Rhode Island SB 2034: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT (Amends the method for the calculation of the permanent foundation education aid to school districts, and would make an adjustment based upon students residing in qualified low-income housing.)

Bill Text

2022 -- S 2034 
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LC003672 
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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. 2022 
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A N   A C T 
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX 
RELIEF ACT 
Introduced By: Senator Roger Picard 
Date Introduced: January 25, 2022 
Referred To: Senate Education 
 
 
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 
SECTION 1. Sections 16-7.2-3 and 16-7.2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2 entitled 1 
"The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" are 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 subdivision (a)(1), and the amount to support high-need students in subdivision (a)(2), 6 
and  the  amount  to  support  school  districts  in  subsection  (a)(3) of  this  section which  shall  be 7 
multiplied  by  the  district  state-share  ratio  calculated  pursuant  to  §  16-7.2-4  to  determine  the 8 
foundation aid. 9 
(1) The core-instruction amount shall be an amount equal to a statewide, per-pupil core-10 
instruction  amount  as  established  by  the  department  of  elementary  and  secondary  education, 11 
derived  from  the  average  of  northeast  regional  expenditure  data  for  the  states  of  Rhode  Island, 12 
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire from the National Center for Education Statistics 13 
(NCES) that will adequately fund the student instructional needs as described in the basic education 14 
program  and  multiplied  by  the  district  average  daily  membership  as  defined  in  §  16-7-22. 15 
Expenditure  data  in  the  following  categories:  instruction  and  support  services  for  students, 16 
instruction,  general  administration,  school  administration,  and  other  support  services  from  the 17 
National Public Education Financial Survey, as published by NCES, and enrollment data from the 18 

 
 
 
LC003672 - Page 2 of 4 
Common  Core  of  Data,  also  published by  NCES,  will  be  used  when  determining  the  core-1 
instruction  amount.  The  core-instruction  amount  will  be  updated  annually.  For  the  purpose  of 2 
calculating this formula, school districts' resident average daily membership shall exclude charter 3 
school and state-operated school students. 4 
(2) The amount to support high-need students beyond the core-instruction amount shall be 5 
determined by multiplying a student success factor of forty percent (40%) by the core instruction 6 
per-pupil amount described in subdivision (a)(1) and applying that amount for each resident child 7 
whose  family  income  is  at  or  below  one  hundred  eighty-five  percent  (185%)  of  federal  poverty 8 
guidelines, hereinafter referred to as "poverty status." 9 
(3)  The  amount  to  support  school  districts  with  students  residing  in  housing  taxed  in 10 
accordance with § 44-5-13.11, shall be determined by multiplying a housing factor of forty percent 11 
(40%)  by  the  core  instruction  per pupil  amount  described  in §  16-7.2-3(a)(1),  and  applying  that 12 
amount to all resident children residing in housing taxed in accordance with § 44-5-13.11. 13 
(b) The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide an estimate of the 14 
foundation education aid cost as part of its budget submission pursuant to § 35-3-4. The estimate 15 
shall include the most recent data available as well as an adjustment for average daily membership 16 
growth or decline based on the prior year experience. 17 
(c)  In  addition,  the  department  shall  report  updated  figures  based  on  the  average  daily 18 
membership as of October 1 by December 1. 19 
(d) Local education agencies may set aside a portion of funds received under subsection 20 
(a)  to  expand  learning  opportunities  such  as  after  school  and  summer  programs,  full-day 21 
kindergarten and/or multiple pathway programs, provided that the basic education program and all 22 
other approved programs required in law are funded. 23 
(e)  The  department  of  elementary  and  secondary  education  shall  promulgate  such 24 
regulations as are necessary to implement fully the purposes of this chapter. 25 
16-7.2-4. Determination of state's share. 26 
(a) For each district, the state's share of the foundation education aid calculated pursuant 27 
to § 16-7.2-3(a) shall use a calculation that considers a district's revenue-generating capacity and 28 
concentration of high-need students. The calculation is the square root of the sum of the state-share 29 
ratio for the community calculation, pursuant to § 16-7-20, squared plus the percentage of students 30 
residing in housing taxed in accordance with § 44-5-13.11 squared, plus the district's percentage of 31 
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