Bill Overview
Title: SENSE Act
Description: This bill requires each local educational agency (LEA) that received certain federal COVID-19 relief funds to submit an annual report on the expenditure of such funds during the preceding year. An LEA that does not submit a report shall not be eligible to receive specified federal education funds for the next year.
Sponsors: Rep. Gallagher, Mike [R-WI-8]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals associated with local educational agencies that received federal COVID-19 relief funds
Estimated Size: 70000000
- The SENSE Act involves local educational agencies (LEAs) that received federal COVID-19 relief funds.
- Students in areas where LEAs received these funds will be directly impacted, as the availability of future funds may affect educational resources.
- Teachers and school staff in these LEAs may also be affected due to potential shifts in funding, impacting employment or resources.
- Parents in these districts will be indirectly impacted as changes in school funding can affect the quality of education their children receive.
- The requirement for annual reporting means administrative efforts will increase, impacting resources of the LEAs.
Reasoning
- The SENSE Act specifically impacts LEAs that have received COVID-19 relief funds; thus, it will mostly affect students, teachers, and parents in districts where such funds were allocated.
- Since the policy includes financial reporting requirements, LEAs might direct resources from administrative to educational use, consequently affecting teachers and students directly.
- Some LEAs may not be strongly affected if they are already compliant with report requirements or have other funding sources.
- The policy's administrative demands might burden smaller LEAs or those with already stretched resources, potentially impacting students if funds are redirected from educational enhancements to compliance.
- Parents and communities in districts lacking funding discipline might experience indirect impacts if the policy redirects LEAs' focus from educational resources to administrative compliance.
Simulated Interviews
Elementary School Teacher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The SENSE Act seems like it could enforce accountability, but it worries me that more time might be spent on bureaucracy than teaching.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
School Principal (Cincinnati, OH)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support the SENSE Act because it could ensure funds are used effectively, but the added paperwork might strain our already limited administrative resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Parent (Austin, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful if the funds are used well, it could improve education quality, though I'm concerned about less direct impact on student services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
LEA Administrator (Detroit, MI)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The SENSE Act will require us to reallocate resources for compliance, which might initially reduce funds directly available for schools.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
High School Teacher (Denver, CO)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could be positive if it safeguards funds for student programs, yet right now, there's risk we may lose out due to lack of adequate documentation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Superintendent (Miami, FL)
Age: 46 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might enhance transparency but inevitably complicates our immediate operational efficiency.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
School Board Member (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am supportive because it may curb misuse of funds but worried about pushback due to increased oversight duties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
College Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I see the value in accountability, I'm concerned about the focus shifting from students' needs to administrative tasks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The SENSE Act is a step toward transparency, but it needs careful balance to avoid over-regulation slowing down educational improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Businessman (Houston, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The accountability aspect of the SENSE Act is crucial, but it shouldn't compromise the immediacy of educational support and improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $73000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $76000000)
Year 5: $58000000 (Low: $34000000, High: $81000000)
Year 10: $64000000 (Low: $37000000, High: $89000000)
Year 100: $110000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $150000000)
Key Considerations
- Compliance with annual reporting can lead to administrative burdens on LEAs, necessitating processes to ensure accurate and timely report submissions.
- Penalties for non-compliance may lead some LEAs to lose essential federal funding, impacting service levels.
- The measure aims to increase fiscal transparency and accountability in the use of COVID-19 educational relief funds.