Sec. 10-264l. Grants for the operation of interdistrict magnet school programs. Transportation. Special education. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 10-264l. Grants for the operation of interdistrict magnet school programs. Transportation. Special education. (a) The Department of Education shall, within available appropriations, establish a grant program (1) to assist (A) local and regional boards of education, (B) regional educational service centers, (C) the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of Quinebaug Valley Community College, and (D) cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 10-158a, and (2) in assisting the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the Commissioner of Education, to assist (A) the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of a regional community-technical college, (B) the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System on behalf of a state university, (C) the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut on behalf of the university, (D) the board of governors for an independent college or university, as defined in section 10a-37, or the equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent college or university, and (E) any other third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the commissioner with the operation of interdistrict magnet school programs. All interdistrict magnet schools shall be operated in conformance with the same laws and regulations applicable to public schools. For the purposes of this section "an interdistrict magnet school program" means a program which (i) supports racial, ethnic and economic diversity, (ii) offers a special and high quality curriculum, and (iii) requires students who are enrolled to attend at least half-time. An interdistrict magnet school program does not include a regional agricultural science and technology school, a regional vocational-technical school or a regional special education center. On and after July 1, 2000, the governing authority for each interdistrict magnet school program that is in operation prior to July 1, 2005, shall restrict the number of students that may enroll in the program from a participating district to eighty per cent of the total enrollment of the program. The governing authority for each interdistrict magnet school program that begins operations on or after July 1, 2005, shall restrict the number of students that may enroll in the program from a participating district to seventy-five per cent of the total enrollment of the program, and maintain such a school enrollment that at least twenty-five per cent but not more than seventy-five per cent of the students enrolled are pupils of racial minorities, as defined in section 10-226a.

      (b) Applications for interdistrict magnet school program operating grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be submitted annually to the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. In determining whether an application shall be approved and funds awarded pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall consider, but such consideration shall not be limited to: (1) Whether the program offered by the school is likely to increase student achievement; (2) whether the program is likely to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation; (3) the percentage of the student enrollment in the program from each participating district; and (4) the proposed operating budget and the sources of funding for the interdistrict magnet school. In the case of an interdistrict magnet school that will assist the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the commissioner, the commissioner shall also consider whether the school is meeting the desegregation standards set forth in said stipulation and order. If such school has not met the desegregation standards by the second year of operation, it shall not be entitled to receive a grant pursuant to this section unless the commissioner finds that it is appropriate to award a grant for an additional year or years for purposes of compliance with said stipulation and order. If requested by the commissioner, the applicant shall meet with the commissioner or the commissioner's designee to discuss the budget and sources of funding. Except as provided in this section, the commissioner shall not award a grant to a program that is in operation prior to July 1, 2005, if more than eighty per cent of its total enrollment is from one school district, except that the commissioner may award a grant for good cause, for any one year, on behalf of an otherwise eligible magnet school program, if more than eighty per cent of the total enrollment is from one district. The commissioner shall not award a grant to a program that begins operations on or after July 1, 2005, if more than seventy-five per cent of its total enrollment is from one school district or if less than twenty-five or more than seventy-five per cent of the students enrolled are pupils of racial minorities, as defined in section 10-226a, except that the commissioner may award a grant for good cause, for one year, on behalf of an otherwise eligible interdistrict magnet school program, if more than seventy-five per cent of the total enrollment is from one district or less than twenty-five or more than seventy-five per cent of the students enrolled are pupils of racial minorities. The commissioner may not award grants pursuant to such an exception for a second consecutive year except as provided for in the 2008 stipulation for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the commissioner.

      (c) (1) The maximum amount each interdistrict magnet school program, except those described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subdivision (3) of this subsection, shall be eligible to receive per enrolled student who is not a resident of the town operating the magnet school shall be (A) six thousand sixteen dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, (B) six thousand seven hundred thirty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, (C) seven thousand four hundred forty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, and (D) eight thousand one hundred fifty-eight dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. The per pupil grant for each enrolled student who is a resident of the town operating the magnet school program shall be three thousand dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and each fiscal year thereafter.

