Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0331 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0331
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7	7	LC000723
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX
16	16	RELIEF ACT
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Zurier, Acosta, Bell, and Murray
18	18	Date Introduced: February 21, 2025
19	19	Referred To: Senate Finance
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2 entitled "The 1
24	24	Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	16-7.2-3. Permanent foundation education aid established. 3
26	26	(a) Beginning in the 2012 fiscal year, the following foundation education-aid formula shall 4
27	27	take effect. The foundation education aid for each district shall be the sum of the core instruction 5
28	28	amount in subsection (a)(1) of this section and the amount to support high-need students in 6
29	29	subsection (a)(2) of this section, which shall be multiplied by the district state-share ratio calculated 7
30	30	pursuant to § 16-7.2-4 to determine the foundation aid. 8
31	31	(1) The core instruction amount shall be an amount equal to a statewide, per-pupil core 9
32	32	instruction amount as established by the department of elementary and secondary education, 10
33	33	derived from the average of northeast regional expenditure data for the states of Rhode Island, 11
34	34	Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire from the National Center for Education Statistics 12
35	35	(NCES) that will adequately fund the student instructional needs as described in the basic education 13
36	36	program and multiplied by the district average daily membership as defined in § 16-7-22. 14
37	37	Expenditure data in the following categories: instruction and support services for students, 15
38	38	instruction, general administration, school administration, and other support services from the 16
39	39	National Public Education Financial Survey, as published by NCES, and enrollment data from the 17
40	40	Common Core of Data, also published by NCES, will be used when determining the core 18
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44	44	instruction amount. The core instruction amount will be updated annually. For the purpose of 1
45	45	calculating this formula, school districts’ resident average daily membership shall exclude charter 2
46	46	school and state-operated school students. 3
47	47	(2) The amount to support high-need students beyond the core instruction amount shall be 4
48	48	determined by: 5
49	49	(i) Multiplying a student success factor of forty percent (40%) by the core instruction per-6
50	50	pupil amount described in subsection (a)(1) of this section and applying that amount for each 7
51	51	resident child whose family income is at or below one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of 8
52	52	federal poverty guidelines, hereinafter referred to as “poverty status.” By October 1, 2022, as part 9
53	53	of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4 relative to state fiscal year 2024 and thereafter, the 10
54	54	department of elementary and secondary education shall develop and utilize a poverty measure that 11
55	55	in the department’s assessment most accurately serves as a proxy for the poverty status referenced 12
56	56	in this subsection and does not rely on the administration of school nutrition programs. The 13
57	57	department shall utilize this measure in calculations pursuant to this subsection related to the 14
58	58	application of the student success factor, in calculations pursuant to § 16-7.2-4 related to the 15
59	59	calculation of the state share ratio, and in the formulation of estimates pursuant to subsection (b) 16
60	60	below. The department may also include any recommendations which seek to mitigate any 17
61	61	disruptions associated with the implementation of this new poverty measure or improve the 18
62	62	accuracy of its calculation. Beginning with the FY 2024 calculation, students whose family income 19
63	63	is at or below one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of federal poverty guidelines will be 20
64	64	determined by participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP). The number 21
65	65	of students directly certified through the department of human services shall be multiplied by a 22
66	66	factor of 1.6; and 23
67	67	(ii) Multiplying a multilingual learner (MLL) factor of twenty percent (20%) by the core 24
68	68	instruction per-pupil amount described in subsection (a)(1) of this section, applying that amount 25
69	69	for each resident child identified in the three lowest proficiency categories using widely adopted, 26
70	70	independent standards and assessments in accordance with subsection (f)(1) of this section and as 27
71	71	identified by the commissioner and defined by regulations of the council on elementary and 28
72	72	secondary education. Local education agencies shall report annually to the department of 29
73	73	elementary and secondary education by September 1, outlining the planned and prior year use of 30
74	74	all funding pursuant to this subsection to provide services to MLL students in accordance with 31
75	75	requirements set forth by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The 32
76	76	department shall review the use of funds to ensure consistency with established best practices. 33
