The bill introduces an amendment to Chapter 45-53 of the General Laws by adding a new section 45-53-16, which ties a community's eligibility for permanent foundation education aid to its achievement of low- and moderate-income housing goals. From January 1, 2025, communities will have five years to ensure that 10% of their year-round housing units, or 15% for certain urban areas, qualify as low- and moderate-income housing. Communities that exceed these targets will receive an increase in education aid proportional to the percentage by which they surpass the goals. The statewide planning program is responsible for certifying the percentage and amount of such housing annually.

The bill also amends Section 16-7.2-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2, establishing a formula for permanent foundation education aid that includes a core instruction amount and additional support for high-need students based on a student success factor. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is charged with developing a poverty measure independent of school nutrition programs and providing estimates for education aid costs. The bill requires the department to evaluate the number of multilingual learner (MLL) students and recommend funding levels to support MLL students at various proficiency levels. Additionally, the department must develop alternative methods for identifying students below 185% of the federal poverty guideline and report on local contributions to education aid. An insertion in the bill clarifies that the new provisions linking education aid to housing goals will be applied after the annual calculation of education aid. The act will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
7921: 16-7.2-3