Substitute House Bill No. 5003
Public Act No. 23-208
AN ACT MAKING CERTAIN REVISIONS TO THE EDUCATION
STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-15c of the general statutes, as amended by
section 3 of public act 23-159, is repealed and the following is substituted
in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024):
(a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age
and over who reach age five on or before the first day of September of
any school year, and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised
by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to
participate in the activities, programs and courses of study offered in
such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to
participate in such activities, programs and courses of study, without
discrimination on account of race, as defined in section 46a-51, color,
sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual
orientation or disability; provided [boards of education may, by vote at
a meeting duly called, admit to any school children under five years of
age] a child who has not reached the age of five on or before the first day
of September of the school year may be admitted (1) upon a written
request by the parent or guardian of such child to the principal of the
school in which such child would be enrolled, and (2) following an Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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assessment of such child, conducted by such principal and an
appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that
admitting such child is developmentally appropriate.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend
other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula,
facilities or extracurricular activities.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The Commissioner of
Education shall develop a report of the effectiveness of the alliance
district program, described in section 10-262u of the general statutes, as
amended by this act, and recommendations for reforming such
program.
(b) (1) Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, (A) an
analysis of the effectiveness of the alliance district program for
improving student academic achievement and school district
performance, (B) the oversight and accountability metrics and standards
used to measure such student academic achievement and school district
performance, as well as the metrics and standards used to conduct such
analysis of the program, (C) a financial accounting of the program that
examines the amount of funding provided to each alliance district
during the existence of the program, how such funds have been
expended, and whether (i) such funds have been expended in
accordance with the improvement plans described in subsection (d) of
section 10-262u of the general statutes, and (ii) there is a causal link
between the expenditure of such funds in accordance with such
improvement plans and an improvement of student academic
achievement and school district performance.
(2) Such recommendations shall include, but need not be limited to,
an implementation plan, developed in collaboration with relevant
stakeholders, for decreasing the total number of alliance districts on or
before July 1, 2027, that will receive oversight and assistance from the Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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Department of Education under the program and how resources and
funding may best be expended to assist alliance districts in improving
student academic achievement and school district performance.
(c) Not later than January 1, 2026, the commissioner shall submit a
report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to education and appropriations and the budgets of state
agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the
general statutes.
Sec. 3. Subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-262u of the
general statutes, as amended by section 4 of public act 23-167, is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2023):
(2) Upon receipt of an application pursuant to subsection (d) of this
section or section 10-156gg, as amended by public act 23-167 and this
act, the Commissioner of Education may pay such funds to the town
designated as an alliance district and such town shall pay all such funds
to the local or regional board of education for such town on the
condition that such funds shall be expended in accordance with (A) the
improvement plan described in subsection (d) of this section, (B) the
minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program
pursuant to section 10-156gg, as amended by public act 23-167 and this
act, (C) [the family resource center program, pursuant to section 10-4o,
to establish a family resource center in each elementary school under the
jurisdiction of such board, (D)] the provisions of subsection (c) of section
10-262i, and [(E)] (D) any guidelines developed by the State Board of
Education for such funds. Such funds shall be used to improve student
achievement and recruit and retain minority teachers in such alliance
district and to offset any other local education costs approved by the
commissioner. Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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Sec. 4. (Effective July 1, 2023) Not later than February 1, 2024, the local
or regional board of education for a town designated as an alliance
district, pursuant to section 10-262u of the general statutes, as amended
by this act, shall submit a report to the Department of Education on the
costs associated with implementing a family resource center program,
in accordance with the provisions of section 10-4o of the general
statutes, at each elementary school under the jurisdiction of such board.
Sec. 5. Subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of section 10-156gg of the
general statutes, as amended by section 41 of public act 23-167, is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2023):
(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2024] 2025, the Commissioner
of Education shall withhold from an alliance district, from the funds
transferred by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-
262u, as amended by public act 23-167 and this act, an amount equal to
ten per cent of any increase in such funds that such alliance district
received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, over the amount of such
funds that it received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020. The
department shall use such funds to make a payment to such alliance
district and such alliance district shall expend such payment for any of
the costs described in subsection (e) of this section.