      (2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, and each fiscal year thereafter, the commissioner may, within available appropriations, provide supplemental grants for the purposes of enhancing educational programs in such interdistrict magnet schools, as the commissioner determines. Such grants shall be made after the commissioner has reviewed and approved the total operating budget for such schools, including all revenue and expenditure estimates.

      (3) (A) Each interdistrict magnet school operated by a regional educational service center that enrolls less than fifty-five per cent of the school's students from a single town, or a regional educational service center that enrolls less than sixty per cent of its students from Hartford pursuant to the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., shall receive a per pupil grant in the amount of (i) six thousand two hundred fifty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, (ii) six thousand five hundred dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, (iii) seven thousand sixty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, (iv) seven thousand six hundred twenty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, (v) eight thousand one hundred eighty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, and (vi) eight thousand seven hundred forty-one dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011.

      (B) Each interdistrict magnet school operated by a regional educational service center that enrolls at least fifty-five per cent of the school's students from a single town, or a regional educational service center that enrolls at least sixty per cent of its students from Hartford pursuant to the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., shall receive a per pupil grant for each enrolled student who is not a resident of the district that enrolls at least fifty-five per cent of the school's students in the amount of (i) six thousand sixteen dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, (ii) six thousand seven hundred thirty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, (iii) seven thousand four hundred forty dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, and (iv) eight thousand one hundred fifty-eight dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. The per pupil grant for each enrolled student who is a resident of the district that enrolls at least fifty-five per cent of the school's students shall be three thousand dollars.

      (4) The amounts of the grants determined pursuant to this subsection shall be proportionately adjusted, if necessary, within available appropriations, and in no case shall any grant pursuant to this section exceed the reasonable operating budget of the interdistrict magnet school program, less revenues from other sources. Any interdistrict magnet school program operating less than full-time, but at least half-time, shall be eligible to receive a grant equal to sixty-five per cent of the grant amount determined pursuant to this subsection.

      (5) Within available appropriations, the commissioner may make grants to the following entities that operate an interdistrict magnet school that assists the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the commissioner and that provide academic support programs and summer school educational programs approved by the commissioner to students participating in such interdistrict magnet school program: (A) Regional educational service centers, (B) local and regional boards of education, (C) the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of a regional community-technical college, (D) the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System on behalf of a state university, (E) the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut on behalf of the university, (F) the board of governors for an independent college or university, as defined in section 10a-37, or the equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent college or university, (G) cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 10-158a, and (H) any other third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the commissioner.

      (6) Within available appropriations, the Commissioner of Education may make grants, in an amount not to exceed seventy-five thousand dollars, for start-up costs associated with the development of new interdistrict magnet school programs that assist the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as determined by the commissioner, to the following entities that develop such a program: (A) Regional educational service centers, (B) local and regional boards of education, (C) the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of a regional community-technical college, (D) the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System on behalf of a state university, (E) the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut on behalf of the university, (F) the board of governors for an independent college or university, as defined in section 10a-37, or the equivalent of such a board, on behalf of the independent college or university, (G) cooperative arrangements pursuant to section 10-158a, and (H) any other third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the commissioner.

      (d) Grants made pursuant to this section, except those made pursuant to subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of this section, shall be paid as follows: Fifty per cent by September first and the balance by January first of each fiscal year. The January first payment shall be adjusted to reflect actual interdistrict magnet school program enrollment as of the preceding October first, if the actual level of enrollment is lower than the projected enrollment stated in the approved grant application.

      (e) The Department of Education may retain up to one-half of one per cent of the amount appropriated for purposes of this section for program evaluation and administration.

      (f) Each local or regional school district in which an interdistrict magnet school is located shall provide the same kind of transportation to its children enrolled in such interdistrict magnet school as it provides to its children enrolled in other public schools in such local or regional school district. The parent or guardian of a child denied the transportation services required to be provided pursuant to this subsection may appeal such denial in the manner provided in sections 10-186 and 10-187.

      (g) On or before October fifteenth of each year, the Commissioner of Education shall determine if interdistrict magnet school enrollment is below the number of students for which funds were appropriated. If the commissioner determines that the enrollment is below such number, the additional funds shall not lapse but shall be used by the commissioner for grants for interdistrict cooperative programs pursuant to section 10-74d.

