The bill proposes amendments to "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act," specifically addressing funding for special education, career and technical education, pre-kindergarten programs, transportation costs, and support for English learners. It defines "extraordinary" special education costs as those exceeding four times the core foundation amount and tasks the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with prorating funds if necessary and collecting data on varying levels of special education costs. The bill also includes provisions for direct state funding for various educational programs and expenses, with an emphasis on providing high-quality services to English learners, applying an EL factor of fifteen percent to the core-instruction per-pupil amount. Insertions in the bill clarify the role of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, while deletions were not specified.

Additionally, the bill introduces state support for school-based mental and behavioral health services, offering to cover half the costs for hiring and retaining certified professionals in local education agencies (LEAs), provided they maintain certain student-to-specialist ratios and the positions are established after July 1, 2024. It includes insertions regarding the maintenance of ratios, reimbursement conditions, and the sharing of health professionals between schools. The bill also requires annual reporting to the general assembly on the employment of mental or behavioral health professionals by each LEA and stipulates that LEAs eliminating existing positions to create new ones under this provision will not receive reimbursement. The act will become effective upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2866: 16-7.2-6