Sec. 6. Section 46 of public act 23-167 is repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023)
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Alliance district" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-
262u of the general statutes, as amended by public act 23-167 and this
act;
(2) "Private entity" means any individual, corporation, general
partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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venture, nonprofit organization or other business entity;
(3) "Public-private partnership" means the relationship established
between the local or regional board of education for a town designated
as an alliance district, a community college and a private entity for the
purpose of implementing a pathways in technology early college high
school program; and
(4) "Pathways in technology early college high school program"
means a program of instruction in which students in grades nine to
twelve, inclusive, complete high school and college-level coursework
while simultaneously engaging in industry-guided workforce
development.
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2024] 2025, and each fiscal year
thereafter, the Department of Education shall annually issue a request
for proposals to local and regional boards of education for towns
designated as alliance districts for the establishment of a new public-
private partnership or the enhancement of an existing pathways in
technology early college high school program. The department shall
review such proposals and award a grant to two such boards for the
costs associated with the establishment of a new public-private
partnership or enhancement of a pathways in technology early college
high school program.
Sec. 7. Section 10-276a of the general statutes, as amended by section
341 of public act 23-204, is repealed and the following is substituted in
lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
(a) Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, if a school
district that received a priority school district grant pursuant to
subsection (a) of section 10-266p for the prior fiscal year is no longer
eligible to receive such a grant, such school district shall receive a
priority school district phase-out grant for each of the three fiscal years Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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following the fiscal year such school district received its final priority
school district grant. The amount of such phase-out grants shall be
determined in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
(b) (1) For the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such school
district received its final priority school district grant, in an amount
equal to the difference between (A) the amount of such final grant, and
(B) an amount equal to twenty-five per cent of the difference between (i)
the amount of such final grant, and (ii) the greater of two hundred fifty
thousand dollars or the amount of the grants received by transitional
school districts pursuant to section 10-263c. (2) For the second fiscal year
following the fiscal year such school district received its final priority
school district grant, in an amount equal to the difference between (A)
the amount of such final grant, and (B) an amount equal to fifty per cent
of the difference between (i) the amount of such final grant, and (ii) the
greater of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or the amount of the
grants received by transitional school districts pursuant to section 10-
263c. (3) For the third fiscal year following the fiscal year such school
district received its final priority school district grant, in an amount
equal to the difference between (A) the amount of such final grant, and
(B) an amount equal to seventy-five per cent of the difference between
(i) the amount of such final grant, and (ii) the greater of two hundred
fifty thousand dollars or the amount of the grants received by
transitional school districts pursuant to section 10-263c.
(c) Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, if a school
district that was not eligible to receive a priority school district grant
pursuant to subsection (a) of said section 10-266p, for the prior fiscal
year becomes eligible to receive such a grant, the amount of the grant
such town receives pursuant to said section for the first year of such
eligibility shall be reduced by fifty per cent.
(d) [Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any school
district that received a priority school district phase-out grant in the Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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third fiscal year following the fiscal year such school district received its
final priority school district grant during the fiscal year ending June 30,
2023, such school district shall be eligible to receive a priority school
district phase-out grant in an amount equal to the amount described in
subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section in the fiscal year ending
June 30, 2024.] Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, any school district that would have been
in the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such school district
received its final priority school district grant, shall receive a grant equal
to the amount it received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
Sec. 8. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of part
III of chapter 164 of the general statutes, the elections for and terms of
membership of the regional board of education for Regional School
District 20 shall be as follows: (1) On and after June 1, 2024, but prior to
June 30, 2024, each member town shall elect one member and such
elected member shall serve a term of four years; (2) on and after June 1,
2025, but prior to June 30, 2025, each member town shall elect one
member and such elected member shall serve a term of four years; and
(3) on and after June 1, 2026, but prior to June 30, 2026, each member
town shall elect one member and such elected member shall serve a term
of four years.
