FISCAL NOTE

House Bill 429 as amended and reported by the Committee on Ways and Means Education requires the employment of auxiliary teachers in grades K-3, contingent upon available revenue in the Education Trust Fund (ETF) and appropriation by the Legislature. According to information provided by the State Department of Education, this bill would increase the obligations of the ETF beginning with Fiscal Year 2024 by an estimated $28.8 million annually to employ auxiliary teachers for the 2023-2024 school year in grades K-3 in schools where 75% or more of the student population scored at level 1 proficiency on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), or any successor assessment program. This bill would further increase obligations of the ETF each fiscal year by an undetermined amount dependent on the number of additional auxiliary teachers employed to phase-in employment of auxiliary teachers in all K-3 public schools. Finally, at full implementation, this bill would increase obligations of the ETF by an estimated total of $531 million annually beginning in Fiscal Year 2030.

The FY 2023 ETF Appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives includes a $5,439,463 earmark under the State Department of Education for an auxiliary teacher grant program for underperforming schools pursuant to this bill.