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