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200 Broadway Street, Suite 108
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
504-274-3690
http://education.tulane.edu
Senate Bill No. 632: Establish the Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority
Senator Cheryl Gray
Assigned to Senate Committee on Education Legislation
This legislation would establish the Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority (SEFA) for the purpose of administering state level funding for local school districts to use for construction and repairs of facilities.
The LA SEFA would be housed within the Department of Education and would be fully staffed with an executive director and individuals specializing in fields related to school construction and finance. The Authority itself would be composed of individuals with special expertise in the necessary fields, representatives from organizations that have knowledge of the school building process, elected officials and education administrators.
The Authority would develop a formula and process to provide state funding to help match local funding for construction and renovation projects submitted by local school boards.
Funding for the Authority would come from the Louisiana Statewide Educational Facilities Fund that is currently under consideration in the form of House Bill No. 962.
Background
In the 2007 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, HCR 230 laid out plans for a task force to be convened to study Louisianas school facilities and make conclusions and recommendations based on best practices around the nation.
The HCR 230 Task Force report included information on school facilities management from around the nation that revealed that 41 other states provide funding for school construction and have an authority to oversee and allocate those funds. This report was approved by BESE and submitted to the state legislature.
How would funds be allocated?
Local districts would submit applications for specific construction or maintenance projects. The SEFA would allocate funds from the Louisiana Statewide Educational Facilities Fund to local districts based on a funding formula.
Funding from the SEFA would not affect the MFP.
What role would local school districts have?
Local school districts would have the choice as to whether to apply for funds from the SEFA. Local districts would continue to decide which local capital projects have priority for funding either through the SEFA or with local funds.
Local school districts will retain control of all facilities and funding. The SEFA would be involved in monitoring only the funds that are allocated by them.
Local districts would be required to provide matching funds for projects that are funded by the SEFA.
Administrations in districts that apply for funds would serve as liaisons to the SEFA.
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