(a)  For each community the state’s share shall be computed as follows: Let

  R = state share ratio for the community.
  v = adjusted equalized weighted assessed valuation for the community, as defined in § 16-7-21(3).
  V = sum of the values of v for all communities.
  m = average daily membership of pupils in the community as defined in § 16-7-22.
  M = total average daily membership of pupils in the state.
  E = approved reimbursable expenditures for the community for the reference year minus the excess costs of special education, tuitions, federal and state receipts, and other income.

Then the state share entitlement for the community shall be RE where

R = 1 – 0.5vM/(Vm) through June 30, 2011, and R = 1 – 0.475 vM/(Vm) beginning on July 1, 2011 and thereafter.

Except that in no case shall R be less than zero percent (0%).

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 16-7-20

  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

(b)  Whenever any funds are appropriated for educational purposes, the funds shall be used for educational purposes only and all state funds appropriated for educational purposes must be used to supplement any and all money allocated by a city or town for educational purposes and in no event shall state funds be used to supplant, directly or indirectly, any money allocated by a city or town for educational purposes. The courts of this state shall enforce this section by writ of mandamus.

(c)  Notwithstanding the calculations in subsection (a), the hospital school at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital shall be reimbursed one hundred percent (100%) of all expenditures approved by the council on elementary and secondary education in accordance with currently existing rules and regulations for administering state aid, and subject to annual appropriations by the general assembly including, but not limited to, expenditures for educational personnel, supplies, and materials in the prior fiscal year.

(d)  In the event the computation of the state’s share for any local education agency as outlined in subsection (a) is determined to have been calculated incorrectly after the state budget for that fiscal year has been enacted, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall notify affected local education agencies, the senate president, and the speaker of the house within fifteen (15) days of the determination.

(e)  Realignment of aid payments to the affected local education agencies pursuant to subsection (d) shall occur in the following fiscal year:

(1)  If the determination shows aid is underpaid to the local education agency, any amounts owed shall be paid in equal monthly installments.

(2)  If the determination shows aid was overpaid, the department of elementary and secondary education shall recapture some amount of the aid from the overpaid local education agency. The amount to be withheld shall be equal to the amount of the overpayment prorated to the number of full months remaining in the fiscal year when the notification required in subsection (d) was made.

(f)  The above notwithstanding, in no event shall the total paid to a local education agency in the 2023 fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a) be reduced as a result of the implementation of subsection (e); provided, however, that for the 2022 fiscal year, the full amount of any payment due to an underpayment and realignment under subsection (e)(1) shall be made for fiscal year 2022.

(g)  Data used for the calculation of the FY 2022 state share ratio shall also be used for the calculation of the FY 2023 state share ratio.

History of Section.
P.L. 1960, ch. 27, § 6; P.L. 1964, ch. 242, art. 7, § 1; P.L. 1967, ch. 160, § 3; P.L. 1973, ch. 214, § 1; P.L. 1976, ch. 130, § 1; P.L. 1976, ch. 198, art. 6, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 234, §§ 1, 2; P.L. 1980, ch. 152, § 5; P.L. 1980, ch. 264, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 23, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 367, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 305, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 344, art. 7, § 2; P.L. 1983, ch. 134, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 167, art. 7, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 245, art. XII, § 2; P.L. 1986, ch. 198, § 9; P.L. 1987, ch. 270, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 84, § 74; P.L. 1988, ch. 336, § 10; P.L. 1989, ch. 126, art. 39, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 126, art. 53, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 487, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 44, art. 39, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 43, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 70, art. 15, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 70, art. 28, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 331, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 18, § 2; P.L. 1995, ch. 376, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 68, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 86, § 31; P.L. 2010, ch. 124, § 1; P.L. 2010, ch. 125, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 9, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 231, art. 10, § 1, effective June 27, 2022; P.L. 2023, ch. 79, art. 8, § 1, effective June 16, 2023.