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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7028
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4942
Referred to Committee on HOUSING
Introduced by:
(HSG)
AN ACT INCREASING THE REIMBURSEMENT PERCENTAGE FOR
SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT GRANTS FOR MUNICIPALITIES THAT
MEET CERTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THRESHOLDS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-285a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) (1) The percentage of school building project grant money a local 3
board of education may be eligible to receive, under the provisions of 4
section 10-286, shall be assigned by the Commissioner of Administrative 5
Services in accordance with the percentage calculated by the 6
Commissioner of Education as follows: (A) For grants approved 7
pursuant to section 10-283 for which application is made on and after 8
July 1, 1991, and before July 1, 2011, (i) each town shall be ranked in 9
descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine according to such 10
town's adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined in section 11
10-261; and (ii) based upon such ranking, a percentage of not less than 12
twenty nor more than eighty shall be determined for each town on a 13
continuous scale; (B) for grants approved pursuant to section 10-283 for 14
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which application is made on and after July 1, 2011, and before July 1, 15
2017, (i) each town shall be ranked in descending order from one to one 16
hundred sixty-nine according to such town's adjusted equalized net 17
grand list per capita, as defined in section 10-261, and (ii) based upon 18
such ranking, (I) a percentage of not less than ten nor more than seventy 19
shall be determined for new construction or replacement of a school 20
building for each town on a continuous scale, and (II) a percentage of 21
not less than twenty nor more than eighty shall be determined for 22
renovations, extensions, code violations, roof replacements and major 23
alterations of an existing school building and the new construction or 24
replacement of a school building when a town or regional school district 25
can demonstrate that a new construction or replacement is less 26
expensive than a renovation, extension or major alteration of an existing 27
school building for each town on a continuous scale; (C) for grants 28
approved pursuant to section 10-283 for which application is made on 29
and after July 1, 2017, and before June 1, 2022, (i) each town shall be 30
ranked in descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine 31
according to the adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined 32
in section 10-261, of the town two, three and four years prior to the fiscal 33
year in which application is made, and (ii) based upon such ranking, (I) 34
a percentage of not less than ten nor more than seventy shall be 35
determined for new construction or replacement of a school building for 36
each town on a continuous scale, and (II) a percentage of not less than 37
twenty nor more than eighty shall be determined for renovations, 38
extensions, code violations, roof replacements and major alterations of 39
an existing school building and the new construction or replacement of 40
a school building when a town or regional school district can 41
demonstrate that a new construction or replacement is less expensive 42
than a renovation, extension or major alteration of an existing school 43
building for each town on a continuous scale; (D) except as otherwise 44
provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, for grants approved 45
pursuant to section 10-283 for which application is made on and after 46
June 1, 2022, (i) each town shall be ranked in descending order from one 47
to one hundred sixty-nine according to the adjusted equalized net grand 48
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list per capita, as defined in section 10-261, of the town two, three and 49
four years prior to the fiscal year in which application is made, and (ii) 50
based upon such ranking, (I) a percentage of not less than ten nor more 51
than seventy shall be determined for new construction or replacement 52
of a school building for each town on a continuous scale, and (II) a 53
percentage of not less than twenty nor more than eighty shall be 54
determined for renovations, extensions, code violations, roof 55
replacements and major alterations of an existing school building and 56
the new construction or replacement of a school building when a town 57
or regional school district can demonstrate that a new construction or 58
replacement is less expensive than a renovation, extension or major 59
alteration of an existing school building for each town on a continuous 60
scale; and (E) except as otherwise provided in subdivision (2) of this 61
subsection, for grants approved pursuant to section 10-283 for which 62
application is made on and after July 1, 2024, (i) each town shall be 63
ranked in descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine 64
according to the adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined 65
in section 10-261, of the town two, three and four years prior to the fiscal 66
year in which application is made, and (ii) based upon such ranking, (I) 67
a percentage of not less than ten nor more than eighty shall be 68
determined for new construction or replacement of a school building for 69
each town on a continuous scale, and (II) a percentage of not less than 70
