The bill proposes amendments to "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act," specifically revising the funding provisions for special education. It redefines "extraordinary" costs for special education, setting a decreasing threshold for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, which will be three and one-half times and three times the core foundation amount, respectively. The bill also mandates the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund excess costs for special education students who enroll in a district after the budget is approved. It includes provisions for prorating funds for educational programs if costs exceed appropriations, establishes a stabilization fund for certain areas, and offers a regionalization bonus for public school districts that regionalize, with the bonus ending in the third fiscal year. The bill includes deletions of language regarding prorating funds and certain multipliers for educational costs.

Additionally, the bill enhances state support for English learners by applying a 15% factor to the core-instruction per-pupil amount to determine additional state support, which must be used for high-quality services as directed by the commissioner. It also defines the role and training for school resource officers (SROs) and establishes a reimbursement scheme for districts or municipalities employing SROs, covering half the cost of salaries and benefits for qualifying positions. Restrictions apply to the number of SROs based on school enrollment and reimbursement for positions established before July 1, 2018, or for schools that replace existing SROs with new ones under this provision. The bill is effective upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2162: 16-7.2-6