2018 -- S 2664

========

LC004841

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY RELIEF

ACT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Morgan, Raptakis, P Fogarty, Algiere, and Felag

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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

7

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

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

two (2), three (3), and four (4) times the core-foundation amount;

16

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

17

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

18

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

 

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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

7

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

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

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

19

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

20

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

21

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

22

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

23

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

24

funds as may be determined by the general assembly;

25

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

26

schools. This fund will provide state funding for the costs associated with transporting students to

27

out-of-district non-public schools, pursuant to chapter 21.1 of title 16. The state will assume the

28

costs of non-public out-of-district transportation for those districts participating in the statewide

29

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

30

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

31

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

32

     (f) Excess costs associated with transporting students within regional school districts.

33

This fund will provide direct state funding for the excess costs associated with transporting

34

students within regional school districts, established pursuant to chapter 3 of title 16. This fund

 

LC004841 - Page 2 of 5

1

requires that the state and regional school district share equally the student transportation costs

2

net any federal sources of revenue for these expenditures. The department of elementary and

3

secondary education shall prorate the funds available for distribution among those eligible school

4

districts if the total approved costs for which school districts are seeking reimbursement exceed

5

the amount of funding available in any fiscal year;

6

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

7

bonus as set forth below:

8

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

9

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

10

School district;

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

School District;

16

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

17

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

18

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

19

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

20

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

21

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

22

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

23

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

24

the state share of the permanent foundation education aid for the member towns; and

25

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

26

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

27

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

28

amount of funding appropriated in any fiscal year.

29

     (h) Additional state support for English learners (EL). The amount to support EL students

30

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

31

pupil amount defined in § 16-7.2-3(a)(1) and applying that amount of additional state support to

32

EL students identified using widely adopted, independent standards and assessments identified by

33

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

34

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

 

LC004841 - Page 3 of 5

1

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

2

department of elementary and secondary education shall collect performance reports from

3

districts and approve the use of funds prior to expenditure. The department of elementary and

4

secondary education shall ensure the funds are aligned to activities that are innovative and

5

expansive and not utilized for activities the district is currently funding. The department of

6

elementary and secondary education shall prorate the funds available for distribution among

7

eligible recipients if the total calculated costs exceed the amount of funding available in any fiscal

8

year; and

9

     (i) Categorical programs defined in (a) through (g) shall be funded pursuant to the

10

transition plan in § 16-7.2-7.

11

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004841

========

 

LC004841 - Page 4 of 5

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY RELIEF

ACT

***

1

     This act would remove the language which provides for the reduction and elimination of

2

the foundation education aid bonus that is given to regionalized school districts and would be

3

phased out over a two (2) year period.

4

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004841

========

 

LC004841 - Page 5 of 5