Sec. 9. Section 10-233m of the general statutes, as amended by section
72 of public act 23-167, is repealed and the following is substituted in
lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
Each local or regional board of education that assigns a school
resource officer to any school under the jurisdiction of such board shall
enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local law
enforcement agency regarding the role and responsibility of such school
resource officer. Such memorandum of understanding shall (1) be
maintained in a central location in the school district and posted on the
Internet web site of the school district and each school in which such Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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school resource officer is assigned, (2) include provisions addressing
daily interactions between students and school personnel with school
resource officers, and (3) include a graduated response model for
student discipline. Any such memorandum of understanding entered
into, extended, updated or amended (A) on or after July 1, 2021, shall
include a provision that requires all school resource officers to complete,
while in the performance of their duties as school resource officers and
during periods when such school resource officers are assigned to be at
the school, any separate training specifically related to social-emotional
learning and restorative practices provided to certified employees of the
school pursuant to sections 10-148a and 10-220a, as amended by [this
act] public act 23-167, and (B) on or after July 1, 2023, shall include
provisions specifying a school resource officer's duties concerning, and
procedures for, the restraint of students, use of firearms, school-based
arrests and reporting of any investigations and behavioral interventions
of challenging behavior or conflict that escalates to violence or
constitutes a crime, pursuant to the provisions of section 73 of [this act]
public act 23-167, as amended by this act, provided such provisions are
in accordance with any laws or policies concerning the duties of police
officers. For the purposes of this section, "school resource officer" means
a sworn police officer of a local law enforcement agency who has been
assigned to a school pursuant to an agreement between the local or
regional board of education and the chief of police of a local law
enforcement agency.
Sec. 10. Section 73 of public act 23-167 is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
Each school resource officer, as defined in section 10-233m of the
general statutes, as amended by section 72 of public act 23-167 and this
act, shall submit to the chief of police of such school resource officer's
local law enforcement agency a report for each investigation or
behavioral intervention of challenging behavior or conflict that escalates Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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to violence or constitutes a crime conducted by such school resource
officer not later than five school days after conducting such
investigation or behavioral intervention. The chief of police shall submit
such report to the superintendent of schools for the school district in
which such investigation or behavioral intervention occurred in
accordance with the provisions of the memorandum of understanding
entered into pursuant to section 10-233m of the general statutes, as
amended by section 72 of public act 23-167 and this act, but shall be not
less frequently than monthly. Such superintendent shall submit such
report to the local or regional board of education of the school district.
Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) the date, time
and location of such investigation or behavioral intervention, (2) the
name and badge number of such school resource officer, (3) the race,
ethnicity, gender, age and disability status for each student involved in
such investigation or behavioral intervention, (4) the reason for and
nature of such investigation or behavioral intervention, (5) the
disposition of such investigation or behavioral intervention, and (6)
whether any student involved in such investigation or behavioral
intervention was (A) searched, (B) apprised of such student's
constitutional rights, (C) issued a citation or a summons, (D) arrested,
or (E) detained, including the amount of time such student was
detained. For purposes of this section, "investigation or behavioral
intervention" means a circumstance in which a school resource officer is
conducting (i) a fact-finding inquiry concerning student behavior or
school safety, including, but not limited to, emergency circumstances,
or (ii) an intervention to resolve violent or nonviolent student behavior
or conflicts.
Sec. 11. Section 10a-173 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023):
(a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Family contribution" means the expected family contribution for Substitute House Bill No. 5003
Public Act No. 23-208 10 of 16
educational costs as computed from [the] a student's Free Application
for Federal Student Aid;
(2) "Student aid index" means the index used to determine eligibility
for financial aid as computed from a student's Free Application for
Federal Student Aid;
[(2) "Full-time or part-time undergraduate student"] (3) "Eligible
student" means a student who is (A) a resident of the state, (B) enrolled
at an institution of higher education in a course of study leading to such
student's first associate or bachelor's degree, and [who is] (C) carrying,
for a full-time student, twelve or more semester credit hours, or, for a
part-time student, between six and eleven semester credit hours at such
institution of higher education;
[(3)] (4) "Independent institution of higher education" means a
nonprofit institution established in this state (A) that has degree-
granting authority in this state; (B) that has its main campus located in
this state; (C) that is not included in the Connecticut system of public
higher education; and (D) whose primary function is not the preparation
of students for religious vocation;
[(4)] (5) "Public institution of higher education" means the constituent
units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions
(1) and (2) of section 10a-1, except the regional community-technical
colleges;
[(5)] (6) "Eligible educational costs" means the tuition and required
fees for an individual student that are published by each public or
independent institution of higher education participating in the grant
program established under this section, plus a fixed amount for
required books and educational supplies as determined by the Office of
Higher Education.
