Governor's Bill No. 5050 is a comprehensive legislative proposal that seeks to implement the Governor's budget recommendations for education, particularly focusing on interdistrict magnet schools and agricultural science and technology education centers. The bill introduces new grant amounts for out-of-district students attending school in the receiving district, effective July 1, 2024, and includes additional grants to assist the state in meeting its obligations under the Sheff v. O'Neill settlement. It also outlines a pilot program in Danbury and Norwalk, with a report due by January 1, 2025, and mandates that towns receiving funds must allocate these to their local or regional board of education. The bill amends the requirements for local or regional boards of education to provide opportunities for students to enroll in agricultural science and technology education centers, setting minimum enrollment numbers based on written agreements or the average of enrollments in the previous three school years.

The bill also repeals and substitutes Section 10-264l of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, establishing a grant program to assist educational boards and institutions, including those that help the state meet its obligations under the Sheff v. O'Neill decision. It sets enrollment restrictions to maintain diversity in magnet schools and outlines the conditions under which the Commissioner of Education may approve applications for operating grants. The bill increases per pupil grant amounts for students enrolled in interdistrict magnet schools and allows for supplemental grants to enhance educational programs in magnet schools. It also addresses the funding for interdistrict magnet schools operated by regional educational service centers, setting specific per pupil grant amounts for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and beyond. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for non-compliance with reduced-isolation setting standards, financial penalties, and other measures to assist schools in meeting these standards. It also outlines the process for determining overpayments by the department and the use of additional funds if magnet school enrollment is below the number of students for which funds were appropriated. The bill removes the cap on per student tuition charged to local or regional boards of education for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and thereafter, and introduces changes to the financial aspects of interdistrict magnet school operations, including the tuition charges for certain preschool programs. Lastly, the bill repeals a provision that allowed the State Board of Education to expend up to five percent of state funds granted for the administration of adult education programs and adds provisions related to school nutrition programs.

Statutes affected:
Governor's Bill: 10-73c, 10-215