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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1
January Session, 2023
AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY IN EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) Not later than January 1, 1
2024, and annually thereafter, the Department of Education shall 2
conduct a review of each chart of accounts for the previous fiscal year 3
submitted pursuant to section 10-227 of the general statutes, as 4
amended by this act. Following the review of each such chart of 5
accounts, the department shall prepare a report for each local or 6
regional board of education that includes school district financial 7
information for the following categories: (1) Expense function, (2) 8
expense object, (3) education type, (4) pre-k flag, (5) allocation, and (6) 9
funding source. Within each such category, such financial information 10
shall be disaggregated by each education financial system code 11
utilized by the department as part of its education financial system. 12
(b) The department shall make the chart of accounts and report of 13
such chart of accounts for each local or regional board of education 14
available on its Internet web site. 15
Sec. 2. Section 10-227 of the general statutes is repealed and the 16
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 17
[Each board of education shall cause the superintendent to make 18 Substitute Bill No. 1
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returns not later than September first of each year to the Commissioner 19
of Education of the receipts, expenditures and statistics, as prescribed 20
by the commissioner, provided each such board may submit revisions 21
to the returns in such form and with such documentation as required 22
by the commissioner no later than December thirty-first of each year 23
following the September submission. Such reports or returns required] 24
Not later than September first of each year, each board of education 25
shall cause the superintendent to make returns of the receipts, 26
expenditures and statistics of such board for the previous fiscal year by 27
filing the chart of accounts described in section 10-10c, as amended by 28
this act, with the Commissioner of Education. Each such board may 29
submit revisions to its chart of accounts not later than December thirty-30
first of each year following the September submission. Such chart of 31
accounts shall be [made] filed in accordance with the instructions 32
furnished by the commissioner, shall be certified no later than 33
December thirty-first of each year by the independent public 34
accountant selected pursuant to section 7-392 for the purpose of 35
auditing municipal accounts, and shall be subject to Department of 36
Education verification. If the [returns and statistics] chart of accounts 37
and revisions called for by said commissioner are not [sent] filed on or 38
before the days specified in this section or if the [returns are] chart of 39
accounts is not certified as required by the commissioner on or before 40
December thirty-first, each local and regional board of education 41
required by law to [make separate returns] file the chart of accounts, 42
whose [returns and statistics] chart of accounts or revisions are 43
delayed until after those days, shall forfeit of the total sum which is 44
paid for such board of education from the State Treasurer an amount 45
to be determined by the State Board of Education, which amount shall 46
be not less than one thousand dollars nor more than ten thousand 47
dollars. The amount so forfeited shall be withheld from a subsequent 48
grant payment as determined by the commissioner. [Notwithstanding 49
the penalty provision of this section, the Commissioner of Education 50
may waive said forfeiture for good cause.] 51
Sec. 3. Section 10-10c of the general statutes is repealed and the 52 Substitute Bill No. 1
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 53
(a) The Department of Education shall develop and implement a 54
uniform system of accounting for school revenues and expenditures. 55
Such uniform system of accounting shall include a chart of accounts to 56
be used at the school and district level. Such chart of accounts shall 57
include, but not be limited to, all amounts and sources of revenue and 58
donations of cash and real or personal property in the aggregate 59
totaling five hundred dollars or more, including federal impact aid, 60
received by a local or regional board of education, regional educational 61
service center, charter school or charter management organization on 62
behalf of a school district or individual school. Select measures shall be 63
required at the individual school level, as determined by the 64
department. The department shall make such chart of accounts 65
available on its Internet web site. 66
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2015] 2024, and each fiscal 67
year thereafter, each local or regional board of education, regional 68
educational service center and state charter school shall implement 69
such uniform system of accounting by completing and filing annual 70
financial reports with the department using the chart of accounts and 71
meet the provisions of section 10-227, as amended by this act. 72
(c) The Office of Policy and Management may annually audit the 73
financial reports submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section 74
for any local or regional board of education, regional educational 75
service center or state charter school. 76
(d) Not later than July 1, [2013] 2023, the Department of Education 77
shall submit the chart of accounts described in subsection (a) of this 78
section to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 79
having cognizance of matters relating to education and appropriations 80
