expand the funding under the provisions of W. Va. Code §18-9A-25 would not be known until submitting the funding request for the 2027-28 year.
Memorandum
The bill does not specifiy the age range of a pre-school student. Currently, universal Pre-K programs are offered to all students who are four years old on or before July 1, of the upcoming school term. Three-year old students with developmental delays are eligible based upon established criteria. If the intent of the bill is to lower the entry age for eligibility for the Hope Scholarship, the legislation may want to amend the proposed bill to clarify such intent.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Sam Pauley
Email Address: sepauley@k12.wv.us