2018 -- S 2215

========

LC003918

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

____________

A N   A C T

     RELATING TO EDUCATION-FUNDING OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Satchell, Seveney, Picard, Sheehan, and Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Section 16-77.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77.1 entitled

2

"Funding of Charter Public Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of

3

Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

4

     16-77.1-2. Operating costs.

5

     (a) Operating costs of a charter public school shall be the total of the per pupil payments

6

for each student attending the charter public school. The per pupil payment for each student shall

7

be determined based on the per pupil cost for the district of residence of each student. The state's

8

share of the per pupil amount for each student attending the charter public school shall be paid by

9

the state directly to the charter public school and shall be the percent, or share ratio, previously

10

calculated under chapter 7 of this title; provided, that in no case shall the ratio be less than thirty

11

percent (30%), minus the five percent (5%) of per pupil cost designated for indirect cost support

12

to the student's school district as defined in subsection (b). The five percent (5%) indirect cost

13

amount shall be deducted from the district per pupil cost before the state share is derived by

14

applying the share ratio to the district per pupil cost. The local share of the per pupil amount for

15

each student attending the charter public school shall be paid to the charter public school by the

16

district of residence of the student and shall be the per pupil cost for the district of residence of

17

the student minus the state share of that per pupil cost as designated in this section.

18

     (b) In addition to all state aid to education paid to a local district pursuant to chapter 7.1

19

of this title, the state will pay an additional amount to the district for each student from this

 

1

district who is attending a charter public school. The additional amount of state aid per pupil shall

2

be five percent (5%) of the districts per pupil cost. The additional state aid shall be for the

3

purpose of assisting local school districts to undertake the indirect costs borne by a district when

4

its student attends a charter public school.

5

     (c) The state department of elementary and secondary education shall annually determine

6

both the state and local share of each charter public school's operating costs by deriving the

7

respective shares associated with each student reported as a member of the charter public school

8

as of June 30 of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or the enrollment as of October 1

9

of the current school year in the first year of operation of a charter school). All other data used in

10

this determination shall be based upon the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11).

11

     (d) The state shall make payments of its share of operating costs to each charter public

12

school on a quarterly basis in July, October, January, and April. The July and October payments

13

will be based upon the reported student membership of the charter public school as of June 30 of

14

the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or the enrollment as of October 1 of the current

15

school year in the first year of operation of a charter school). Charter public schools will report

16

current student enrollment, including district of residence for school purposes of each student

17

enrolled, and each district will report current total district operating expenses and total district

18

enrollments (including district students enrolled in charter public schools) annually by October 1.

19

If the October 1 data on a charter public school's student enrollment show a ten percent (10%) or

20

greater increase or decrease in students from the June membership count, the third and fourth

21

quarter payments to the charter public school will be adjusted to reflect actual student enrollment

22

in the charter public school.

23

     (e) Local district payments to charter public schools for each district's students enrolled in

24

the charter public school shall also be calculated on a per diem basis on November 15, February

25

1, April 15, and June 30 of each school year.

26

     (1) Charter public schools shall issue an invoice to the sending public school districts

27

only for those resident students who are enrolled at the charter public school during the quarter

28

prior to said date.

29

     (2) Such invoices shall include the following:

30

     (i) Detail of student enrollment by student name, current residence, attendance and

31

student identification number and any other information reasonably requested by the sending

32

district; and

33

     (ii) A certification from the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of the charter

34

public school affirming that all information contained on the invoice is true and accurate.

 

LC003918 - Page 2 of 4

1

     (3) Charter public schools shall make all reasonable efforts to prohibit students from

2

simultaneously registering at the charter public school and home school district.

3

     made quarterly as designated in subsection (d); the first local district payment shall be

4

made by August 15 instead of July. Any local school district more than thirty (30) days in arrears

5

on a quarterly payment for its student(s) enrolled in a charter public school shall have the amount

6

of the arrearage deducted from state aid to that district and the withheld arrearage shall be paid by

7

the state directly to the charter public school.

8

     (f) Local school districts with student(s) enrolled in a charter public school shall continue

9

to report these said students in the total census of district public school students and will receive

10

state aid for all these students pursuant to the provisions of chapter 7.1 of this title.

11

     (g) All entitlements except those provided for in § 16-24-6.2 shall be ratably reduced if

12

less than one hundred percent (100%) of the expenditures is appropriated.

13

     (h) For fiscal year 2007, the indirect aid paid to districts pursuant to this section shall

14

equal the amount received in the fiscal year 2006 enacted budget by the 2005 general assembly.

15

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC003918

========

 

LC003918 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

     RELATING TO EDUCATION-FUNDING OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

***

1

     This act would require charter schools to issue a detailed invoice to the public school

2

districts for local aid, only for those resident students who are enrolled at the charter public

3

school during the quarter prior to said date.

4

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC003918

========

 

LC003918 - Page 4 of 4