9. a. The support limit for the 1997-98 school year shall be $61.44. For each school year thereafter the commissioner shall determine the support limit by multiplying the support limit for the previous school year times the sum of 1.0 plus the average annual percentage increase in the consumer price index for the New York and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.

b. On or before November 5 of each year, each board of education shall forward to the commissioner an estimate of the cost of providing, during the next school year, the services required pursuant to this act and the number of pupils attending nonpublic schools located within the district as of the last school day of October of the current school year, excluding those pupils who have refused nursing services pursuant to section 8 of this act. The commissioner shall provide State aid to each school district in an amount equal to the number of nonpublic school pupils within the district identified by the district on or before November 5 multiplied by the State support limit. In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district is less than the amount of State aid received, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.

c. If in any year, the amount of State aid appropriated is insufficient to carry out in full the provisions of this act, the commissioner shall apportion that appropriation among the districts in proportion to the State aid each district would have received had the full amount of State aid been appropriated. In any year, no district shall be required to make expenditures for the purposes of this act in excess of the amount of State aid received for these purposes.

L.1991,c.226,s.9; amended 1996, c.138, s.69.