Legislative Policies are on-going positions that guide OSBA's response to the variety of K-12 issues considered by the Legislative Assembly.

1.1 K-12 Funding Adequacy [Top]

OSBA supports the continued use of the Quality Education Model to define K-12 funding adequacy.

OSBA supports state-level and legislative efforts that assure the availability of state and local funds necessary to provide stability and adequacy in elementary and secondary school and community college funding.

OSBA opposes tax-reduction mechanisms that limit or reduce state or local funds available to provide stability and adequacy in elementary and secondary school funding.

OSBA supports modification of the state’s personal and corporate income tax “surplus-kicker” law to allow general fund revenue in excess of projections to be deposited into a reserve account and used only in times of economic distress.

OSBA supports increasing the maximum allowable size of the current Education Stability Fund, but opposes converting it into a general state rainy day fund.

OSBA opposes reducing the allocation of state aid to school districts and education service districts (ESDs) for either general operating or categorical purposes based on the receipt of additional federal education funds.

OSBA opposes requiring the use of state resources for implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act; federal programs should be fully supported by federal funds.

OSBA supports structural tax reform that will reduce the volatility of Oregon’s current tax system and raise the revenue necessary to provide K-12 school funding adequacy as defined by the Quality Education Model.

OSBA supports an appropriation to the State School Fund sufficient to provide each school district and ESD with no less than the resources necessary to support the operational, instructional and student achievement goals as defined by the Quality Education Model.

OSBA supports adequate funding of state Department of Education programs and services that provide a research-based direct benefit to school districts and ESDs.

OSBA supports changes to the State School Fund distribution formula that maintain equalization and contain factors that consider only those situations or circumstances which may be externally measured, for which adequate and reliable data exist and require additional per-student program costs.

OSBA opposes using the State School Fund distribution formula to mandate school district or ESD expenditures by formula factor categories.

OSBA supports granting authority to school districts to seek from their voters supplemental operating revenue from a variety of additional sources.

OSBA opposes offsetting any local option property tax revenue against school districts’ State School Fund resources beyond the amount necessary to maintain funding equalization.

OSBA supports continued funding of local option grants to equalize resources between high- and low-property-wealth school districts that approve local option property tax levies.

OSBA supports maintaining school district and ESD financial accountability for the expenditure of public funds and program accountability for student achievement of high academic standards.

OSBA supports local-control prerogatives to determine how financial and program accountability measures are achieved.

OSBA supports granting local option authority to school districts to levy systems development charges (SDCs) against new residential construction to assist in funding school construction and improvement projects.

OSBA supports the allocation of state resources, including lottery proceeds, in addition to and not in lieu of the appropriation of state aid for school districts’ operating costs, to assist in funding public school construction, remodeling and maintenance projects, technology and capital equipment purchases.

OSBA strongly opposes state legislative mandates that require school districts and ESDs to provide new or expanded programs, services, responsibilities or functions without full and continuing funding of the additional costs associated with the mandates.

OSBA opposes any mechanism that diverts public funds, including tax credits, to private or religious schools or erodes financial support of the public school system.