Public Education Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2025 — Fiscal Note Scaffold

This scaffold outlines projected costs, offsets, and receipts to support transparent budgeting and CBO-style scoring. Replace TBD entries with state/LEA submissions and vendor quotes, then publish to the receipts dashboard.

Summary

• Scope: National K–12 LEAs participating in federal education funding.
• Window: FY2026–FY2035 (10-year budget window).
• Approach: Top-down national estimates + bottom-up LEA reporting, reconciled annually.
• Key drivers: Devices/connectivity, staffing ratios, facilities modernization, universal meals, PD/micro-credentials, data privacy compliance.

Assumptions (inputs to be parameterized)

• Student count: TBD (baseline K–12 enrollment; disaggregate by grade bands).
• Device lifecycle: 4 years; repair rate 8–12% annually; replacement 25% in year 4.
• Connectivity: On-campus broadband at TBD $/Mbps; off-campus support at TBD $/student/year.
• Meals cost: Breakfast + lunch incremental cost TBD $/student/day; 180 school days.
• Counselor/psychologist salaries: Median total comp TBD $/FTE (regional COLA indexed).
• Facilities: HVAC/water/accessibility modernization at TBD $/sqft; average sqft/student TBD.
• PD/micro-credentials: PD days TBD per teacher/year; stipend TBD $/day; micro-credential award TBD $.
• Inflation: Annual index TBD (CPI-U or ECIs) applied to operating costs; construction index for capital.
• Participation: Assumed 100% of LEAs receiving federal education funds.

Projected costs (by title/category)

• Technology & Devices (Sec. 15): Devices, classroom tech, cybersecurity, content filters, repairs, e-waste recycling. Annualized capex + opex. TBD total
• Connectivity (Sec. 15b): Campus broadband + off-campus supports; integration with E-Rate. TBD total
• Universal Meals (Sec. 13): Food, labor, kitchen equipment upgrades, allergy/cultural protocols. Net of USDA reimbursements. TBD total
• Mental Health Staffing (Sec. 16): Counselors and psychologists to reach ratios over 5 years; telehealth contracts. TBD total
• Facilities Modernization (Sec. 25): HVAC, water, accessibility, modernization grants over 7 years; contingencies. TBD total
• Teacher PD & Mentorship (Sec. 14): PD days, substitutes, mentor stipends, micro-credential awards, evaluation reporting. TBD total
• Data Privacy & Governance (Sec. 21): DPOs, breach drills, vendor audits, compliance tooling; dashboard reporting. TBD total
• OPEA Operations (Sec. 12): Federal audits, receivership litigation support, reporting. TBD total
• Interagency Council (Sec. 33): Joint guidance, shared data standards, annual reporting. TBD total

Offsets (cost reductions and efficiencies)

• Right-to-repair & lifecycle management: Reduced capex via repairability; lower replacement frequency. TBD savings
• Procurement consolidation: Bulk purchasing, competitive bidding, Buy American supplier pools. TBD savings
• Assessment optimization: Testing cap (2%) reduces test vendor spend and lost instructional time. TBD savings
• Energy efficiency in facilities: Lower HVAC/electric costs post-modernization. TBD savings
• Streamlined data systems: Vendor rationalization, reduced duplicative platforms/licenses. TBD savings
• Receivership compliance: Targeted short-term oversight reduces long-term waste and inequity-related remediation. TBD savings
• Reduced chronic absenteeism: Universal meals and mental health supports improve attendance, lowering remediation costs. TBD savings

Receipts (financial inflows and offsets to federal outlays)

• USDA reimbursements: Existing meal program reimbursements reduce net federal education outlay. TBD receipts
• E-Rate & FCC programs: Connectivity cost shares/credits offset LEA broadband spending. TBD receipts
• State/local matches: Required match percentages for facilities and devices; sliding scale by need. TBD receipts
• À la carte revenues: Restricted to meal program; lowers net food costs. TBD receipts
• Private/philantropic partnerships: Community schools and tech grants aligned to federal standards. TBD receipts

Net fiscal impact (10-year window)

Category breakdown (annualized)

Implementation timeline and cash flow

• FY2026: Interim guidance, initial grants (devices/connectivity/meals planning), OPEA setup.
• FY2027–FY2028: Device rollout, campus broadband, PD programs, initial facilities projects.
• FY2029–FY2030: Mental health staffing ramp; facilities mid-point; dashboards live nationwide.
• FY2031–FY2032: Facilities nearing completion; receivership cases (if any) resolved or reviewing exit.
• FY2033–FY2035: Lifecycle refreshes; full parity standards achieved; net operating costs stabilize.

Risks and sensitivity analysis

• Inflation/cost volatility: Construction and food prices may exceed baseline; include 10–20% contingency bands.
• Supply chain constraints: Device and HVAC lead times; use multi-vendor pools and repair-first policy to buffer.
• Labor market tightness: Counselor/psychologist availability; fund residencies/loan forgiveness to mitigate.
• Participation variance: If some LEAs decline funds, national costs decline but equity goals lag; track opt-out impacts.
• Interagency timing: Delays in joint guidance can shift first-year spend; default standards reduce this risk.

Data sources and validation

• Enrollment and staffing: SEA/LEA submissions; NCES; reconciled quarterly.
• Cost baselines: Vendor quotes, GSA schedules, state procurement data; refreshed semiannually.
• Outcome metrics: Public dashboards (Sec. 20), OPEA audits (Sec. 12).
• Receipts tracking: USDA reimbursements, FCC E-Rate reports, LEA financials.

Notes for scoring

• Federal vs. non-federal flows: Distinguish federal outlays from state/local matches and household-level savings.
• Mandate phasing: Devices (3y), mental health (5y), facilities (7y) — front-loaded capex, leveling opex.
• Receivership costs: Legal/admin are limited; target reductions in long-run inequity remediation and inefficiency.
• Severability: Partial invalidation does not sink total cost; model scenarios with/without contested provisions.

Action items to finalize

• Populate TBDs: Pull latest NCES enrollment, vendor quotes, and USDA/FCC rates.
• Upload receipts: Publish per-category costs, offsets, and receipts to the public dashboard.
• Audit loop: OPEA to validate annual submissions; flag anomalies for correction.