2017 -- H 6175

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LC002520

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives McLaughlin, Morin, Marszalkowski, Bennett, and
Amore

     Date Introduced: April 28, 2017

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "The Education Equity and

Property Tax Relief Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-7.2-11. Vocational and technical education aid support and charter school

payments.

      (a) In fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020 ("the three (3) fiscal years"), the general assembly

shall appropriate out of monies originally identified in the governor’s budget proposal to fund the

"Rhode Island Promise Scholarship" the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in each of the

three (3) fiscal years for a total of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) in education aid, to be

distributed as follows:

     (1) The sum of seven million dollars ($7,000,000) shall be distributed in each of the

three (3) fiscal years to public school districts as core instruction amounts to each district, to be

used to initiate, promote, and develop career, technical, and vocational education programs within

the respective school districts. This aid shall be distributed following the calculations contained

in §§16-7.2-3, 16-7.2-4, and 16-7.2-5. The purposes for which these monies may be used

include:

     (i) Helping to meet initial investment requirements needed to transform existing, or create

new, comprehensive, career and technical and vocational education programs and career

pathways in critical and emerging industries; and

     (ii) Helping to offset the higher-than-average costs associated with facilities, equipment

maintenance and repair, and supplies necessary for maintaining the quality of highly specialized

programs that are a priority for the state.

     (2) The sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) shall be distributed to certain public

school districts (the "sending district") where students from the sending districts attend charter

public schools, Davies, or the Met Center (hereinafter referred to as "charter public schools") as

follows:

     (i) In those sending districts where the number of students from the public school districts

attending charter public schools compose five percent (5%) or more of the average daily

membership of the public school district as defined in §16-7-22, the state shall 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%) of the sending district’s average daily membership.

(ii) 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 schools.

     (b) The sums provided pursuant to this section shall not be deemed to be part of the

state’s share of the foundation education aid pursuant to this chapter, but shall be separate from

and in addition to that aid.

     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

***

     This act would authorize the appropriation of the sum of ten million dollars

($10,000,000) in Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020, for a total of thirty million dollars

($30,000,000) over those three (3) years. In each fiscal year, seven million dollars ($7,000,000)

would be allocated to school districts to promote career, technical, and vocational education, and

three million dollars ($3,000,000) would be allocated as additional education aid to pay charter

school tuitions.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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