2016 -- S 2744

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Senators Pearson, Picard, Nesselbush, Lombardi, and Miller

     Date Introduced: March 10, 2016

     Referred To: Senate 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 as defined in chapter 77 of this title, 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 § 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 last six (6) monthly 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 § 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 §

16-7.2-4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide the general

assembly with the calculation of the state share of permanent foundation education aid for charter

public schools delineated by school district. The department shall also provide the general

assembly a performance dashboard indicating the per-pupil expenditures of each school district

and charter school broken down by revenue sources and expenditure categories. The department

shall provide, within the same dashboard, student performance indicators for each school district

or charter school.

     (b) 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, which consists of calculated by dividing the local appropriation to education

from property taxes, net of debt service, and capital projects, and the local share of education

funding paid to the charter public schools, Davies, and the Met Center in reference year 2014, as

defined in the uniform chart of accounts, divided by the average daily membership for each city

and town, pursuant to § 16-7-22, for the reference year.

      (b)(c) 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 § 16-7-31.

     (d) Beginning in FY 2017, in school districts with charter public school, Davies, and the

Met Center enrollments that, combined, comprise five percent (5%) or more of the average daily

membership as defined in §16-7-22, the state shall pay in full the local share or contribution of

charter public school tuition for the number of students attending the charter public schools in

excess of five percent (5%) of the average daily membership. These payments shall be credited to

each sending district in proportion to the percentage of students from the district who are

attending the charter public school. As used in this subsection, the term "charter public school"

includes Davies and the Met Center, as well as all district charter schools, independent charter

schools, and mayoral academies.

     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

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     This act would provide that beginning in FY 2017, the state would pay the local share or

contribution of charter public school tuition for the number of students attending the charter

public schools in excess of five percent (5%) the average daily membership of all pupils attending

public schools within those school districts. This act would also incorporate proposals from the

governor's proposed FY 2016-2017 budget regarding charter school funding.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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