§ 16-77.1-2 - Operating costs. - Rhode Island Statutes

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 perpupil payments for each student attending the charter public school. The perpupil payment for each student shall be determined based on the per pupil costfor the district of residence of each student. The state's share of the perpupil amount for each student attending the charter public school shall be paidby the state directly to the charter public school and shall be the percent, orshare ratio, previously calculated under chapter 7 of this title; provided,that in no case shall the ratio be less than thirty percent (30%), minus thefive percent (5%) of per pupil cost designated for indirect cost support to thestudent's school district as defined in subsection (b). The five percent (5%)indirect cost amount shall be deducted from the district per pupil cost beforethe state share is derived by applying the share ratio to the district perpupil cost. The local share of the per pupil amount for each student attendingthe charter public school shall be paid to the charter public school by thedistrict of residence of the student and shall be the per pupil cost for thedistrict of residence of the student minus the state share of that per pupilcost as designated in this section.

   (b) In addition to all state aid to education paid to a localdistrict pursuant to chapter 7.1 of this title, the state will pay anadditional amount to the district for each student from this district who isattending a charter public school. The additional amount of state aid per pupilshall be five percent (5%) of the districts per pupil cost. The additionalstate aid shall be for the purpose of assisting local school districts toundertake the indirect costs borne by a district when its student attends acharter public school.

   (c) The state department of elementary and secondaryeducation shall annually determine both the state and local share of eachcharter public school's operating costs by deriving the respective sharesassociated with each student reported as a member of the charter public schoolas of June 30 of the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or theenrollment as of October 1 of the current school year in the first year ofoperation of a charter school). All other data used in this determination shallbe based upon the reference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11).

   (d) The state shall make payments of its share of operatingcosts to each charter public school on a quarterly basis in July, October,January, and April. The July and October payments will be based upon thereported student membership of the charter public school as of June 30 of thereference year as defined in § 16-7-16(11) (or the enrollment as ofOctober 1 of the current school year in the first year of operation of acharter 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 andtotal district enrollments (including district students enrolled in charterpublic schools) annually by October 1. If the October 1 data on a charterpublic school's student enrollment show a ten percent (10%) or greater increaseor decrease in students from the June membership count, the third and fourthquarter payments to the charter public school will be adjusted to reflectactual student enrollment in the charter public school.

   (e) Local district payments to charter public schools foreach district's students enrolled in the charter public school shall also bemade quarterly as designated in subsection (d); the first local districtpayment shall be made by August 15 instead of July. Any local school districtmore 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 arrearagededucted from state aid to that district and the withheld arrearage shall bepaid by the state directly to the charter public school.

   (f) Local school districts with student(s) enrolled in acharter public school shall continue to report these students in the totalcensus of district public school students and will receive state aid for allthese 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%) ofthe expenditures is appropriated.

   (h) For fiscal year 2007, the indirect aid paid to districtspursuant to this section shall equal the amount received in the fiscal year2006 enacted budget by the 2005 general assembly.