and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with the provisions of 81
section 11-4a. 82
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) On and after July 1, 2023, the 83 Substitute Bill No. 1
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Department of Education shall annually offer a training program to 84
newly elected members of local and regional boards of education. Such 85
training program shall be developed by the department, and include, 86
but not be limited to, the role and responsibilities of a board member, 87
the duties and obligations of a board of education and school district 88
budgeting and education finance. 89
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) On and after July 1, 2023, any 90
person who has been elected to a local or regional board of education 91
for the first time shall complete, at a time and in a manner prescribed 92
by the Department of Education, the training program for newly 93
elected members of local and regional boards of education, as 94
described in section 4 of this act. Each such member shall complete 95
such training program not later than one year after assuming office. 96
Sec. 6. Subsection (i) of section 10-145a of the general statutes is 97
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 98
1, 2023): 99
(i) On and after July 1, [2016] 2023, any program of teacher 100
preparation leading to professional certification shall require, as part of 101
the curriculum, clinical experience, field experience or student 102
teaching experience in a classroom during four semesters of such 103
program of teacher preparation. [Such clinical experience, field 104
experience or student teaching experience shall occur: (1) In a school 105
district that has been categorized by the Department of Education as 106
District Reference Group A, B, C, D or E, and (2) in a school district 107
that has been categorized by the department as District Reference 108
Group F, G, H or I.] Such clinical experience, field experience or 109
student teaching experience may include a cooperating teacher serving 110
as a mentor to student teachers, provided such cooperating teacher has 111
received a performance evaluation designation of exemplary or 112
proficient, pursuant to section 10-151b, for the prior school year. 113
Sec. 7. Subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of section 10-262u of the 114
general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 115 Substitute Bill No. 1
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thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 116
(a) As used in this section and section 10-262i: 117
(1) "Alliance district" means a school district for a town that (A) is 118
among the towns with the [thirty-three] lowest accountability index 119
scores [, as calculated] and so designated by the [Department] 120
Commissioner of Education, or (B) was previously designated as an 121
alliance district by the Commissioner of Education [for the fiscal years 122
ending June 30, 2013, to June 30, 2022, inclusive] on or before July 1, 123
2023. 124
(2) "Accountability index" has the same meaning as provided in 125
section 10-223e. 126
(3) "Mastery test data of record" has the same meaning as provided 127
in section 10-262f. 128
(4) "Educational reform district" means an alliance district that is 129
among the ten lowest accountability index scores when all towns are 130
ranked highest to lowest in accountability index scores. 131
(b) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, the Commissioner of 132
Education shall designate thirty school districts as alliance districts. 133
[Any school district designated as an alliance district shall be so 134
designated for a period of five years. On or before June 30, 2016, the 135
Department of Education shall determine if there are any additional 136
alliance districts.] 137
(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the commissioner shall 138
designate thirty-three school districts as alliance districts. [Any school 139
district designated as an alliance district shall be so designated for a 140
period of five years.] 141
(3) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the commissioner shall 142
designate thirty-six school districts as alliance districts. [Any school 143
district designated as an alliance district shall be so designated for a 144 Substitute Bill No. 1
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period of five years.] 145
(4) On and after July 1, 2023, the commissioner may designate 146
additional school districts as alliance districts. 147
(c) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year 148
thereafter, the Comptroller shall withhold from any town that [(A)] 149
was designated as an alliance district (A) pursuant to subdivision (2) of 150
subsection (b) of this section any increase in funds received over the 151
amount the town received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, 152
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-262i, [and (B) was designated 153
as an alliance district] (B) for the first time pursuant to subdivision (3) 154
of subsection (b) of this section, any increase in funds received over the 155
amount the town received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, 156
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 10-262i, or (C) pursuant to 157
subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this section any increase in funds 158
received over the amount the town received for the fiscal year prior to 159
such designation as an alliance district pursuant to subsection (a) of 160
section 10-262i. The Comptroller shall transfer such funds to the 161
Commissioner of Education. 162
(2) Upon receipt of an application pursuant to subsection (d) of this 163
