The bill amends "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" to enhance state funding for various educational programs and expenses. It defines "extraordinary" special education costs as those exceeding four times the core foundation amount and ensures direct state funding for these costs. The bill also addresses funding for career and technical education, pre-kindergarten programs, and provides financial support for the Central Falls, Davies, and the Met Center Stabilization Fund. It introduces a regionalization bonus for public school districts that regionalize, with a specific percentage of state education aid allocated for the first two fiscal years post-regionalization. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for fully funding transportation costs to out-of-district non-public schools and within regional school districts from the fiscal year 2025 budget, and offers additional state support for English learners.

The bill also proposes changes to the support for English Learner (EL) students, determining additional state support by multiplying an EL factor of fifteen percent by the per-pupil amount and applying it to identified EL students. The funds are to be used for high-quality services and managed according to the commissioner's requirements. For school resource officers (SROs), the bill provides state support covering half the cost of salaries and benefits for officers at public middle and high schools, with specific requirements for the number of SROs based on school enrollment. Only new SRO positions established after July 1, 2018, are eligible for reimbursement, and schools that replace existing SRO positions to create new ones will not receive reimbursement. The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
7206: 16-7.2-6