Rhode Island HB 5398: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT

Bill Text

2025 -- H 5398
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LC001063
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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: Representatives Felix, Cruz, Morales, Batista, Hull, Tanzi, J. Lombardi,
Kislak, Potter, and Furtado
Date Introduced: February 07, 2025
Referred To: House 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

LC001063 - Page 2 of 5
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. Provided, effective July 1, 2025, the amount to support high-need students 29
beyond the core instruction amount shall include multiplying a student success factor of twenty-30
five percent (25%) by the core instruction per-pupil amount described in subsection (a)(1) of this 31
section, applying that amount for each resident