WHEREAS, the primary purpose of the Oregon State Lottery is to provide funding for education and under current contracts video lottery game retailers, such as taverns, make more than $130 million a year in commissions, based on commission rates that average 32.5 percent of video lottery game revenues; and
WHEREAS, one congressional district has already organized to begin financing schools outside of the present average-daily-membership (ADM) funding formula; and
WHEREAS, the Quality Education Commission has access to the top Blue Ribbon templates of our country for all size schools; and
WHEREAS, regional equalization boards would return the lost governance process to better meet the natural distinctions within Oregon while ensuring that schools of excellence within each region are properly recognized and compensated for their exemplary performance; and
WHEREAS, 41 "cash" and 110 "modified accrual" accounting districts present distortion in data collection; and
WHEREAS, the recessive tax structure of Oregon necessitates a reserve fund be available (through the "kicker" law to be accessed to each equalization board) to stabilize school funding in times of fiscal down turn cycles of expected tax revenues.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Oregon School Boards Association strongly encourages the Oregon Legislature, through existing Legislative Counsel concepts, to enact the following legislation to promote excellence, equalization, stability and accountability for all Oregon schools:
- Limits compensation of video lottery game retailers to 15 percent of net receipts.
- Resurrects five school (congressional) equalization districts to distribute state and federal moneys to school districts. Directs school equalization districts to distribute moneys based on Blue Ribbon education prototype model funding level identified by Quality Education Commission.
- Eliminates formulas for distribution of State School Fund to school districts and education service districts. Directs Superintendent of Public Instruction to calculate local revenue for school districts and education service districts for use in distribution of state moneys. Allows school districts and education service districts to retain local revenues.
- Directs Quality Education Commission to develop education Blue Ribbon prototype models for public schools based on research and best practices. Directs State Board of Education to develop education prototype models fro public charter schools and alternative education programs based on research and best practices.
- Directs Department of Education to distribute incentive rewards to successful schools.
- Directs districts, schools and programs to use specified accounting methods before January 1, 2006.
- Modifies kicker refund to allocate amount in excess, by five percent of more, of actual collection of revenues received by General Fund for previous biennium. Distributes amount of excess to taxpayers, to account that dedicates moneys in account to purposes deemed to be emergencies by Legislative Assembly and to General Fund.
- Establishes Rainy Day Account.
- Makes funding provisions operative on July 1, 2005.
