CHAPTER 318

SB 420-FN-A-LOCAL - FINAL VERSION

 

21Apr2022... 1384h

4May2022... 1761h

4May2022... 1925h

05/26/2022   2038CofC

05/26/2022   2119EBA

 

2022 SESSION

22-3110

10/04

 

SENATE BILL 420-FN-A-LOCAL

 

AN ACT establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. Hennessey, Dist 1; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Morse, Dist 22; Rep. Shaw, Hills. 16

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 

This bill establishes an extraordinary need grant for schools in addition to regular adequate education grants and relief grants.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21Apr2022... 1384h

4May2022... 1761h

4May2022... 1925h

05/26/2022   2038CofC

05/26/2022   2119EBA 22-3110

10/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

 

AN ACT establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools.

 

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

 

318:1  New Section; Extraordinary Need Grants for Schools.  Amend RSA 198 by inserting after section 40-e the following new section:

198:40-f Extraordinary Need Grants.

I. In addition to aid for the cost of the opportunity for an adequate education provided under RSA 198:40-a, each year the commissioner shall calculate an extraordinary need grant for schools and provide that amount of aid to a municipality's school districts as follows:

(a)  A municipality with an equalized valuation per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-priced meal of $1,000,000 or less shall receive $650 per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal in the municipality's ADMR.

(b)  A municipality with an equalized valuation per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal between $1,000,001 and $5,999,999 shall receive a grant equal to $0.00013 for each dollar of difference between its equalized valuation per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal and $6,000,000, per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal in the municipality's ADMR.

(c)  A municipality with an equalized valuation per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal of $6,000,000 or more shall not receive an extraordinary need grant.

II.  In order to receive an extraordinary need grant, the eligible school district shall provide a plan to the department of education outlining how the district intends to use grant award funds to improve the educational achievement and growth of students.  The extraordinary need grant plan shall include an accountability component designed to generate data that measures student academic achievement and growth of knowledge and skills in reading and language arts and/or mathematics at what grade levels funds will be used.  The school district shall develop and administer its own grant accountability assessment that identifies a pupil’s range of learning and yields objective data to use in improving instruction and learning, or use the statewide assessment.  The school district shall submit to the department an annual grant accountability progress report that includes evidence of satisfactory program implementation and progress toward grant accountability improvement targets.  The primary goal of this grant is to improve student achievement and growth and to help the school district to have funding for successful, best practice student learning approaches.

III.  Extraordinary need grants shall be distributed pursuant to RSA 198:42.

IV.  In this section, "equalized valuation per pupil eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal" means a municipality's equalized valuation, excluding properties subject to taxation under RSA 82 and equalized payments in lieu of taxes, as determined by the department of revenue administration, that was the basis for the local tax assessment in the determination year, divided by the school district's kindergarten through grade 12 ADMR in the determination year eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal.

318:2  New Subparagraph; Determination of Final Adequate Education Grants.  Amend RSA 198:41, I by inserting after subparagraph (d) the following new subparagraph:

(e)  Add the municipality's extraordinary need grant pursuant to RSA 198:40-f.

318:3  Education Aid; Fiscal Year 2023.  Amend 2021, 91:52 to read as follows:

91:52  Conditional Differential Aid Calculation For Pupils Eligible for a Free or Reduced Price Meal; Fiscal Year 2023.

I.  If, as of any of the dates set forth in RSA 198:41, V, VI, or VII, either (a) the state of New Hampshire is in a declared state of emergency pursuant to RSA 4:45 as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic or (b) the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not rescinded the Child Nutrition Covid-19 Waivers enacted in response to the pandemic, or both, then the department of education shall, in consultation with the governor, determine whether the alternative differential aid calculation set forth in paragraph II is required for fiscal year 2023 when making the required estimate or final determination described in RSA 198:41, V, VI, or VII as applicable.

II.  Upon making a determination that the alternative differential aid calculation applies pursuant to paragraph I, the department of education shall divide each pupil in the ADMA who is eligible for a free or reduced price meal by the average daily member in [attendance (ADMA)] residence (ADMR), defined in RSA 198:38, for each district and town for school year 2019-2020.  The percentage shall be applied to the [ADMA] ADMR for school year 2021-2022 to establish a new calculation of [ADMA] ADMR for who is eligible for a free or reduced price meal.  The greater of the [ADMA] ADMR of pupils who are eligible for a free or reduced price meal for school year 2021-2022 and the new calculation based on the 2019-2020 school year percentage shall be used to calculate the differential aid under RSA 198:40-a, II(b) [and], relief aid under RSA 198:40-e, and extraordinary need grants under RSA 198:40-f.

318:4  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.

 

Approved: July 01, 2022

Effective Date: July 01, 2022