TITLE 16

Education

CHAPTER 16-77.1

Funding of Charter Public Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 – The

Rhode Island Board of Education Act]

SECTION 16-77.1-2



   § 16-77.1-2  Operating costs. –

(a) Operating costs of a charter public school shall be the total of the per

pupil payments for each student attending the charter public school. The per

pupil payment for each student shall be determined based on the per pupil cost

for the district of residence of each student. The state's share of the per

pupil amount for each student attending the charter public school shall be paid

by the state directly to the charter public school and shall be the percent, or

share ratio, previously calculated under chapter 7 of this title; provided,

that in no case shall the ratio be less than thirty percent (30%), minus the

five percent (5%) of per pupil cost designated for indirect cost support to the

student's school district as defined in subsection (b). The five percent (5%)

indirect cost amount shall be deducted from the district per pupil cost before

the state share is derived by applying the share ratio to the district per

pupil cost. The local share of the per pupil amount for each student attending

the charter public school shall be paid to the charter public school by the

district of residence of the student and shall be the per pupil cost for the

district of residence of the student minus the state share of that per pupil

cost as designated in this section.



   (b) In addition to all state aid to education paid to a local

district pursuant to chapter 7.1 of this title, the state will pay an

additional amount to the district for each student from this district who is

attending a charter public school. The additional amount of state aid per pupil

shall be five percent (5%) of the districts per pupil cost. The additional

state aid shall be for the purpose of assisting local school districts to

undertake the indirect costs borne by a district when its student attends a

charter public school.



   (c) The state department of elementary and secondary

education shall annually determine both the state and local share of each

charter public school's operating costs by deriving the respective shares

associated with each student reported as a member of the charter public school

as of June 30 of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or the

enrollment as of October 1 of the current school year in the first year of

operation of a charter school). All other data used in this determination shall

be based upon the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11).



   (d) The state shall make payments of its share of operating

costs to each charter public school on a quarterly basis in July, October,

January, and April. The July and October payments will be based upon the

reported student membership of the charter public school as of June 30 of the

reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or the enrollment as of

October 1 of the current school year in the first year of operation of a

charter school). Charter public schools will report current student enrollment,

including district of residence for school purposes of each student enrolled,

and each district will report current total district operating expenses and

total district enrollments (including district students enrolled in charter

public schools) annually by October 1. If the October 1 data on a charter

public school's student enrollment show a ten percent (10%) or greater increase

or decrease in students from the June membership count, the third and fourth

quarter payments to the charter public school will be adjusted to reflect

actual student enrollment in the charter public school.



   (e) Local district payments to charter public schools for

each district's students enrolled in the charter public school shall also be

made quarterly as designated in subsection (d); the first local district

payment shall be made by August 15 instead of July. Any local school district

more than thirty (30) days in arrears on a quarterly payment for its student(s)

enrolled in a charter public school shall have the amount of the arrearage

deducted from state aid to that district and the withheld arrearage shall be

paid by the state directly to the charter public school.



   (f) Local school districts with student(s) enrolled in a

charter public school shall continue to report these students in the total

census of district public school students and will receive state aid for all

these students pursuant to the provisions of chapter 7.1 of this title.



   (g) All entitlements except those provided for in §

16-24-6.2 shall be ratably reduced if less than one hundred percent (100%) of

the expenditures is appropriated.



   (h) For fiscal year 2007, the indirect aid paid to districts

pursuant to this section shall equal the amount received in the fiscal year

2006 enacted budget by the 2005 general assembly.



History of Section.

(P.L. 1999, ch. 366, § 2; P.L. 2005, ch. 117, art. 13, §§ 3, 5;

P.L. 2006, ch. 246, art. 19, § 8.)