Fast Report
Harmful provision removed from housing bill
• A provision in the Home Mortgage Aid Act that would have hindered school districts’ revenue-raising abilities has been removed from the final bill that President Bush signed into law on July 30.
NSBA opposed a provision in an earlier version of the Senate bill that would have restricted taxpayers in local jurisdictions, such as school districts, from claiming the standard deduction on federal income tax returns if property taxes were raised between April 2008 and January 2009.
The provision, which would have been harmful for both local governing authorities and taxpayers, was removed by the House. It was not included in the final bill (H.R.3231) that passed by a 72-13 vote.
Had the provision remained, it would have created serious problems for districts that need to raise property tax rates just to maintain services at current levels. This is especially true now because home values are falling and property assessments are declining.
The provision also would have affected jurisdictions that have automatic increases in property tax rates that have been approved and are already scheduled to occur.
PreK legislation advances
• The House Committee on Education and Labor has approved legislation supported by NSBA to create a new federal prekindergarten program.
The Providing Resources Early for Kids Act (H.R.3289), introduced by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), would provide $500 million a year annually for the next five years to help states improve the quality of preschool programs.
The funds could be used to increase the number of qualified early educators, improve preschool student-teacher ratios, or expand preschool programs.
NSBA believes high-quality prekindergarten programs help children develop the cognitive and social skills that are essential to their future success and can close the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers.
Studies have shown the return on investment is from $2 to $16 for every dollar spent on preK.
NSBA’s Pre-K Legislative Committee, comprised of school board members who advocate for a federal investment for high-quality, voluntary preschool programs, urged members of the House to support this bill.
Congress approves higher education act
• Both the House and Senate passed legislation reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. For school boards, the most relevant section is Title II, which provides grants for strengthening teacher quality.
In general, NSBA was pleased with the reforms, including a streamlined focus on partnership grants that directly involve school districts, stepped up accountability for teacher preparation programs, the addition of residency programs to help new teachers in hard-to-staff schools, and an emphasis on recruiting teachers in areas where shortages exist.
In negotiating differences between the House and Senate versions, the conference committee included more than a dozen NSBA recommendations in the final bill, including an emphasis on preparing general education and special education teachers to effectively instruct children with disabilities.
The conferees also adopted NSBA’s recommendations to allow grants for programs that offer alternative routes to certification and that give priority to recruiting teachers from underrepresented populations, rural and urban communities, and mid-career professionals who want to go into teaching.