2015 -- H 6106

========

LC002490

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX

RELIEF ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Gallison, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: April 17, 2015

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-3 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:

     16-7.2-3. Permanent foundation education aid established. -- (a) Beginning in the

2012 fiscal year, the following foundation education aid formula shall take effect. The foundation

education aid for each district shall be the sum of the core instruction amount in (a)(1) and the

amount to support high need students in (a)(2), which shall be multiplied by the district state

share ratio calculated pursuant to § 16-7.2-4 to determine the foundation aid.

      (1) The core instruction amount shall be an amount equal to a statewide per pupil core

instruction amount as established by the department of elementary and secondary education,

derived from the average of northeast regional expenditure data for the states of Rhode Island,

Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire from the National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES) that will adequately fund the student instructional needs as described in the

basic education program and multiplied by the district average daily membership as defined in §

16-7-22. Expenditure data in the following categories: instruction and support services for

students, instruction, general administration, school administration and other support services

from the National Public Education Financial Survey as published by NCES and enrollment data

from the Common Core of Data also published by NCES will be used when determining the core

instruction amount. The core instruction amount will be updated annually. For the purpose of

calculating this formula, school districts' resident average daily membership shall exclude charter

school and state-operated school students.

      (2) The amount to support high need students beyond the core instruction amount shall

be determined by multiplying a student success factor of forty percent (40%) by the core

instruction per pupil amount described in § 16-7.2-3(1) and applying that amount to all resident

children eligible for USDA reimbursable school meals.

      (b) LEAs may set aside a portion of funds received under subsection (a) to expand

learning opportunities such as after school and summer programs, full day kindergarten and/or

multiple pathway programs provided that the basic education program and all other approved

programs required in law are funded.

     (c) Foundation education aid distributed pursuant to this section shall be distributed to the

school districts as one entity, and not as appropriations to individual municipalities, unless

specifically indicated otherwise by the Rhode Island general laws.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC002490

========

LC002490 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX

RELIEF ACT

***

     This act would require that foundation education aid be distributed to the school district

and not to individual municipalities.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC002490

========

LC002490 - Page 3 of 3