twenty nor more than eighty shall be determined for renovations, 71
extensions, code violations, roof replacements and major alterations of 72
an existing school building and the new construction or replacement of 73
a school building when a town or regional school district can 74
demonstrate that a new construction or replacement is less expensive 75
than a renovation, extension or major alteration of an existing school 76
building for each town on a continuous scale. 77
(2) For grants approved pursuant to section 10-283 for which 78
application is made prior to July 1, 2047, the percentage of school 79
building project grant money a local board of education for (A) any 80
town with a total population of eighty thousand or greater may be 81
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eligible to receive shall be the greater of the percentage calculated 82
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection or sixty per cent, and (B) 83
the town of Cheshire shall be the greater of the percentage calculated 84
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection or fifty per cent. 85
(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (2) of this 86
subsection, the percentage of school building project grant money a 87
regional board of education may be eligible to receive under the 88
provisions of section 10-286 shall be determined by its ranking. Such 89
ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as 90
defined in section 10-261, of each town in the district by such town's 91
ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of this section, (B) adding 92
together the figures determined under subparagraph (A) of this 93
subdivision, and (C) dividing the total computed under subparagraph 94
(B) of this subdivision by the total population of all towns in the district. 95
The ranking of each regional board of education shall be rounded to the 96
next higher whole number and each such board shall receive the same 97
reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank plus ten 98
per cent, except that no such percentage shall exceed eighty-five per 99
cent. 100
(2) Any board of education of a regional school district established or 101
expanded on or after July 1, 2016, that submits an application for a 102
school building project (A) not later than ten years after the 103
establishment or expansion of such regional school district, and (B) that 104
is related to such establishment or expansion, may be eligible to receive 105
a percentage of school building project grant money, under the 106
provisions of section 10-286, as follows: The reimbursement percentage 107
of the town in such regional school district with the greatest 108
reimbursement percentage, as determined in subsection (a) of this 109
section, plus ten per cent. 110
(c) The percentage of school building project grant money a regional 111
educational service center may be eligible to receive shall be determined 112
by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (1) multiplying the 113
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population of each member town in the regional educational service 114
center by such town's ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of this 115
section; (2) adding together the figures for each town determined under 116
subdivision (1) of this subsection, and (3) dividing the total computed 117
under subdivision (2) of this subsection by the total population of all 118
member towns in the regional educational service center. The ranking 119
of each regional educational service center shall be rounded to the next 120
higher whole number and each such center shall receive the same 121
reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank. 122
(d) The percentage of school building project grant money a 123
cooperative arrangement pursuant to section 10-158a, may be eligible to 124
receive shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be 125
determined by (1) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 126
10-261, of each town in the cooperative arrangement by such town's 127
ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of this section, (2) adding the 128
products determined under subdivision (1) of this subsection, and (3) 129
dividing the total computed under subdivision (2) of this subsection by 130
the total population of all towns in the cooperative arrangement. The 131
ranking of each cooperative arrangement shall be rounded to the next 132
higher whole number and each such cooperative arrangement shall 133
receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the 134
same rank plus ten percentage points. 135
(e) (1) If an elementary school building project for a new building or 136
for the expansion of an existing building includes space for an early 137
childhood care and education program that provides services for 138
children from birth to five years, the percentage determined pursuant to 139
this section shall be increased by fifteen percentage points, but shall not 140
exceed one hundred per cent, for the portion of the building used 141
primarily for such purpose. Recipient districts shall maintain such early 142
childhood care and education program for at least ten years. 143
(2) The percentage determined pursuant to this section for any school 144
building project for a building or facility that will be used exclusively by 145
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a local or regional board of education for an early childhood care and 146
education program that provides services for children from birth to five 147
