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 starting in the 2012 fiscal year. This formula includes a core instruction amount based on regional expenditure data and a student success factor to support high-need students. The bill specifies that the core instruction amount will be updated annually and that the average daily membership for school districts will exclude charter and state-operated school students. Additionally, the bill introduces a new method for determining the number of high-need students, which includes both students from families with incomes at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines and students identified as English language learners. The bill also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a poverty measure that does not rely on school nutrition programs and to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for determining student eligibility starting in fiscal year 2024.

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 promulgating regulations to implement the chapter's purposes. It also allows local education agencies to allocate funds for expanding learning opportunities, provided that basic education and other required programs are funded. Furthermore, the bill mandates the department to evaluate the number of multilingual learner students and recommend funding solutions to meet their needs. It also requires the department to explore alternative methods for identifying students from low-income families through state-administered programs and to report on local contributions to education aid and compliance with relevant sections. The act would take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2594: 16-7.2-3