State Fiscal Highlights
STATE FUND |
FY 2010 |
FY 2011 |
FUTURE YEARS |
General Revenue Fund |
|||
Revenues |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
|
Expenditures |
Annual membership fee of approximately $6,000 depending on the number of military children in Ohio who are covered by the compact and the rate set by the Interstate Commission |
||
Increase in administrative costs for the
Department of Education for |
|||
Note: The state fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. For example, FY 2010 is July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010. |
· Under the bill, Ohio becomes a member of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and pays an annual fee of approximately $6,000 to support the operations of the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. In future years, the amount may change depending on the number of students whose parents or guardians are serving on active duty and on any changes made by the Commission to the amount charged per student.
· Administrative costs for the Department of Education may increase due to the bill's requirement that the Department provide staff support to the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children that is created by the bill.
Local Fiscal Highlights
LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
FY 2010 |
FY 2011 |
FUTURE YEARS |
|
School Districts |
||||
Revenues |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
|
Expenditures |
Possible minimal increase in administrative costs
for school districts to |
|||
Note: For most local governments, the fiscal year is the calendar year. The school district fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. |
||||
· Some schools may incur minimal increases in administrative costs for complying with the compact's requirements that may result in following different procedures related to education records, course placement, and graduation requirements for military children than are followed for other children.
Detailed Fiscal Analysis
The bill proposes the ratification of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. This compact seeks to address issues that school-age children of military parents may experience when relocating across state lines. According to the Council of State Governments, through June 8, 2009, 21 states have ratified the compact.
Annual fee
Member states pay an annual fee to support the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which is created by the compact. Currently, the assessed fee, established by the Commission in late 2008, is set at $1 per active duty military student in the member state. According to data from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Military Family and Community Policy, there are approximately 6,000 school-age dependents of active duty military personnel in Ohio. Initially, therefore, Ohio's fee to support the Commission would be about $6,000. This fee could change if the number of covered students changes or if the Commission changes the amount charged per student. The bill specifies that the annual assessment fee be charged equally to the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Services.
State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
As required by the compact, the bill creates the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children to oversee and coordinate Ohio's participation in the compact. Members of the Council serve without compensation. The bill requires that the Council appoint a military family education liaison to assist families and the state in implementing the compact and requires the Governor to appoint a compact commissioner to represent the state on the Interstate Commission. In addition, the Department of Education is required to provide staff support for the State Council and the liaison. These requirements may increase administrative costs for the Department. Presumably, given the relatively small number of military children in Ohio, these costs will not be significant.
Local costs
Schools that educate military children may incur increased administrative costs as a result of the requirements of the compact. These costs are likely to be minimal. They may arise because schools may need to follow different procedures for military children than they follow for other children. The compact dictates certain procedures related to educational records, course placement of transferring students, participation in extracurricular activities, and graduation requirements for children of active duty military families.