(b) [The state, acting through the] The Office of Higher Education [,] Substitute House Bill No. 5003
Public Act No. 23-208 11 of 16
shall establish the [Governor's] Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program
to annually make need-based financial aid available for eligible
educational costs [for Connecticut residents] to eligible students
enrolled at Connecticut's public and independent institutions of higher
education. [as full-time or part-time undergraduate students beginning
with new or transfer students in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. On
and after July 1, 2016, said program shall be known as the "Roberta B.
Willis Scholarship program". Any award made to a student in the fiscal
year ending June 30, 2013, under the capitol scholarship grant program,
established under section 10a-169 of the general statutes, revision of
1958, revised to January 1, 2013, the Connecticut aid to public college
students grant program, established under section 10a-164a of the
general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, Connecticut
aid to Charter Oak, established under subsection (c) of section 10a-164a
of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, or the
Connecticut independent college student grant program, established
under section 10a-36 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to
January 1, 2013, shall be offered under the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship
program and be renewable for the life of the original award, provided
such student meets and continues to meet the need and academic
standards established for purposes of the program under which such
student received the original award.]
[(c)] Within available [appropriations] funds, the Roberta B. Willis
Scholarship program shall include a need and merit-based grant, a
need-based grant and a Charter Oak grant. The need and merit-based
grant shall be funded at not less than twenty per cent but not more than
thirty per cent of available [appropriations] funds or ten million dollars,
whichever is greater. The need-based grant shall be funded at up to
eighty per cent of available [appropriations] funds. The Charter Oak
grant shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars of available
[appropriations] funds. There shall be an administrative allowance
based on one-quarter of one per cent of the available [appropriations] Substitute House Bill No. 5003
Public Act No. 23-208 12 of 16
funds, but [(1) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, not less than three
hundred fifty thousand dollars, and (2) for the fiscal year ending June
30, 2023, and each fiscal year thereafter,] not less than one hundred
thousand dollars annually. [In addition to the amount of the annual
appropriation allocated to the regional community-technical colleges
under subsection (e) of this section, and to regional community-
technical college students under subsection (d) of this section, not less
than two and one-half per cent of the annual appropriation shall be
allocated to the regional community-technical colleges to be used for
financial aid purposes.] The Office of Higher Education shall use the
funds appropriated or allocated for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship
program for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, to make awards
pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and allocate funds pursuant to
subsections (d) and (f) of this section for the academic years
commencing July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, provided the office shall use
all funds allocated for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program from
the federal funds designated for the state pursuant to the provisions of
Section 602 of Subtitle M of Title IX of the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021, P.L. 117-2, as amended from time to time, on or before December
31, 2024.
[(d)] (c) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant
shall be available to any [Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-
time undergraduate] eligible student at any public or independent
institution of higher education. The Office of Higher Education shall
determine [eligibility by] qualification for financial need based on
family contribution prior to July 1, 2024, and, on and after July 1, 2024,
based on student aid index and [eligibility by] qualification for merit
based on either previous high school academic achievement or
performance on standardized academic aptitude tests. The Office of
Higher Education shall make awards according to a sliding scale,
annually determined by said office, up to a maximum fami ly
contribution or student aid index and based on available Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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[appropriations and] funds and the number of eligible students who
qualify for an award. The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-
based grant shall be awarded in a higher amount than the need-based
grant awarded pursuant to subsection [(e)] (d) of this section. Recipients
of the need and merit-based grant shall not be eligible to receive an
additional need-based award. The order of institutions of higher
education provided by [a] an eligible student on [the] such student's
Free Application for Federal Student Aid shall not affect the student's
[eligibility] qualification for an award under this subsection. The
[accepting] institution of higher education in which an eligible student
enrolls shall disburse sums awarded under the need and merit-based
grant for payment of [the] such student's eligible educational costs.