77	77	(b) The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide an estimate of the 34
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81	81	foundation education aid cost as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4. The estimate 1
82	82	shall include the most recent data available as well as an adjustment for average daily membership 2
83	83	growth or decline based on the prior year experience. 3
84	84	(c) In addition, the department shall report updated figures based on the average daily 4
85	85	membership as of October 1 by December 1. 5
86	86	(d) Local education agencies may set aside a portion of funds received under subsection 6
87	87	(a) to expand learning opportunities such as after school and summer programs, full-day 7
88	88	kindergarten and/or multiple pathway programs, provided that the basic education program and all 8
89	89	other approved programs required in law are funded. 9
90	90	(e) The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate such 10
91	91	regulations as are necessary to implement fully the purposes of this chapter. 11
92	92	(f)(1) By October 1, 2023, as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4 relative to 12
93	93	state fiscal year 2025, the department of elementary and secondary education shall evaluate the 13
94	94	number of students by district who qualify as multilingual learner (MLL) students and MLL 14
95	95	students whose family income is at or below one hundred eighty-five percent (185%) of federal 15
96	96	poverty guidelines. The submission shall also include segmentation of these populations by levels 16
97	97	as dictated by the WIDA multilingual learner assessment tool used as an objective benchmark for 17
98	98	English proficiency. The department shall also prepare and produce expense data sourced from the 18
99	99	uniform chart of accounts to recommend funding levels required to support students at the various 19
100	100	levels of proficiency as determined by the WIDA assessment tool. Utilizing this information, the 20
101	101	department shall recommend a funding solution to meet the needs of multilingual learners; this may 21
102	102	include but not be limited to inclusion of MLL needs within the core foundation formula amount 22
103	103	through one or multiple weights to distinguish different students of need or through categorical 23
104	104	means. 24
105	105	(2) By October 1, 2024, as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4 relative to 25
106	106	state fiscal year 2026, the department of elementary and secondary education shall develop 26
107	107	alternatives to identify students whose family income is at or below one hundred eighty-five percent 27
108	108	(185%) of federal poverty guidelines through participation in state-administered programs, 28
109	109	including, but not limited to, the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), and RIteCare 29
110	110	and other programs that include the collection of required supporting documentation. The 30
111	111	department may also include any recommendations that seek to mitigate any disruptions associated 31
112	112	with implementation of this new poverty measure or improve the accuracy of its calculation. 32
113	113	(3) The department shall also report with its annual budget request information regarding 33
114	114	local contributions to education aid and compliance with §§ 16-7-23 and 16-7-24. The report shall 34
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118	118	also compare these local contributions to state foundation education aid by community. The 1
119	119	department shall also report compliance to each city or town school committee and city or town 2
120	120	council. 3
121	121	(4) By October 1, 2025, as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4 relative to 4
122	122	state fiscal year 2027, the department of elementary and secondary education shall develop 5
123	123	alternatives to increase the amount of state education aid to districts based on poverty density levels 6
124	124	within districts, considering in its review the methodology currently employed in Massachusetts. 7
125	125	The department shall also prepare and produce expense data sourced from the uniform chart of 8
126	126	accounts to recommend funding levels required to support students from the various levels of 9
127	127	poverty density. Utilizing this information, the department shall recommend an alternative funding 10
128	128	solution in its budget submission to meet the needs to students living in districts with high rates of 11
129	129	poverty through multiple weights to distinguish different levels of need. The submission shall also 12
130	130	include the impact of each alternative on a state and district level. 13
131	131	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14
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138	138	EXPLANATION
139	139	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
140	140	OF
141	141	A N A C T
142	142	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX
143	143	RELIEF ACT
144	144	***
145	145	This act would require the department of elementary and secondary education to propose, 1
146	146	by October 1, 2025, funding alternatives to increase state aid for districts with high poverty, with 2
147	147	recommendations on funding levels and their impacts. 3
148	148	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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