Colorado Legislative Council Staff
STATE and LOCAL
FISCAL IMPACT
Drafting Number: Prime Sponsor(s): |
LLS 99-0105 Sen. Hernandez Rep. Mace |
Date: Bill Status: Fiscal Analyst: |
January 6, 1999 Senate Education Harry Zeid (303-866-4753) |
TITLE: CONCERNING AN INCREASE IN THE AGE FOR COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
Fiscal Impact Summary |
FY 1999/2000 |
FY 2000/2001 |
State Revenues General Fund |
|
|
State Expenditures General Fund |
$1,882,800 |
$1,882,800 |
FTE Position Change |
0.0 FTE |
0.0 FTE |
Other State Impact: None Identified |
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Effective Date: Upon signature of the Governor |
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Appropriation Summary for FY 1999-2000: $1,882,800 GF, Public School Finance, Total Program |
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Local Government Impact: It is estimated that the number of students enrolled in public school would increase by 392 students. This increase would be accompanied by $1,882,800 in additional state support. |
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Summary of Legislation
This bill would raise the age of compulsory school attendance from 16 years of age to 17 years of age.
State Expenditures
Current law requires every child who has attained the age of seven years and is under the age of 16 years (with certain exceptions) to attend public school. The dropout rate is an annual rate reflecting the percentage of all students enrolled in grades 7 through 12 who leave school during the reporting period and are not known to transfer to other public or private schools. The dropout rate calculation excludes expelled students. Schools with grades 7 through 12 are required to complete an end-of-year report which provides counts of students entering and withdrawing during the 12 month period July 1, through June 30. The Colorado dropout rate for the 1996-97 school year (latest available) was 3.6 percent, a decrease of 0.4 percent from the 1995-96 school year. As shown in Table 1, the total number of dropouts reported for the 1996-97 school year was 11,967.
Table 1. Colorado Dropouts by Gender
Grades 7 through 12 for the 1996-97 Academic Year
Grade |
Male |
Female |
Total |
Grades 7 - 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total |
1,777 1,854 1,782 1,357 6,770 |
1,506 1,343 1,478 870 5,197 |
3,283 3,197 3,260 2,227 11,967 |
Raising the age that students must attend school from 16 years of age to 17 years of age will give school administrators an additional tool to use in trying to keep certain students in school, however, school districts may not have sufficient staff resources to effectively enforce the compulsory school attendance provisions of current law. It should be noted that students leaving the state or transferring to other school districts may be counted within the official dropout rate. Therefore, the official dropout rate may overstate the actual number of students that have dropped out of school.
The Department of Education estimates that increasing the age of compulsory school attendance to 17 years of age will increase the number of students enrolled in public school by approximately 1.0 percent of 12th grade enrollment, or 392 students. Since the statewide average per pupil operating revenue (PPOR) is $4,650, the increase in the funded pupil count would increase the General Fund appropriation for school finance by an estimated $1,882,800.
School District Impact
It is estimated that the number of students enrolled in public school would increase by 392 students. This increase would be accompanied by $1,882,800 in additional state support.
State Appropriations
The fiscal note implies that the FY 1999-00 General Fund appropriation for Public School Finance, Total Program, be increased $1,882,800.
Departments Contacted
Education