2017 -- H 5751

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LC001878

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX

RELIEF ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Williams, Regunberg, Ajello, and Walsh

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2017

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2 entitled "The

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

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     16-7.2-6. Categorical programs, state funded expenses.

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     In addition to the foundation education aid provided pursuant to § 16-7.2-3, the

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permanent foundation education-aid program shall provide direct state funding for:

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     (a) Excess costs associated with special education students. Excess costs are defined

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when an individual special education student's cost shall be deemed to be "extraordinary".

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Extraordinary costs are those educational costs that exceed the state-approved threshold based on

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an amount above five times the core foundation amount (total of core-instruction amount plus

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student success amount). The department of elementary and secondary education shall prorate the

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funds available for distribution among those eligible school districts if the total approved costs for

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which school districts are seeking reimbursement exceed the amount of funding appropriated in

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any fiscal year; and the department of elementary and secondary education shall also collect data

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on those educational costs that exceed the state-approved threshold based on an amount above

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four (4) times the core-foundation amount.

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     (b) Career and technical education costs to help meet initial investment requirements

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needed to transform existing, or create new, comprehensive, career and technical education

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programs and career pathways in critical and emerging industries and to help offset the higher-

 

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than-average costs associated with facilities, equipment maintenance and repair, and supplies

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necessary for maintaining the quality of highly specialized programs that are a priority for the

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state. The department shall develop criteria for the purpose of allocating any and all career and

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technical education funds as may be determined by the general assembly on an annual basis. The

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department of elementary and secondary education shall prorate the funds available for

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distribution among those eligible school districts if the total approved costs for which school

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districts are seeking reimbursement exceed the amount of funding available in any fiscal year;

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     (c) Programs to increase access to voluntary, free, high-quality pre-kindergarten

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programs. The department shall recommend criteria for the purpose of allocating any and all early

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childhood program funds as may be determined by the general assembly;

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     (d) Central Falls, Davies, and the Met Center Stabilization Fund is established to assure

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that appropriate funding is available to support their students. Additional support for Central Falls

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is needed due to concerns regarding the city's capacity to meet the local share of education costs.

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This fund requires that education aid calculated pursuant to § 16-7.2-3 and funding for costs

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outside the permanent foundation education-aid formula, including, but not limited to,

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transportation, facility maintenance, and retiree health benefits shall be shared between the state

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and the city of Central Falls. The fund shall be annually reviewed to determine the amount of the

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state and city appropriation. The state's share of this fund may be supported through a reallocation

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of current state appropriations to the Central Falls school district. At the end of the transition

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period defined in § 16-7.2-7, the municipality will continue its contribution pursuant to § 16-7-24.

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Additional support for the Davies and the Met Center is needed due to the costs associated with

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running a stand-alone high school offering both academic and career and technical coursework.

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The department shall recommend criteria for the purpose of allocating any and all stabilization

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funds as may be determined by the general assembly; and

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     (e) Excess costs associated with transporting students to out-of-district non-public

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schools and within regional school districts. (1) This fund will provide state funding for the costs

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associated with transporting students to out-of-district non-public schools, pursuant to chapter

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21.1 of title 16. The state will assume the costs of non-public out-of-district transportation for

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those districts participating in the statewide system; and (2) This fund will provide direct state

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funding for the excess costs associated with transporting students within regional school districts,

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established pursuant to chapter 3 of title 16. This fund requires that the state and regional school

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district share equally the student transportation costs net any federal sources of revenue for these

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expenditures. The department of elementary and secondary education shall prorate the funds

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available for distribution among those eligible school districts if the total approved costs for

 

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which school districts are seeking reimbursement exceed the amount of funding available in any

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fiscal year.

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     (f) Public school districts that are regionalized shall be eligible for a regionalization

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bonus as set forth below.

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     (1) As used herein, the term "regionalized" shall be deemed to refer to a regional school

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district established under the provisions of chapter 3 of title 16 including the Chariho Regional

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School district.

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     (2) For those districts that are regionalized as of July 1, 2010, the regionalization bonus

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shall commence in FY 2012. For those districts that regionalize after July 1, 2010, the

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regionalization bonus shall commence in the first fiscal year following the establishment of a

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regionalized school district as set forth in chapter 3 of title 16, including the Chariho Regional

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School District.

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     (3) The regionalization bonus in the first fiscal year shall be two percent (2.0%) of the

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state's share of the foundation education aid for the regionalized district as calculated pursuant to

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§§ 16-7.2-3 and 16-7.2-4 in that fiscal year.

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     (4) The regionalization bonus in the second fiscal year shall be one percent (1.0%) of the

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state's share of the foundation education aid for the regionalized district as calculated pursuant to

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§§ 16-7.2-3 and 16-7.2-4 in that fiscal year.

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     (5) The regionalization bonus shall cease in the third fiscal year.

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     (6) The regionalization bonus for the Chariho regional school district shall be applied to

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the state share of the permanent foundation education aid for the member towns.

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     (7) The department of elementary and secondary education shall prorate the funds

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available for distribution among those eligible regionalized school districts if the total, approved

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costs for which regionalized school districts are seeking a regionalization bonus exceed the

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amount of funding appropriated in any fiscal year.

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     (g) Additional state support for English learners (EL). For FY 2017 only, the amount to

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support EL students shall be determined by multiplying an EL factor of ten percent (10%) by the

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core-instruction per-pupil amount defined in § 16-7.2-3(a)(1) and applying that amount of

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additional state support to EL students identified using widely adopted, independent standards

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and assessments identified by the Commissioner. All categorical funds distributed pursuant to this

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subsection must be used to provide high-quality, research-based services to EL students and

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managed in accordance with requirements set forth by the commissioner of elementary and

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secondary education. The department of elementary and secondary education shall collect

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performance reports from districts and approve the use of funds prior to expenditure. The

 

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department of elementary and secondary education shall ensure the funds are aligned to activities

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that are innovative and expansive and not utilized for activities the district is currently funding.

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The department of elementary and secondary education shall prorate the funds available for

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distribution among eligible recipients if the total calculated costs exceed the amount of funding

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available in any fiscal year. Costs associated with English learners (EL). The amount to support

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EL students shall be determined by multiplying an EL factor of ten percent (10%) by the core

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instruction per pupil amount defined in §16-7.2-3(a)(1) and applying that amount to EL students

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identified using widely adopted, independent standards and assessments identified by the

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commissioner. All categorical funds distributed pursuant to this subsection must be used to

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provide high-quality, research-based services to EL students and managed in accordance with

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requirements set forth by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. This

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categorical program shall be fully funded; however, such funding shall be pursuant to the

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transition plan in §16-7.2-7.

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     (h) Categorical programs defined in (a) through (f) shall be funded pursuant to the

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transition plan in § 16-7.2-7.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

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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 amend the state aid funding formula for compensation of school districts

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for the additional costs of students learning English.

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     This act would take effect on July 1, 2017.

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