NREAC Meeting Minutes

  

July 24, 2008

Conference Call

 

Jay McAdams
Mary Kusler
Dave Walrath
Joe Bard
Jimmy Cunningham
Bob Newhouse
Barb Havlicek

Survey Opportunity on Rural Superintendent Preparation

  • The February Rural Update presented the early findings of research by Clark Gardener of Chadron State College and William Agnew of Missouri State University on best practices in the preparation of rural superintendents. Their initial review of the literature indicated that a preparation program for small, rural superintendents should emphasize 13 unique areas. The researchers wish to determine the perceptions of current superintendents, and they are asking school leaders to complete a short survey ranking the 13 areas from low priority to high priority, to determine which concepts should be included in superintendent preparation programs. The researchers need your assistance and invite you to take this short survey, which should only take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
  • Please forward the survey link to other superintendents in your area. (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=NrDB5O4l_2faV1VrVsKkQQyQ_3d_3d)

Fuel and Energy Costs

  • Thank you to those who shared the fuel and energy cost increases in your district. The data was shared with Senator Bob Casey (PA). He is about to introduce the Rural Fuel for School Act. The companion bill in the House will be sponsored by Representative Loebsack.
  • It is a competitive grant program. School districts must experience a 20% increase in their fuel costs over the previous year and can only qualify once every three years. The awarded amount will cover at least 10% (but not more than 50%) of the receiving district’s total transportation costs.
  • The monies would be transferred directly from the department of education to the rural schools.
  • It is currently written for $5 million per year.

Disaster Relief Bill

  • We are awaiting the introduction of an emergency relief act for schools impacted by recent flooding. It will look like the Katrina relief, without the private school language.
  • The bill will definitely be introduced in the House by Reps. Hare (D-IL) and Loebsak (D-IA).

Funding/Appropriations

  • As mentioned last time, the House Committee was slow in releasing the funding charts, making it difficult to get a number on exactly what our totals looked like.
  • The charts are finally out (http://www.aasa.org/files/PDFs/Policy/FY09CEFFUNDINGCHART.pdf).
  • We are not thrilled with the overall numbers, but at least there are increases.
  • The Senate level funded REAP but the House included a $3 million increase
  • The House and Senate both increased Title I funding, by $556 million and $631 million respectively
  • IDEA did significantly better in the House with a $604 million increase in the House and a $477 million increase in the Senate
  • The House proposal is better overall; they tended to also give small increases to formula grant programs. In the end we will likely be pushing for the House numbers.
  • At our last call, the expectation was that the House and Senate would move the individual approps bills through by the August recess. This is now not the case.
  • There was a partisan showdown over the LaborH bill. Skipping over the details, the update is that nothing has moved. Come September, the only time the committee will likely get together is to pass the continuing resolution, which they will most likely set to expire in mid-December.
  • The mid-December expiration will give Democrats the option to either wait for a new President to pass the approps bills or push them through with Bush. They will most likely wait for the new President, given Bush’s threat to veto.

Dates to Note

  • The 2009 Legislative Conference was moved to Monday and Tuesday February 2-3.
  • Our next conference call will be August 27 at 1 pm EST.