The bill proposes amendments to "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act," aiming to enhance state funding for educational programs. It defines "extraordinary" special education costs as those exceeding four times the core foundation amount and provides funding for career and technical education, pre-kindergarten programs, and the Central Falls, Davies, and the Met Center Stabilization Fund. The bill also addresses transportation costs for students attending out-of-district non-public schools and those in regional school districts, with costs shared equally between the state and the regional school district. A regionalization bonus is introduced for public school districts that are regionalized, and support for English learners is increased by applying a 15% factor to the core-instruction per-pupil amount. All categorical funds must be used for high-quality services to English learners.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that each public school from kindergarten through twelfth grade must have at least one full-time social worker for every 250 students, defining a "social worker" as a person with a valid professional certificate in school social work. To support this requirement, the general assembly is to appropriate an additional two million dollars for the fiscal year 2025 to help school districts or municipalities employ additional social workers. The bill is set to take effect upon passage, indicating immediate implementation once approved.

Statutes affected:
7545: 16-7.2-6