HB 1192

AN ACT relative to the use of enrollment by residence data in the calculation of adequate education grants.

SPONSORS: Rep. Alger, Graf 9; Rep. Cox, Rock 24; Rep. Sova, Graf 11; Rep. Winter, Merr 2

This bill provides for the use of enrollment by residence statistics from the immediately preceding school year to make financial adjustments to the adequate education grant disbursements made to school districts in the following school year.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

AN ACT relative to the use of enrollment by residence data in the calculation of adequate education grants.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Purpose. The general court recognizes the importance of accurate and timely pupil enrollment data in the calculation and distribution of adequate education grants to the school districts of the state. The general court also finds that enrollment by residence data, which are collected on an annual basis, are more readily available than average daily membership in residence data and should be used to make annual adjustments to the adequate education grant amounts. Therefore, it is the intent of the general court, and the purpose of this act, to use enrollment by residence statistics from the immediately preceding school year to make financial adjustments to the adequate education grant disbursements made to school districts in the following school year.

2 New Paragraph; School Boards; Transportation, and Instruction of Pupils; Definitions. Amend RSA 189:1-d by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:

V. "Enrollment by residence" means the number of pupils enrolled in the public schools within a school district as of October 1, and the number of pupils whose tuition is being paid by the school district to a public or private school in another school district as of October 1.

3 New Paragraph; School Money State Aid for Educational Adequacy; Definitions. Amend RSA 198:38 by inserting after paragraph XII the following new paragraph:

XIII. "Enrollment by residence" means the enrollment by residence as defined in RSA 189:1-d, V, except that no preschool or kindergarten pupil shall count as more than ½ day attendance per calendar day.

4 State Aid for Educational Adequacy; Determination of Adequate Education Grants. Amend RSA 198:41, I (a) to read as follows:

(a) [~~Multiply~~] Beginning in the 2003-2004 school year, and every school year thereafter, multiply the average base cost per pupil of an elementary pupil by the [~~weighted average daily membership in residence~~] enrollment by residence for the municipality;

5 Applicability. The provisions of this act shall apply to adequate education grant calculations beginning in the 2003-2004 school year.

AN ACT relative to the use of enrollment by residence data in the calculation of adequate education grants.

The Department of Education indicates this bill will have an indeterminable fiscal impact on state expenditures and local revenue. There will be no fiscal impact on state and county revenue or county and local expenditures.

The Department states it is unable to determine the fiscal impact of this bill because it cannot, at this time, estimate the cost of an adequate education for fiscal years 2004 through 2006. The Department states average daily membership, expenditures by district, and the districts upon whose expenditures the base cost is computed are not yet available.