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 Section 10-227 of the general statutes is repealed and the 16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