The bill proposes amendments to "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act," specifically targeting the provision of direct state funding for education-related expenses. It defines "extraordinary" special education costs as those exceeding five times the core foundation amount and requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to prorate funds if necessary. The bill also mandates data collection on special education costs that are two to four times the core foundation amount. It addresses funding for career and technical education, pre-kindergarten programs, the Central Falls, Davies, and the Met Center Stabilization Fund, and transportation for students in non-public and regional schools. A regionalization bonus is established for public school districts that are regionalized, with a phase-out schedule over three years. Additional support is provided for English learners, with a 10% factor applied to the per-pupil amount, and there are provisions for prorating funds across various categories if approved costs exceed appropriations.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a requirement for K-12 public schools to employ at least one full-time certified school social worker for every 250 students. To support this initiative, it includes an appropriation of $2 million for the fiscal year 2024 to help school districts and municipalities hire additional social workers. The bill is set to take effect upon passage. There are no specific insertions or deletions from the current law indicated in the provided text.

Statutes affected:
5396: 16-7.2-6