The bill amends section 15.1-27-04.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, which governs the determination of state aid for school districts. It establishes a new framework for calculating baseline funding that incorporates all state aid received during the 2018-19 school year, property tax deductions, and a percentage of various revenue types from the 2017-18 school year. A significant change introduced is the retroactive application note and the adjustment in the treatment of tuition revenue from agreements with school districts on air force bases, which will see a greater percentage excluded from calculations starting in the 2025-26 school year.

Additionally, the bill mandates that beginning with the 2020-21 school year, the superintendent must reduce the baseline funding for any school district that transitions to an elementary district after the 2012-13 school year, based on the number of weighted student units offered through another district. For districts that transitioned before this date, the reduced baseline funding will be used for state aid calculations starting in the 2020-21 school year. The bill also modifies the percentage of certain revenue types deducted from state aid calculations, changing "seventy-five percent" to "seventy-fivesixty percent." Overall, these amendments aim to create a more equitable funding system for school districts while accommodating changes in district structures and funding sources.

Statutes affected:
INTRODUCED: 15.1-27-04.1
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for House Appropriations Committee: 15.1-27-04.1
FIRST ENGROSSMENT: 15.1-27-04.1