      (h) In the case of a student identified as requiring special education, the school district in which the student resides shall: (1) Hold the planning and placement team meeting for such student and shall invite representatives from the interdistrict magnet school to participate in such meeting; and (2) pay the interdistrict magnet school an amount equal to the difference between the reasonable cost of educating such student and the sum of the amount received by the interdistrict magnet school for such student pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and amounts received from other state, federal, local or private sources calculated on a per pupil basis. Such school district shall be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to section 10-76g. If a student requiring special education attends an interdistrict magnet school on a full-time basis, such interdistrict magnet school shall be responsible for ensuring that such student receives the services mandated by the student's individualized education program whether such services are provided by the interdistrict magnet school or by the school district in which the student resides.

      (i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the enrollment of nonpublic school students in an interdistrict magnet school program that operates less than full-time, provided (1) such students constitute no more than five per cent of the full-time equivalent enrollment in such magnet school program, and (2) such students are not counted for purposes of determining the amount of grants pursuant to this section and section 10-264i.

      (j) (1) After accommodating students from participating districts in accordance with an approved enrollment agreement, an interdistrict magnet school operator that has unused student capacity may enroll directly into its program any interested student. A student from a district that is not participating in an interdistrict magnet school or the interdistrict student attendance program pursuant to section 10-266aa to an extent determined by the Commissioner of Education shall be given preference. The local or regional board of education otherwise responsible for educating such student shall contribute funds to support the operation of the interdistrict magnet school in an amount equal to the per student tuition, if any, charged to participating districts.

      (2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, any tuition charged to a local or regional board of education by a regional educational service center operating an interdistrict magnet school shall be in an amount equal to at least seventy-five per cent of the difference between (A) the average per pupil expenditure of the magnet school for the prior fiscal year, and (B) the amount of any per pupil state subsidy calculated under subsection (c) of this section plus any revenue from other sources calculated on a per pupil basis, provided no increase in tuition charged on a per pupil basis shall be more than ten per cent of that charged for the previous fiscal year. If any such board of education fails to pay such tuition, the commissioner may withhold from such board's town or towns a sum payable under section 10-262i in an amount not to exceed the amount of the unpaid tuition to the magnet school and pay such money to the fiscal agent for the magnet school as a supplementary grant for the operation of the interdistrict magnet school program.

      (3) A participating district shall provide opportunities for its students to attend an interdistrict magnet school in a number that is at least equal to the number specified in any written agreement with an interdistrict magnet school operator or in a number that is at least equal to the average number of students that the participating district enrolled in such magnet school during the previous three school years.

      (k) (1) Each interdistrict magnet school operated by a regional educational service center shall annually file with the Commissioner of Education a financial audit in such form as prescribed by the commissioner.

      (2) Annually, the commissioner shall randomly select one interdistrict magnet school operated by a regional educational service center to be subject to a comprehensive financial audit conducted by an auditor selected by the commissioner. The regional educational service center shall be responsible for all costs associated with the audit conducted pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision.

      (P.A. 95-226, S. 17, 30; P.A. 97-290, S. 16, 29; P.A. 98-168, S. 22, 26; 98-252, S. 23, 80; 98-259, S. 4, 17; P.A. 99-289, S. 9, 11; P.A. 00-48, S. 9, 12; P.A. 01-173, S. 65, 67; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 106; P.A. 03-76, S. 36; P.A. 04-213, S. 22; 04-257, S. 12; P.A. 05-2, S. 3; 05-245, S. 25, 36; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 77, 79; P.A. 06-135, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 40, 42; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 45; P.A. 08-152, S. 11; 08-153, S. 2; 08-170, S. 7, 17.)

