(Corning) Southwest Valley Schools Superintendent Chris Fenster opened this week’s school board with a report on education-related legislative activity. One bill that is not popular amongst district superintendents is the proposed Senate File 251.
The current law requires school districts to spend no more than five percent of their general fund on administrative costs but lacks a definition of what administrative costs would be. The proposed bill changes the definition of “administrative expenditures” to mean school district purposes or activities that do not directly relate to student instruction or the training of the students.
Proponents of the proposed bill say it keeps the focus on classroom teaching and teacher salaries rather than expanding administration. A significant increase in administrative personnel prompted the drafting of the bill.