2022 -- S 2037

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LC004067

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

ACT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Murray, Picard, Pearson, Rogers, Cano, Seveney, and Acosta

     Date Introduced: January 25, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-3 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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     16-7.2-3. Permanent foundation education aid established.

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     (a) Beginning in the 2012 fiscal year, the following foundation education-aid formula shall

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take effect. The foundation education aid for each district shall be the sum of the core instruction

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amount in subdivision (a)(1) and the amount to support high-need students in subdivision (a)(2),

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which shall be multiplied by the district state-share ratio calculated pursuant to § 16-7.2-4 to

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determine the foundation aid.

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     (1) The core-instruction amount shall be an amount equal to a statewide, per-pupil core-

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instruction amount as established by the department of elementary and secondary education,

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derived from the average of northeast regional expenditure data for the states of Rhode Island,

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Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire from the National Center for Education Statistics

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(NCES) that will adequately fund the student instructional needs as described in the basic education

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program and multiplied by the district average daily membership as defined in § 16-7-22.

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Expenditure data in the following categories: instruction and support services for students,

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instruction, general administration, school administration, and other support services from the

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National Public Education Financial Survey, as published by NCES, and enrollment data from the

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Common Core of Data, also published by NCES, will be used when determining the core-

 

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instruction amount. The core-instruction amount will be updated annually. For the purpose of

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calculating this formula, school districts' resident average daily membership shall exclude charter

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school and state-operated school students.

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     (2) The amount to support high-need students beyond the core-instruction amount shall be

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determined by multiplying a student success factor of forty percent (40%) by the core instruction

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per-pupil amount described in subdivision (a)(1) and applying that amount for each resident child

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whose family income is at or below one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of federal poverty

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guidelines, hereinafter referred to as "poverty status."

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     (b) The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide an estimate of the

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foundation education aid cost as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4. The estimate

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shall include the most recent data available as well as an adjustment for average daily membership

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growth or decline based on the prior year experience.

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     (c) In addition, the department shall report updated figures based on the average daily

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membership as of October 1 by December 1.

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     (d) Local education agencies may set aside a portion of funds received under subsection

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(a) to expand learning opportunities such as after school and summer programs, full-day

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kindergarten and/or multiple pathway programs, provided that the basic education program and all

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other approved programs required in law are funded.

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     (e) The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate such

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regulations as are necessary to implement fully the purposes of this chapter.

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     (f) The department shall review the student success factor of forty percent (40%) provided

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in subsection (a)(2) of this section to determine whether that weight ensures local education

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agencies receive the funding necessary to meet students' instructional needs. The department shall

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complete its review and report its findings to the governor, the president of the senate, and the

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speaker of the house by October 1, 2022.

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     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

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     This act would require a review by the department of elementary and secondary education

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of the formula components used to compute the aid needed to support high need students.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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