This bill amends the Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act to provide direct state funding for various education programs, including special education, career and technical education, pre-kindergarten, and transportation costs for non-public schools and regional school districts. It also establishes a fund to provide additional support for certain schools and includes a regionalization bonus for regionalized public school districts. The bill specifies how the funds will be distributed and prorated among eligible school districts and requires the development of criteria for allocating funds for career and technical education and early childhood programs. It also provides additional state support for English learners.

In addition, the bill addresses the employment of school resource officers in public schools. It defines a school resource officer as a career law enforcement officer who works in collaboration with one or more schools and requires them to have completed specialized training in school policing. The bill provides direct state support for the costs associated with employing new hire school resource officers at public middle and high schools for a period of three years. Districts or municipalities will be reimbursed for one-half of the cost of salaries and benefits for qualifying positions, with requirements for the number of officers based on school enrollment.

Statutes affected:
6149: 16-7.2-6