2019 -- S 0556

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LC000947

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT

     Introduced By: Senators Pearson, Quezada, Cano, Goldin, and Picard

     Date Introduced: March 14, 2019

     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 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.

     (b) The local share of education funding 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 calculated by dividing which consists of 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 school, 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.

     (c) Beginning in FY 2017, there shall be a reduction to the local per pupil funding paid by

the district of residence to charter public schools, Davies, and the Met Center. This reduction

shall be equal to the greater (i) Of seven percent (7%) of the local, per-pupil funding of the

district of residence pursuant to subsection (b) or (ii) The per-pupil value of the district's costs for

non-public textbooks, transportation for non-public students, retiree health benefits, out-of-district

special-education tuition and transportation, services for students age eighteen (18) to twenty-one

(21) years old, pre-school screening and intervention, and career and technical education, tuition

and transportation costs, debt service and rental costs minus the average expenses incurred by

charter schools for those same categories of expenses as reported in the uniform chart of accounts

for the prior preceding fiscal year pursuant to § 16-7-16(11) and verified by the department of

elementary and secondary education. In the case where audited financials result in a change in the

calculation after the first tuition payment is made, the remaining payments shall be based on the

most recent audited data. For those districts whose greater reduction occurs under the calculation

of (ii), there shall be an additional reduction to payments to mayoral academies with teachers who

do not participate in the state teacher's retirement system under chapter 8 of title 36 equal to the

per-pupil value of teacher retirement costs attributable to unfunded liability as calculated by the

state's actuary for the prior preceding fiscal year.

     (d) 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.

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

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

membership as defined in § 16-7-22, shall receive additional aid for a period of three (3) years.

Aid in FY 2017 shall be equal to the number of charter public school, open-enrollment schools,

Davies, or the Met Center students as of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16 times a per-

pupil amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175). Aid in FY 2018 shall be equal to the

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number of charter public school, open-enrollment schools, Davies, or the Met Center students as

of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16 times a per-pupil amount of one hundred dollars

($100). Aid in FY 2019 shall be equal to the number of charter public school, open-enrollment

schools, Davies, or the Met Center students as of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16 times

a per-pupil amount of fifty dollars ($50.00). The additional aid shall be used to offset the adjusted

fixed costs retained by the districts of residence.

     (f) Beginning in FY 2020, 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 -- EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT

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     This act would provide that beginning in FY 2020, 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%) of the average daily membership of all pupils

attending public schools within those school districts.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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