If you are the sponsor or co-sponsor of this bill, please feel free to comment below about what the reviewer’s comments are.
Bill Details: HB 54S01: Public Education Increased Funding Program
Sponsor: Rep. Jack R. Draxler, Co-Sponsor:
Bill Summary:
As amended, raises income tax rate by 10%, with revenues dedicated to three programs: Pay for Performance Incentive Pay Program, Digital Teaching and Learning Technology Program, and educator salary adjustments.
Reviewer Name: Randall Lund, Rating: Strongly Oppose
Reviewer Comments:
Tax increase is unacceptable because it fosters continued tax and spend waste on new programs. The performance pay program allows districts to propose their own standards for determining “performance” and could reward behaviors we oppose, such as Common Core compliance.
Avg. Public Rating:
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Past Comments
Comment by Morgan Olsen (February 19, 2015 at 1:07 pm)
Rating: Strongly Oppose
o A tax increase from 5% to 5.5% means a 10% increase in taxes. A huge amount of money to fund two education programs. Such a huge influx of money will tremendously increase State power and influence over districts, and dramatically change the way schools think about money.
o Requires 25% of the money be spent on digital devices, software, and infrastructure.
Is this even necessary, wouldn’t schools put that much money towards technology anyways? Why not allow them to use if for textbooks if they want?
I want proper legal protections put in place to protect my kids before the technology is.
o o 75% of the money is used to reinforce the current teacher accountability program, this provides a precedent of attaching monetary strings for district compliance in these programs. Get them hooked on the money, then change the rules of the game. I would rather pay my taxes directly to the district and have more local control than run it through the state or federal governments and have it come back with strings.