The bill amends Section 16-7.2-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2, entitled "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act," to establish a permanent foundation education aid formula. The formula includes a core instruction amount based on regional expenditure data and a student success factor that provides additional support for high-need students, specifically those below 185% of federal poverty guidelines. The bill also mandates that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education develop a new poverty measure by October 1, 2022, for the state fiscal year 2024, which does not rely on school nutrition program administration.

Significant insertions to the bill include the inclusion of excess costs associated with special education students in the calculation of direct state aid funding to school districts, effective July 1, 2023. This encompasses both "extraordinary" expenses and additional costs incurred to educate students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The bill also outlines the responsibilities of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in providing estimates for foundation education aid costs, reporting updated figures, and promulgating necessary regulations. The act would take effect upon passage and specifically aims to include the costs of educating students with intellectual disabilities in the calculation of direct state aid funding from the permanent foundation education-aid program.

Statutes affected:
6113: 16-7.2-3