2013 -- S 0013

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LC00314

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT

     Introduced By: Senators Algiere, and Cool Rumsey

     Date Introduced: January 16, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Education

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-5 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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     16-7.2-5. Charter public schools, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical

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High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center. -- (a) Charter

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public schools defined in chapter 16-77, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High

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School (Davies) and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (the Met Center)

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shall be funded pursuant to section 16-7.2-3. If the October 1 actual enrollment data for any

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charter public school shows a ten percent (10%) or greater change from the prior year enrollment

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which is used as the reference year average daily membership, the third and fourth quarter

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payments to the charter public school will be adjusted to reflect actual enrollment. The state share

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of the permanent foundation education aid shall be paid by the state directly to the charter public

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schools, Davies, and the Met Center pursuant to section 16-7.2-9 and shall be calculated using the

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state share ratio of the district of residence of the student as set forth in section 16-7.2-4. The

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local share of education funding, as defined by the department of elementary and secondary

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education and approved by the General Assembly, shall be paid to the charter public school,

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Davies, and the Met Center by the district of residence of the student and shall be the local per

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pupil cost calculated by dividing the local appropriation to education from property taxes net of

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debt service and capital projects as defined in the uniform chart of accounts by the average daily

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membership for each city and town, pursuant to section 16-7-22, for the reference year. The

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district of residence shall be responsible for the local share only when the school classification, as

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determined by the formula specified in the Rhode Island accountability system, of the charter

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public school and the Met Center is higher than that of the student's comparable district school of

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enrollment.

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      (b) Local district payments to charter public schools, Davies, and the Met Center for

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each district's students enrolled in these schools shall be made on a quarterly basis in July,

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October, January and April; however, the first local district payment shall be made by August 15

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instead of July. Failure of the community to make the local district payment for its student(s)

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enrolled in a charter public school, Davies, and/or the Met Center may result in the withholding

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of state education aid pursuant to section 16-7-31.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC00314

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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 ensure that students, and the funds appropriated by the state for local pupil

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costs, will go to charter public schools and to the Met Center only when said schools are

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performing at a higher level than the traditional schools in the student's district of residence.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC00314

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