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. This formula includes a core instruction amount based on regional expenditure data and an additional amount to support high-need students, which is determined by multiplying a student success factor by the core instruction per-pupil amount. The bill introduces new legal language that expands the definition of high-need students to include not only those whose family income is at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines but also those identified as English language learners, as defined by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations. The bill also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a new poverty measure that does not rely on school nutrition programs and to use this measure in future calculations.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the responsibilities of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, including providing estimates of foundation education aid costs, reporting updated figures based on average daily membership, and evaluating the number of students who qualify as multilingual learner (MLL) students. The department is also tasked with developing alternatives to identify students from low-income families through participation in state-administered programs and reporting on local contributions to education aid. The bill specifies that local education agencies may allocate funds received under this section for expanding learning opportunities, provided that the basic education program and all other approved programs required by law are funded. The act would take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2594: 16-7.2-3