2014 -- H 7808

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LC004892

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX

RELIEF ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives O`Grady, Tomasso, Tanzi, Amore, and Cimini

     Date Introduced: March 04, 2014

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2 entitled "The

Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-7.2-5. Charter public schools, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical

High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center. -- (a) Charter

public schools defined in chapter 16-77, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High

School (Davies) and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (the Met Center)

shall be funded pursuant to section 16-7.2-3. If the October 1 actual enrollment data for any

charter public school shows a ten percent (10%) or greater change from the prior year enrollment

which is used as the reference year average daily membership, the third and fourth quarter

payments to the charter public school will be adjusted to reflect actual enrollment. The state share

of the permanent foundation education aid shall be paid by the state directly to the charter public

schools, Davies, and the Met Center pursuant to section 16-7.2-9 and shall be calculated using the

state share ratio of the district of residence of the student as set forth in section 16-7.2-4. The

local share of education funding, as defined by the department of elementary and secondary

education and approved by the General Assembly, shall be paid to the charter public school,

Davies, and the Met Center by the district of residence of the student and shall be the local per

pupil cost calculated by dividing the local appropriation to education from property taxes net of

debt service and capital projects as defined in the uniform chart of accounts by dividing the local

share of the district's total foundation number as defined in § 16-7.2-3 by the average daily

membership for each city and town, pursuant to section 16-7-22, for the reference year. The local

share of the district's total foundation number shall be calculated by multiplying the district's total

foundation number by the district's local share ratio as determined pursuant to § 16-7.2-4.

      (b) Local district payments to charter public schools, Davies, and the Met Center for

each district's students enrolled in these schools shall be made on a quarterly basis in July,

October, January and April; however, the first local district payment shall be made by August 15

instead of July. Failure of the community to make the local district payment for its student(s)

enrolled in a charter public school, Davies, and/or the Met Center may result in the withholding

of state education aid pursuant to section 16-7-31.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX

RELIEF ACT

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     This act would change how the local share of charter schools, Davies and Metropolitan

Career and Technical School funding is calculated. The new formula to calculate the local share

of the district's total formulation number requires the multiplying of the school district's total

formulation number by the district's local share ratio.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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