section or section 10-156gg, the Commissioner of Education may pay 164
such funds to the town designated as an alliance district and such 165
town shall pay all such funds to the local or regional board of 166
education for such town on the condition that such funds shall be 167
expended in accordance with (A) the plan described in subsection (d) 168
of this section, (B) the minority candidate certification, retention or 169
residency year program pursuant to section 10-156gg, (C) the family 170
resource center program, pursuant to section 10-4o, to establish a 171
family resource center in each elementary school under the jurisdiction 172
of such board, (D) the provisions of subsection (c) of section 10-262i, 173
and [(D)] (E) any guidelines developed by the State Board of Education 174
for such funds. Such funds shall be used to improve student 175
achievement and recruit and retain minority teachers in such alliance 176
district and to offset any other local education costs approved by the 177 Substitute Bill No. 1
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commissioner. 178
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) As used in this section: 179
(1) "Alliance district" has the same meaning as provided in section 180
10-262u of the general statutes, as amended by this act; 181
(2) "Private entity" means any individual, corporation, general 182
partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint 183
venture, nonprofit organization or other business entity; 184
(3) "Public-private partnership" means the relationship established 185
between the local or regional board of education for a town designated 186
as an alliance district, a community college and a private entity for the 187
purpose of implementing a pathways in technology early college high 188
school program; and 189
(4) "Pathways in technology early college high school program" 190
means a program of instruction in which students in grades nine to 191
twelve, inclusive, complete high school and college-level coursework 192
while simultaneously engaging in industry-guided workforce 193
development. 194
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year 195
thereafter, the Department of Education shall annually issue a request 196
for proposals to local and regional boards of education for towns 197
designated as alliance districts for the establishment of a new public-198
private partnership or the enhancement of an existing pathways in 199
technology early college high school program. The department shall 200
review such proposals and award a grant to two such boards for the 201
costs associated with the establishment of a new public-private 202
partnership or enhancement of a pathways in technology early college 203
high school program. 204
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) No person shall sell or offer for 205
sale to any local or regional board of education, or in any public 206
school, any food product in which the name and branding on the 207 Substitute Bill No. 1
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packaging that is available at retail in the general market place is the 208
same or similar to the name and branding on the packaging for sale in 209
a public school, but in which the nutritional value per portion or 210
ingredients in such food product deviate from the same or similarly 211
named and branded food product that is for sale in a public school. 212
Sec. 10. (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 213
2024, to June 30, 2026, inclusive, the Department of Education shall 214
administer a wholesome school meals pilot program that awards a 215
grant to an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u of the general 216
statutes, as amended by this act, for the purpose of embedding a 217
professional chef in such alliance district to assist school meal 218
programs in building the capacity of food service staff, improving 219
school meal quality, increasing diner satisfaction, streamlining 220
operations and establishing a financially viable school meal program. 221
The department shall partner with an organization that specializes in 222
the placement of chefs for the purposes described in this subsection. 223
(b) Not later than October 1, 2023, a local or regional board of 224
education for a town designated as an alliance district may apply to 225
the department, in a form and manner prescribed by the department, 226
for a grant under this section. 227
(c) The department shall review each application submitted under 228
subsection (b) of this section and award five grants under this section. 229
Each grant recipient shall receive an annual grant of one hundred fifty 230
thousand dollars in each year of the pilot program. Such grant shall be 231
expended for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. 232
(d) Not later than January 1, 2027, the department shall submit a 233
report on the wholesome school meals pilot program to the joint 234
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 235
matters relating to education and appropriations, in accordance with 236
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 237 Substitute Bill No. 1
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 2 from passage 10-227
Sec. 3 from passage 10-10c
Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2023 10-145a(i)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2023 10-262u(a) to (c)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 10 July 1, 2023 New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(a), "school district" was changed to "local or regional board
of education", for consistency; in Section 8(b), "of a new public-private
partnership" was added, for clarity; in Section 9, "per portion" was
added, for clarity.
ED Joint Favorable Subst.