The bill amends the "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" by revising the criteria for excess costs in special education, lowering the threshold for "extraordinary" costs from exceeding four times the core foundation amount to over three times the average statewide special education cost. It also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to collect data on costs exceeding two, three, and five times the core-foundation amount. The bill provides direct state funding for educational programs such as career and technical education, pre-kindergarten, and stabilization funds for specific schools. It includes provisions for transportation costs, a regionalization bonus for public school districts, and additional support for English learners, with a specified EL factor applied to the core-instruction per-pupil amount. If approved costs exceed the appropriated amount, the bill mandates the proration of funds among eligible school districts.

Furthermore, the bill enhances the support and management of services for English Learner (EL) students, requiring high-quality, research-based services and performance reporting. It defines school resource officers (SROs) as career law enforcement officers with specialized training and outlines a state support system to reimburse half the cost of SRO salaries and benefits for positions established after July 1, 2018. The bill sets requirements for the number of SROs based on school enrollment and prohibits reimbursement for SRO positions that replace existing ones. Additionally, it amends the definition of "extraordinary costs" for special education to costs over three times the average statewide special education cost. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
7250: 16-7.2-6