LCO No. 3964 1 of 8
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 946
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 3964
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E MINIMUM BUDGET REQ UIREMENT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-262j of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) Except as otherwise provided under the provisions of subsections 3
(c) to (h), inclusive, of this section, for [the] any fiscal year, [ending June 4
30, 2020,] the budgeted appropriation for education shall be not less 5
than the budgeted appropriation for education for the prior fiscal year, 6
[ending June 30, 2019,] plus any aid increase described in subsection (d) 7
of section 10-262i, as amended by this act, except that a town may reduce 8
its budgeted appropriation for education for the fiscal year, [ending 9
June 30, 2020,] by one or more of the following: 10
(1) If a town experiences an aid reduction, as described in subsection 11
(d) of section 10-262i, as amended by this act, such town may reduce its 12
budgeted appropriation for education in an amount equal to the aid 13
reduction; 14
(2) If a district experiences a net reduction in its resident student 15 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 2 of 8
count during a period that may include any of the five fiscal years 16
immediately prior to the fiscal year for which the budgeted 17
appropriation for education is calculated, such district may reduce its 18
budgeted appropriation for education in an amount equal to the 19
number of such net reduction multiplied by fifty per cent of the net 20
current expenditures per resident student of such district, provided no 21
district may use the resident student count for any fiscal year that was 22
previously used to reduce its budgeted appropriation for education in 23
any calculation of a net reduction of resident students for purposes of 24
reducing its budgeted appropriation for education pursuant to this 25
subdivision for any subsequent fiscal year; 26
(3) Any district (A) that does not maintain a high school and pays 27
tuition to another school district pursuant to section 10-33 for resident 28
students to attend high school in another district, and (B) in which the 29
number of resident students attending high school for such district for 30
October [1, 2018] first of the prior school year, using the data of record 31
as of January [31, 2019] thirty-first of the prior school year, is lower than 32
such district's number of resident students attending high school for 33
October [1, 2017] first of the school year before the prior school year, 34
using the data of record as of January [31, 2019] thirty-first of the school 35
year before the prior school year, may reduce such district's budgeted 36
appropriation for education by the difference in the number of resident 37
students attending high school for such years multiplied by the amount 38
of tuition paid per student pursuant to section 10-33; or 39
(4) Any district that realizes new and documentable savings through 40
(A) increased district efficiencies approved by the Commissioner of 41
Education, including, but not limited to, (i) reductions in costs 42
associated with transportation services, school district administration or 43
contracts that are not the result of collective bargaining or other labor 44
agreements, (ii) an agreement to provide medical or health care benefits 45
pursuant to section 7-464b, (iii) a cooperative agreement relating to the 46
performance of administrative and central office functions, such as 47
business manager functions, for the municipality and the school district 48
pursuant to section 10-241b, (iv) reductions in costs associated with the 49 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 3 of 8
purchasing or joint purchasing of property insurance, casualty 50
insurance and workers' compensation insurance, following the 51
consultation with the legislative body of the municipality of such district 52
pursuant to section 10-241c, (v) reductions in costs associated with the 53
purchasing of payroll processing or accounts payable software systems, 54
following the consultation with the legislative body of the municipality 55
of such district to determine whether such systems may be purchased 56
or shared on a regional basis pursuant to section 10-241e, (vi) 57
consolidation of information technology services, and (vii) reductions in 58
costs associated with the care and maintenance of athletic fields, or (B) 59
regional collaboration or cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 60
10-158a may reduce such district's budgeted appropriation for 61
education in an amount equal to half of the amount of savings 62
experienced as a result of such district efficiencies, regional 63
collaboration or cooperative arrangement, provided such reduction 64
shall not exceed one-half of one per cent of the district's budgeted 65
appropriation for education for the prior fiscal year. [ending June 30, 66
2019.] 67
[(b) Except as otherwise provided under the provisions of subsections 68
(c) to (h), inclusive, of this section, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 69
2021, a town's budgeted appropriation for education shall be not less 70
than the budgeted appropriation for education for the fiscal year ending 71
June 30, 2020, plus any aid increase received pursuant to subsection (d) 72
of section 10-262i, except that a town may reduce its budgeted 73
appropriation for education for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, by 74
one or more of the following: 75
(1) If a town experiences an aid reduction, as described in subsection 76
(d) of section 10-262i, such town may reduce its budgeted appropriation 77
for education in an amount equal to the aid reduction; 78
(2) If a district experiences a net reduction in its resident student 79