      History: P.A. 95-226 effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision restricting the number of students that may enroll in the program from a participating district to 80% of the total enrollment of the program and to make a technical change, and amended Subsec. (b) to require consideration of the percentage of the student enrollment in the program from each participating district, to add the prohibition against awarding a grant to a program if more than 80% of the total enrollment is from one school district with a one-year exception for good cause, and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision for program to be established with funds appropriated for purposes of Sec. 10-74d and to substitute provision for program to be established within available appropriations, and added new Subsec. (e) re retention of up to 1% by the Department of Education, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-252 and 98-259 both made cooperative arrangements eligible for grants and P.A. 98-252 also made technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-289 amended Subsec. (a) to make the grants noncompetitive, amended Subsec. (c) to increase the percentage of the grant that programs operating less than full-time are eligible to receive from 50% to 65%, and added Subsec. (f) re transportation and Subsec. (g) re determination of level of enrollment, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-48 added Subsec. (h) re special education students, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 added Subsec. (i) re enrollment of nonpublic school students in programs operating less than full-time, effective July 1, 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 amended Subsec. (a) by changing requirements for enrollment percentages for schools beginning operations on or after July 1, 2005, added Subsec. (b)(4) re proposed operating budgets and by adding language re enrollment restrictions for programs beginning operations on or after July 1, 2005, and amended Subsec. (c) by redesignating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), making technical changes therein, and adding new Subdiv. (2) re supplemental grants, effective August 15, 2002; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(1), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 04-213 amended Subsec. (a) by allowing the Board of Trustees of the Community-Technical Colleges on behalf of Manchester Community College to be eligible for grants and by adding provision re operation in conformance with laws applicable to public schools, effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-2 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to apply provisions to fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, and to delete reference to fiscal years ending June 30, 2003, and June 30, 2004, effective March 22, 2005; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by making proportional reduction in grants applicable to fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, and each fiscal year thereafter, effective June 30, 2005, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding exception in Subdiv. (1) for programs described in Subdiv. (3)(A) and by adding Subdiv. (3) re programs described by enrollment percentages from a single town, deleted former Subsec. (e) re retention of funds for program evaluation and administration and redesignated existing Subsecs. (f) to (i) as Subsecs. (e) to (h), effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by including summer school programs and reinstated Subsec. (e) re amount retained for program evaluation and administration, reducing amount department may retain from 1% to one-half of 1%, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (h) as Subsecs. (f) to (i), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-135 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by deleting reference to summer school programs and added Subdiv. (4) re grants to regional educational service centers that provide summer school educational programs, effective July 1, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (c) to make technical changes, to provide in Subdiv. (1) that host magnet school program with participating district that enrolls more than 55% of its students in the magnet school shall receive a grant that is $6,016 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, $6,730 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, $7,440 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, and $8,158 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and for residents of the host town a per pupil grant of $3,000 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and thereafter, to provide in Subdiv. (3)(A) that magnet schools operated by regional educational service center that enroll less than 55% of its students from a single town shall receive a per pupil grant that is $7,060 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, $7,620 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, $8,180 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, and $8,741 for fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, to add new Subdiv. (3)(B) re per pupil grants for magnet schools operated by regional educational service center that enrolls at least 55% of its students from a single town, to redesignate existing Subdiv. (3)(B) as Subdiv.(3)(C) and add Subsecs. (j) and (k) re unused student capacity and re financial audits of interdistrict magnet schools operated by regional educational service centers, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 amended Subsec. (c) to remove restriction on formula for districts with enrollment greater than 55% in Subdiv. (1), to redesignate existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5) and to add new Subdiv. (4) re proportional adjustment of grants, effective October 6, 2007; P.A. 08-152 amended Subsec. (a) to change "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology", effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 08-153 deleted Subsec. (c)(3)(C) re case where regional educational service center enrolls at least 55% of students from a single town, effective June 12, 2008; P.A. 08-170 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. designators (1)(A), (B) and (C), to substitute Quinebaug Valley Community College for Manchester Community College, to add Subdiv. (2) re stipulation re Sheff v. O'Neill, to redesignate existing Subdivs. (1), (2) and (3) as clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), to change "vocational agriculture" to "agricultural science and technology" and to delete former Subpara. designators (A) and (B), amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to add provisions re stipulation re Sheff v. O'Neill, amended Subsec. (d) to add exception re Subsec. (c)(6) and amended Subsec. (j) to designate existing language as Subdivs. (1) and (2), to add language re interdistrict student attendance program to Subdiv. (1), to replace existing tuition formula for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, in Subdiv. (2) with tuition formula that limits tuition to amount that is at least 75% of difference between per pupil expenditure of prior fiscal year and state subsidy and other revenue and provides for 10% cap on any increase and to add Subdiv. (3) re provision of opportunities, effective July 1, 2008.