years shall be increased by fifteen percentage points, but shall not 148
exceed one hundred per cent. Recipient districts shall maintain such 149
early childhood care and education program for at least twenty years. 150
(f) The percentage determined pursuant to this section for a school 151
building project grant for the expansion, alteration or renovation of an 152
existing public school building to convert such building for use as a 153
lighthouse school, as defined in section 10-266cc, shall be increased by 154
ten percentage points. 155
(g) The percentage determined pursuant to this section for a school 156
building project grant shall be increased by the percentage of the total 157
projected enrollment of the school attributable to the number of spaces 158
made available for out-of-district students participating in the program 159
established pursuant to section 10-266aa, provided the maximum 160
increase shall not exceed ten percentage points. 161
(h) Subject to the provisions of section 10-285d, if an elementary 162
school building project for a school in a priority school district or for a 163
priority school is necessary in order to offer a full-day kindergarten 164
program or a full-day preschool program or to reduce class size 165
pursuant to section 10-265f, the percentage determined pursuant to this 166
section shall be increased by fifteen percentage points, but shall not 167
exceed one hundred per cent, for the portion of the building used 168
primarily for such full-day kindergarten program, full-day preschool 169
program or such reduced size classes. Recipient districts that receive an 170
increase pursuant to this subsection in support of a full-day preschool 171
program, shall maintain full-day preschool enrollment for at least ten 172
years. 173
(i) For all projects authorized on or after July 1, 2007, all attorneys' 174
fees and court costs related to litigation shall be eligible for state school 175
construction grant assistance only if the grant applicant is the prevailing 176
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party in any such litigation. 177
(j) The percentage determined pursuant to this section for a school 178
building project grant for a diversity school, approved pursuant to 179
section 10-286h, shall be increased by ten percentage points. 180
(k) On and after July 1, 2024, for applications submitted pursuant to 181
subsection (a) of section 10-283, the percentage of school building 182
project grant money a local or regional board of education may be 183
eligible to receive shall be increased by five percentage points if, prior 184
to December first of the year in which the board submits an application 185
for a grant, such board submits a written determination issued by the 186
Commissioner of Housing within such year finding that the 187
municipality in which the school building project is to occur has been 188
deemed to be an inclusive municipality. As used in this subsection, 189
"inclusive municipality" means any municipality that: (1) Has a total 190
population, as defined in section 10-261, that is greater than six 191
thousand; (2) has less than ten per cent of its housing units determined 192
by the commissioner to be affordable; (3) has adopted and maintains 193
zoning regulations that (A) promote fair housing, as determined by the 194
commissioner, (B) provide a streamlined process for the approval of the 195
development of multifamily housing of three units or more, (C) permit 196
mixed-use development, and (D) allow accessory dwelling units; and 197
(4) has constructed new affordable housing units that (A) are restricted, 198
through deeds, covenants or other means, to individuals or families 199
whose income is eighty per cent or less of the state median income, and 200
(B) equal at least one per cent of such town's total housing units in the 201
three years immediately preceding the submission of an application 202
under this section. 203
(l) On and after July 1, 2025, for applications submitted pursuant to 204
subsection (a) of section 10-283, the percentage of school building 205
project grant money a local board of education may be eligible to receive 206
shall be increased for a five-year period in accordance with this 207
subdivision if, prior to December first of the year in which the board 208
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submits an application for a grant, such board submits a written 209
determination issued by the Commissioner of Housing within such year 210
finding that the municipality in which the school building project is to 211
occur meets one of the following specified thresholds of affordable 212
housing, as provided under section 8-30g. A local board of education 213
shall be eligible to receive the following increase in such grant money: 214
(1) Twenty per cent if the municipality for such board meets or exceeds 215
a ten per cent threshold of affordable housing, (2) eight per cent if the 216
municipality for such board meets at least eight per cent but less than 217
ten per cent of such threshold of affordable housing, and (3) five per cent 218
if the municipality for such board meets at least six per cent but less than 219
eight per cent of such threshold of affordable housing. 220
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 10-285a
Statement of Purpose:
To increase the reimbursement percentage for school building project
grants for municipalities that meet certain affordable housing
thresholds to encourage the creation of affordable housing.
[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.]