Monday, June 16, 2008

Monday Quick Hits: Hot Policy Topics for This Week

North Carolina
Budget:
The Senate will release its budget this week. The process begins on Monday, June 16 at 3:00pm with Health and Human Services Appropriation Subcommittee. At 4:00pm the Education Appropriation Subcommittee will roll out its budget. The full Senate will vote on the budget Wednesday and Thursday of this week. We will update this site with information regarding the budget.
There are going to be significant differences between the House and Senate budget. Some of the rumored differences are teacher’s raises and UNC expansion funding for incoming Freshmen.
Even with these differences, it is still possible that we will have a final budget signed by the Governor by July 1st.

Check out this take on the budget: NC Senate Wants More Education Spending.

Bills Of Interest:

A few things we are tracking in the House and Senate this week. All of them are in the Education subcommittees.

House Education Subcommittee
On Tuesday, June 17 2008 this subcommittee will take up two bills that affect students with disabilities.  

HB 2288 Continue Dropout Prevention Commission.
The Dropout Prevention Commission worked during the past session break to address the reasons that student dropout of high school. This legislation would authorize this commission to continue its work.

HB 2306 IET Team and Homebound Instruction Changes.
This bill makes one change to last years law. It removes “the head of the student’s IEP team” and replaces it with “the designee or designees of the student’s IEP team”
Wednesday, June 18

Senate Education Committee
On Wednesday, June 18, 2008 this committee will take up HB 12  Students Ineligible for Special Education Protection. This bill passed the House in last years long session.
This bill protects unidentified, eligible students with disabilities from long-term suspensions when schools fail to identify them and their performance and behavior clearly established the need for such services. We expect to see a committee substitute for this bill. We will update this blog with the changes. HB12 is on The Arc of North Carolina’s Legislative Agenda.

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