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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 666
BY SENATOR CORTEZ
FUNDS/FUNDING. Provides relative to charter school funding. (7/1/14)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3995(A)(1)(b)(ii) and (2)(a), relative to charter school2
funding; to provide relative to the use of certain local revenues for computing and3
allocating the per pupil amount provided to all charter schools; to provide4
exceptions; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.5
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:6
Section 1. R.S. 17:3995(A)(1)(b)(ii) and (2)(a) are hereby amended and reenacted7
to read as follows: 8
ยง3995. Charter school funding9
A.(1) For the purpose of funding, a Type 1, Type 3, Type 3B, and Type 410
charter school shall be considered an approved public school of the local school11
board entering into the charter agreement and shall receive a per pupil amount each12
year from the local school board based on the October first membership count of the13
charter school. Type 1B and Type 2 charter schools shall receive a per pupil amount14
each year authorized by the state board each year as provided in the minimum15
foundation program approved formula. The per pupil amount provided to a Type 1,16
1B, 2, 3, 3B, or 4 charter school shall be computed annually and shall be equal to no17 SB NO. 666
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less than the per pupil amount received by the school district in which the charter1
school is located from the following sources based on the district's October first2
membership count:3
* * *4
(b)(i) Local revenues received during the prior year by the school district5
from the following sources:6
* * *7
(ii) For the purposes of this Subparagraph, local revenues shall exclude any8
portion which has been specifically dedicated by the legislature, or by voter9
approval, to capital outlay or debt service.10
* * *11
(2)(a) Initial allocation of the per pupil amount required in Paragraph (1) of12
this Subsection shall be based on estimates provided by the state Department of13
Education using the most recent projected prior year local revenue data and projected14
pupil counts available. Allocations shall be adjusted during the year to reflect actual15
pupil counts and actual prior year local revenue collections. In parishes with a16
population between two hundred twenty thousand and two hundred twenty-five17
thousand according the latest federal decennial census, allocations to charter18
schools shall be funded solely from state minimum foundation program funds19
that would otherwise be received by the local school board.20
* * *21
Section 2. The provisions of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2014; if22
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become23
effective on July 1, 2014, or on the day following such approval by the legislature,24
whichever is later.25 SB NO. 666
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The original instrument was prepared by Martha Hess. The following digest,
which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was prepared
by Thomas L. Tyler.
DIGEST
Cortez (SB 666)
Present law provides that for the purpose of funding, a Type 1, Type 3, Type 3B, and Type
4 charter school shall be considered an approved public school of the local school board
entering into the charter agreement and shall receive a per pupil amount each year from the
local school board based on the October first membership count of the charter school. The
per pupil amount provided to a Type 1, 1B, 2, 3, 3B, or 4 charter school shall be computed
annually and shall be equal to no less than the per pupil amount received by the school
district in which the charter school is located from the following sources based on the
district's October first membership count:
(1)The state-funded per pupil allocation received by the district pursuant to the most
recent legislatively approved minimum foundation program formula resolution.
(2)Local revenues received during the prior year by the school district from the
following sources:
(a)Sales and use taxes, less any collection fee paid by the school district.
(b)Ad valorem taxes, less any collection fee paid by the school district.
(c)Earnings from sixteenth section lands owned by the school district.
Present law provides that local revenues shall exclude any portion which has been
specifically dedicated by the legislature, or by voter approval, to capital outlay or debt
service. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides the initial allocation to a charter school of the per pupil amount based
on estimates of all monies available to the local school board.
Proposed law provides that in parishes having a population between 220,000 and 225,000
the allocations to charter schools are to be funded solely from the state portion of MFP
funds.
Effective July 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 17:3995(A)(1)(b)(ii) and (2)(a))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Deletes exclusion of local revenues dedicated to teacher and school employee
salaries and benefits or expenses for maintaining and repairing schools from
the definition of "local revenues" for charter school funding purposes.
2. Deletes requirement that a charter school's per pupil allocation be
proportionally reduced for its share of the local school board's required UAL
payment to TRSL. SB NO. 666
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3. Restores present law provisions restricting exclusion of local revenues
dedicated to capital outlay or debt service to charter schools housed in
facilities provided by the local school district.
4. Makes technical changes.
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Provides for allocations of only state MFP funds to charter schools in
parishes having a population between 220,000 and 225,000.