GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1324

Short Title:  Future of Education Study.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Royall; Taft, Sherron, Plyler, Ward, Tally, and Basnight.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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June 26, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CREATE THE STUDY COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Whereas, the General Assembly in formulating its Budget for the 1989-91 Biennium has experienced great difficulty in balancing the needs of the people of this State with the resources available; and
Whereas, the Highway Program which has been proposed would raise approximately $8.6 billion in new taxes; and
Whereas, the Merit Pay Plan put forth by the Governor would require additional revenue growing to a point in the future that would require in excess of $1 billion per year in new funds; and
Whereas, the Basic Education Program now in its fifth year of implementation will require when fully funded in excess of $800,000,000; and
Whereas, the new Teacher Salary Schedule and unfreezing the freeze will require substantial additional revenue; and
Whereas, various new and different alternatives including local flexibility and accountability models have been offered as possible solutions to improving the school systems of this State; and
Whereas, various pilot programs including Career Ladder, Lead Teacher and others have been in existence for sometime and have produced valuable data that should be reviewed before committing the State revenues to any programs; and
Whereas, the report produced for the General Assembly which reviewed the Career Ladder Plan stated that it appeared to have many good points, it also stated that there was no measureable difference in student performance at that time and that the program, if implemented, should be carefully studied before statewide implementation and that a careful plan should be laid out for its implementation; and
Whereas, there appears to be no consensus now in this General Assembly or in the State as to what initiatives should be funded in Education and where the resources to carry out those initiatives can be found; and
Whereas, to fund all of the new requests which the Governor has recommended to the General Assembly would require new taxes of the citizens of this State well in excess of $1 billion annually and would require additional tax increases in the future, and this far exceeds the ability of the citizens of this State to pay for these additional services; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Study Commission on the Future of Education is created.  The Commission shall be located administratively within the Department of Public Education.  The Commission shall consist of 48 members appointed as follows:
(1)	Three legislators, three educators, three representatives of business or industry, and three citizens who are none of the above, appointed by the Governor;
(2)	Three legislators, three educators, three representatives of business or industry, and three citizens who are none of the above, appointed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction;
(3)	Three legislators, three educators, three representatives of business or industry, and three citizens who are none of the above, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and
(4)	Three legislators, three educators, three representatives of business or industry, and three citizens who are none of the above, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sec. 2.  The State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall designate a chairman of the Commission.
Sec. 3.  The Commission shall:
(1)	Study all recent education initiatives and goals, including the Basic Education Program and the Career Development Pilot Program;
(2)	Hold public hearings throughout the State on whether and how the State should implement or continue to implement these initiatives and goals; and
(3)	Determine which of these initiatives and goals the State should implement or continue to implement; how they should be implemented to improve the quality of the State education system and to prepare young people to be well-educated, productive citizens; and how they should be funded.
Sec. 4.  The Commission shall submit an interim report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the General Assembly on or before May 1, 1990.  The Commission shall submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 1991.  Upon filing its final report, the Commission shall terminate.
Sec. 5.  Members of the Commission who are legislators shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1.  Members who are officials or employees of the State shall be paid subsistence and travel allowances at the rates set forth in G.S. 138-6.  Other members of the Commission shall be paid per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances at the rates established in G.S. 138-5.
Sec. 6.  The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as it deems appropriate.
Sec. 7.  When a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Commission the vacancy shall be filled by the same appointing officer who made the initial appointment.
Sec. 8.  All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
Sec. 9.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of $100,000 for the 1989-90 fiscal year for the Study Commission on the Future of Education.
Sec. 10.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1989.