count during a period that may include any of the five fiscal years 80
immediately prior to the fiscal year for which the budgeted 81
appropriation for education is calculated, such district may reduce its 82 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 4 of 8
budgeted appropriation for education in an amount equal to the 83
number of such net reduction multiplied by fifty per cent of the net 84
current expenditures per resident student of such district, provided no 85
district may use the resident student count for any fiscal year that was 86
previously used to reduce its budgeted appropriation for education in 87
any calculation of a net reduction of resident students for purposes of 88
reducing its budgeted appropriation for education pursuant to this 89
subdivision for any subsequent fiscal year; 90
(3) Any district (A) that does not maintain a high school and pays 91
tuition to another school district pursuant to section 10-33 for resident 92
students to attend high school in another district, and (B) in which the 93
number of resident students attending high school for such district for 94
October 1, 2019, using the data of record as of January 31, 2020, is lower 95
than such district's number of resident students attending high school 96
for October 1, 2018, using the data of record as of January 31, 2020, may 97
reduce such district's budgeted appropriation for education by the 98
difference in the number of resident students attending high school for 99
such years multiplied by the amount of tuition paid per student 100
pursuant to section 10-33; or 101
(4) Any district that realizes new and documentable savings through 102
(A) increased district efficiencies approved by the Commissioner of 103
Education, including, but not limited to, (i) reductions in costs 104
associated with transportation services, school district administration or 105
contracts that are not the result of collective bargaining or other labor 106
agreements, (ii) an agreement to provide medical or health care benefits 107
pursuant to section 7-464b, (iii) a cooperative agreement relating to the 108
performance of administrative and central office functions, such as 109
business manager functions, for the municipality and the school district 110
pursuant to section 10-241b, (iv) reductions in costs associated with the 111
purchasing or joint purchasing of property insurance, casualty 112
insurance and workers' compensation insurance, following the 113
consultation with the legislative body of the municipality of such district 114
pursuant to section 10-241c, (v) reductions in costs associated with the 115
purchasing of payroll processing or accounts payable software systems, 116 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 5 of 8
following the consultation with the legislative body of the municipality 117
of such district to determine whether such systems may be purchased 118
or shared on a regional basis pursuant to section 10-241e, (vi) 119
consolidation of information technology services, and (vii) reductions in 120
costs associated with the care and maintenance of athletic fields, or (B) 121
regional collaboration or cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 122
10-158a, may reduce such district's budgeted appropriation for 123
education in an amount equal to half of the amount of savings 124
experienced as a result of such district efficiencies, regional 125
collaboration or cooperative arrangement, provided such reduction 126
shall not exceed one-half of one per cent of the district's budgeted 127
appropriation for education for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.] 128
[(c) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021,] (b) 129
For any fiscal year, the Commissioner of Education may permit a town 130
to reduce its budgeted appropriation for education in an amount 131
determined by the commissioner if the school district in such town has 132
permanently ceased operations and closed one or more schools in the 133
school district due to declining enrollment at such closed school or 134
schools in the [fiscal years ending June 30, 2013, to June 30, 2020, 135
inclusive] seven fiscal years immediately prior to the fiscal year for 136
which the budgeted appropriation for education is calculated. 137
[(d)] (c) Except as otherwise provided under the provisions of 138
[subsection (h)] subsections (g) and (h) of this section, [for the fiscal 139
years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021,] a town designated as an 140
alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, shall not reduce its 141
budgeted appropriation for education pursuant to this section. 142
[(e) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, the] 143
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any district that is in 144
the top ten per cent of school districts based on the accountability index, 145
as defined in section 10-223e. 146
[(f) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, the] 147
(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the member towns 148 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 6 of 8
of a regional school district during the first full fiscal year following the 149
establishment of the regional school district, provided the budgeted 150
appropriation for education for member towns of such regional school 151
district for each subsequent fiscal year shall be determined in 152
accordance with this section. 153
[(g) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, any] 154
(f) Any district that has (1) elected to act as a self-insurer, pursuant to 155
section 10-236, (2) experienced a loss incurred as a result of one or more 156
catastrophic events, as declared by a nationally recognized catastrophe 157
loss index provider, during the prior fiscal year, and (3) increased its 158
budgeted appropriation for education during said prior fiscal year as a 159