[(e)] (d) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need-based grant shall be
available to any [Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-time
undergraduate] eligible student at any public or independent institution
of higher education. The amount of the annual [appropriation] funds to
be allocated to each institution of higher education shall be determined
by its actual full-time equivalent enrollment of [undergraduate students
who are Connecticut residents] eligible students with a family
contribution or student aid index during the fall semester of the fiscal
year two years prior to the grant year of an amount not greater than two
hundred per cent of the maximum family contribution or student aid
index eligible for a federal Pell grant award for the academic year one
year prior to the grant year. Not later than July first, annually, each
institution of higher education shall report such enrollment data to the
Office of Higher Education. Not later than October first, annually, the
Office of Higher Education shall (1) publish such enrollment data on its
Internet web site, [and] (2) notify each institution of higher education of
the proportion of the annual [appropriation] funds that such institution
of higher education will receive the following fiscal year, and (3) publish
the proportions for each institution of higher education on its Internet
web site. Participating institutions of higher education shall make Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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awards (A) to eligible full-time students in an amount up to four
thousand five hundred dollars, and (B) to eligible part-time students in
an amount that is prorated according to the number of credits each
student will earn for completing the course or courses in which such
student is enrolled, such that a student enrolled in a course or courses
earning (i) at least nine but less than twelve credits is eligible for up to
seventy-five per cent of the maximum award, and (ii) at least six but less
than nine credits is eligible for up to fifty per cent of the maximum
award. Each participating institution of higher education shall expend
all of the moneys received under the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship
program as direct financial assistance only for eligible educational costs.
[(f)] (e) Participating institutions of higher education shall annually
provide the Office of Higher Education with data and reports on all
[Connecticut] eligible students who applied for financial aid, including,
but not limited to, students receiving a Roberta B. Willis Scholarship
grant, in a form and at a time determined by said office. If an institution
of higher education fails to submit information to the Office of Higher
Education as directed, such institution shall be prohibited from
participating in the scholarship program in the fiscal year following the
fiscal year in which such institution failed to submit such information.
Each participating institution of higher education shall maintain, for a
period of not less than three years, records substantiating the reported
number of [Connecticut] eligible students and documentation utilized
by the institution of higher education in determining [eligibility]
qualification of the student grant recipients. Such records shall be
subject to audit or review. Funds not obligated by an institution of
higher education shall be returned by May first in the fiscal year the
grant was made to the Office of Higher Education for reallocation.
Financial aid provided to [Connecticut residents] eligible students
under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B.
Willis Scholarship program. Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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[(g)] (f) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Charter Oak grant shall be
available to any [full-time or part-time undergraduate] eligible student
enrolled in Charter Oak State College. The Office of Higher Education
shall allocate any [appropriation] funds to Charter Oak State College to
be used to provide grants for eligible educational costs to [residents of
this state] eligible students who demonstrate substantial financial need
and who are matriculated in a degree program at Charter Oak State
College. Individual awards shall not exceed a student's calculated
eligible educational costs. Financial aid provided to [Connecticut
residents] eligible students under this program shall be designated as a
grant from the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program.
[(h)] (g) In administering the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program,
the Office of Higher Education shall develop and utilize fiscal
procedures designed to ensure accountability of the public funds
expended. Such procedures shall include provisions for compliance
reviews that shall be conducted by the Office of Higher Education on
any institution of higher education that participates in the program.
Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and biennially
thereafter, each such institution of higher education shall submit the
results of an audit done by an independent certified public accountant
for each year of participation in the program. Any institution of higher
education determined by the Office of Higher Education not to be in
substantial compliance with the provisions of the Roberta B. Willis
Scholarship program shall be ineligible to receive funds under the
program for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the
institution of higher education was determined not to be in substantial
compliance. Funding shall be restored when the Office of Higher
Education determines that the institution of higher education has
returned to substantial compliance.
Sec. 12. Sections 38 to 40, inclusive, of public act 23-167 are repealed.
(Effective July 1, 2023) Substitute House Bill No. 5003
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Sec. 13. Sections 138, 327 and 328 of public act 23-204 are repealed.
(Effective July 1, 2023)