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7 LONG TITLE
8 Committee Note:
9 The Education Interim Committee recommended this bill.
10 General Description:
11 This bill authorizes the State Board of Education to reimburse an eligible local
12 education agency for a student who graduates early.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This bill:
15 ▸ defines terms;
16 ▸ establishes the Reimbursement Program for Early Graduation From
17 Competency-Based Education; and
18 ▸ authorizes the State Board of Education to reimburse a local education agency that
19 offers a competency-based education for a student who graduates early from the
20 local education agency.
21 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
22 None
23 Other Special Clauses:
24 This bill provides a special effective date.
25 Utah Code Sections Affected:
26 ENACTS:
27 53A-17a-173, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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29 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
30 Section 1. Section 53A-17a-173 is enacted to read:
31 53A-17a-173. Reimbursement Program for Early Graduation From
32 Competency-Based Education.
33 (1) As used in this section:
34 (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
35 (b) "Cohort" means a group of students, defined by the year in which the group enters
36 grade 9.
37 (c) "Eligible LEA" means an LEA that has demonstrated to the board that the LEA or,
38 for a school district, a school within the LEA, provides and facilitates competency-based
39 education that:
40 (i) is based on the core principles described in Section 53A-15-1803; and
41 (ii) meets other criteria established by the board in rule.
42 (d) "Eligible student" means an individual who:
43 (i) attended an eligible LEA and graduated by completing graduation requirements, as
44 described in Section 53A-13-108, earlier than that individual's cohort completed graduation
45 requirements because of the individual's participation in the eligible LEA's competency-based
46 education;
47 (ii) no longer attends the eligible LEA; and
48 (iii) is not included in the LEA's average daily membership under this chapter.
49 (e) "Local education agency" or "LEA" means:
50 (i) a school district;
51 (ii) a charter school; or
52 (iii) the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
53 (f) "Partial pupil" means if an eligible student attends less than a full year of
54 membership, the number of days the student was in membership compared to a full
55 membership year.
56 (g) "Program" means the Reimbursement Program for Early Graduation From
57 Competency-Based Education established in this section.
58 (2) (a) There is established the Reimbursement Program for Early Graduation From
59 Competency-Based Education.
60 (b) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature may annually appropriate
61 money to the Reimbursement Program for Early Graduation From Competency-Based
62 Education.
63 (3) An LEA may apply to the board to receive a reimbursement, as described in
64 Subsection (5), for an eligible student.
65 (4) The board shall approve a reimbursement to an LEA after the LEA demonstrates:
66 (a) that the LEA is an eligible LEA; and
67 (b) that the individual for whom the eligible LEA requests reimbursement is an eligible
68 student.
69 (5) (a) For each eligible student, the board shall only reimburse an eligible LEA:
70 (i) if the eligible student attended the eligible LEA for less than a full school year
71 before the eligible student's cohort graduated, up to the value of one weighted pupil unit pro
72 rated based on the difference between:
73 (A) the number of days of partial pupil in average daily membership earned by the
74 eligible LEA while the eligible student was still in attendance; and
75 (B) a full pupil in average daily membership; and
76 (ii) the value of one weighted pupil unit for each full school year the eligible student
77 graduated ahead of the eligible student's cohort.
78 (b) The board shall:
79 (i) use data from the prior year average daily membership to determine the number of
80 eligible students; and
81 (ii) reimburse the eligible LEA in the current school year.
82 (6) The board shall in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative
83 Rulemaking Act, adopt rules to administer the provisions of this section.
84 Section 2. Effective date.
85 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2017.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel