2015 -- S 0944

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LC002652

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT - SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Algiere, and Gee

     Date Introduced: May 26, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-7 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:

     16-7.2-7. Transition plan. -- (a) The general assembly shall annually determine the

appropriation of education aid pursuant to this chapter using a transition plan to begin in fiscal

year 2012, not to exceed seven (7) years for LEA's for whom the calculated education aid

pursuant to § 16-7.2-3 is more than the education aid the LEA is receiving as of the effective date

of the formula, and ten (10) years for LEA's for whom the calculated education aid pursuant to §

16-7.2-3 is less than the education aid the LEA is receiving as of the effective date of the formula.

      (b) The local share of funding pursuant to § 16-7.2-5 shall be transitioned

proportionately over a period not to exceed five (5) years. The transition shall provide a

combination of direct aid to districts, funds for the categorical programs, and district savings

through state-assumed costs, as determined by the general assembly on an annual basis. Updates

to any components of the permanent foundation education aid formula, such as student data,

property values, and/or median family income, that result in an increase or decrease in state

education aid that impacts the total state and local contribution by more than three percent (3%)

shall be transitioned over a period of time not to exceed three (3) years.

      (c) For districts that are converting from a half-day to a full-day kindergarten program

for the 2014-2015 school year and after, as defined by § 16-99-4, the increase in aid provided

pursuant to the formula for the increased reference average daily membership due to the

conversion of the kindergarten students from 0.5 full-time equivalent to 1.0 full-time equivalent is

not subject to the transition plan in subsection (a); instead, the increased kindergarten full-time

equivalents will be funded at the fully transitioned value of the formula beginning in FY 2017.

     (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the general assembly

recognizes that the LEA's for whom the calculated education aid pursuant to § 16-7.2-3 is less

than the education aid the LEA was receiving as of the effective date of the formula has been

unduly burdensome on said LEA's. Therefore, for the fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018, the

calculated education aid pursuant to § 16-7.2-3 shall remain the same as in fiscal year 2015.

     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 - SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA

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     This act would freeze the amount of education aid for local school agencies that are

scheduled to receive less aid under the funding formula. The education aid would be frozen at the

rate provided in fiscal year 2015 for a period of three (3) years.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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