result of such loss, shall not be required to include the amount of such 160
increase in the calculation of such district's budgeted appropriation for 161
education for the subsequent fiscal year. 162
[(h)] (g) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, [and June 30, 2021] 163
to June 30, 2023, inclusive, any district that has received (1) a 164
supplemental appropriation from the board of finance for a town having 165
a board of finance, the board of selectmen for a town having no board 166
of finance or the authority making appropriations for the school district, 167
for the purpose of covering costs associated with COVID -19 168
expenditures because the budgeted appropriation for education for the 169
district was insufficient to cover such costs, or (2) federal funds for the 170
purpose of covering costs associated with COVID-19 expenditures, 171
including, but not limited to, funds received pursuant to the 172
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, P.L. 116-136, as 173
amended from time to time, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief 174
Supplemental Appropriations Act, P.L. 116-260, as amended from time 175
to time, shall not be required to include the amount of such 176
supplemental appropriation or federal funds in the calculation of such 177
district's budgeted appropriation for education for the subsequent fiscal 178
year. As used in this subsection, "COVID-19" means the respiratory 179
disease designated by the World Health Organization on February 11, 180
2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized 181
by the World Health Organization as a communicable respiratory 182 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 7 of 8
disease. 183
(h) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, and June 30, 2023, any 184
district that has been awarded a grant under the school security 185
infrastructure competitive grant program, established pursuant to 186
section 84 of public act 13-3, during the prior fiscal year, shall not be 187
required to include the amount of such grant in the calculation of such 188
district's budgeted appropriation for education for the subsequent fiscal 189
year. 190
Sec. 2. Subsection (d) of section 10-262i of the general statutes is 191
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 192
2021): 193
[(d) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, (A) if the amount of 194
the equalization aid grant a town is entitled to pursuant to section 10-195
262h is greater than such town's equalization aid grant amount for the 196
prior fiscal year, the difference between the amount of such town's 197
equalization aid grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and such 198
town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year shall be 199
the aid increase for such town for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, 200
and (B) if the amount of the equalization aid grant a town is entitled to 201
pursuant to section 10-262h is less than such town's equalization aid 202
grant amount for the prior fiscal year, the difference between such 203
town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year and the 204
amount of such town's equalization aid grant for the fiscal year ending 205
June 30, 2020, shall be the aid reduction for such town for the fiscal year 206
ending June 30, 2020. 207
(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, (A) if the amount of the 208
equalization aid grant a town is entitled to pursuant to section 10-262h 209
is greater than such town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior 210
fiscal year, the difference between the amount of such town's 211
equalization aid grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, and such 212
town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year shall be 213
the aid increase for such town for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, 214 Raised Bill No. 946
LCO No. 3964 8 of 8
and (B) if the amount of the equalization aid grant a town is entitled to 215
pursuant to section 10-262h is less than such town's equalization aid 216
grant amount for the prior fiscal year, the difference between such 217
town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year and the 218
amount of such town's equalization aid grant for the fiscal year ending 219
June 30, 2021, shall be the aid reduction for such town for the fiscal year 220
ending June 30, 2021.] (d) For any fiscal year, (1) if the amount of the 221
equalization aid grant a town is entitled to pursuant to section 10-262h 222
is greater than such town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior 223
fiscal year, the difference between the amount of such town's 224
equalization aid grant for the fiscal year, and such town's equalization 225
aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year shall be the aid increase for 226
such town for the fiscal year, and (2) if the amount of the equalization 227
aid grant a town is entitled to pursuant to section 10-262h is less than 228
such town's equalization aid grant amount for the prior fiscal year, the 229
difference between such town's equalization aid grant amount for the 230
prior fiscal year and the amount of such town's equalization aid grant 231
for the fiscal year shall be the aid reduction for such town for the fiscal 232
year. 233
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 10-262j
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 10-262i(d)
Statement of Purpose:
To extend the provisions of and make revisions to the minimum budget
requirement for school districts by excluding from the calculation of a
school district's budgeted appropriation for education any funds
received or used for COVID-19 related expenses and funds received for
school security improvements.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]