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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill amends provisions related to funding for public schools and educators and
11 provisions related to enrollment in district and charter schools.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 ▸ defines terms;
15 ▸ permits the State Board of Education (state board) to use a different date or dates for
16 counting average daily membership when calculating the growth factor for the
17 2020-2021 school year;
18 ▸ amends the distribution of small district base funding for necessarily existent small
19 schools;
20 ▸ creates a salary supplement for teachers who hold a certification from the National
21 Board for Professional Teaching Standards;
22 ▸ appropriates money to the state board to allocate to local education agencies to pay for
23 software licenses for English language learner student instruction;
24 ▸ allows a charter school to give enrollment preference for the 2021-2022 school year to
25 a student who withdrew from the charter school to attend an online school or home
26 school in the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 emergency; and
27 ▸ allows the state board to use federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency
28 funds and nonlapsing Minimum School Program funds for charter school local replacement
29 funding in the 2020-2021 school year.
30 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
31 This bill appropriates:
32 ▸ to the State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic School
33 Programs:
34 • from the Education Fund, $246,300; and
35 ▸ to the State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic School
36 Programs:
37 • from the Education Fund, One-time, $3,000,000.
38 Other Special Clauses:
39 This bill provides a special effective date.
40 Utah Code Sections Affected:
41 AMENDS:
42 53F-2-302, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186
43 53F-2-304, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 14
44 53F-2-312, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186
45 53G-6-502, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapters 151 and 293
46 53G-6-504, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 408
47 ENACTS:
48 53F-2-523, Utah Code Annotated 1953
49
50 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
51 Section 1. Section 53F-2-302 is amended to read:
52 53F-2-302. Determination of weighted pupil units.
53 The number of weighted pupil units in the Minimum School Program for each year is the
54 total of the units for each school district and, subject to Subsection (4), charter school, determined
55 as follows:
56 (1) The number of units is computed by adding the average daily membership of all pupils
57 of the school district or charter school attending schools, other than kindergarten and
58 self-contained classes for children with a disability.
59 (2) The number of units is computed by adding the average daily membership of all pupils
60 of the school district or charter school enrolled in kindergarten and multiplying the total by .55.
61 (a) In those school districts or charter schools that do not hold kindergarten for a full
62 nine-month term, the local school board or charter school governing board may approve a shorter
63 term of nine weeks' duration.
64 (b) Upon LEA governing board approval, the number of pupils in average daily
65 membership at the short-term kindergarten shall be counted for the purpose of determining the
66 number of units allowed in the same ratio as the number of days the short-term kindergarten is
67 held, not exceeding nine weeks, compared to the total number of days schools are held in that
68 school district or charter school in the regular school year.
69 (3) (a) The state board shall use prior year plus growth to determine average daily
70 membership in distributing money under the Minimum School Program where the distribution is
71 based on kindergarten through grade 12 ADMs or weighted pupil units.
72 (b) Under prior year plus growth, kindergarten through grade 12 average daily
73 membership for the current year is based on the actual kindergarten through grade 12 average
74 daily membership for the previous year plus an estimated percentage growth factor.
75 (c) The growth factor is the percentage increase in total average daily membership on the
76 first school day of October in the current year as compared to the total average daily membership
77 on the first school day of October of the previous year.
78 (4) In distributing funds to charter schools under this section, charter school pupils shall be
79 weighted, where applicable, as follows:
80 (a) .55 for kindergarten pupils;
81 (b) .9 for pupils in grades 1 through 6;
82 (c) .99 for pupils in grades 7 through 8; and
83 (d) 1.2 for pupils in grades 9 through 12.
84 (5) Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(c):
85 (a) for the 2020-2021 school year the state board may use a count of average daily
86 membership on any day or days of the current school year in 2020 to calculate a growth factor for
87 the 2020-2021 school year; and
88 (b) when calculating the growth factor as described in Subsection (5)(a), the state board
89 shall comply with all applicable federal requirements.
90 Section 2. Section 53F-2-304 is amended to read:
91 53F-2-304. Necessarily existent small schools -- Computing additional weighted
92 pupil units -- Consolidation of small schools.
93 (1) As used in this section, "necessarily existent small schools funding balance" means the
94 difference between:
95 (a) the amount appropriated for the necessarily existent small schools program in a fiscal
96 year; and
97 (b) the amount distributed to school districts for the necessarily existent small schools
98 program in the same fiscal year.
99 (2) (a) Upon application by a local school board, the state board shall, in consultation with
100 the local school board, classify schools in the school district as necessarily existent small schools,
101 in accordance with this section and state board rules adopted under Subsection (3).
102 (b) An application must be submitted to the state board before April 2, and the state
103 board must report a decision to a local school board before June 2.
104 (3) The state board shall adopt standards and make rules, in accordance with Title 63G,
105 Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to:
106 (a) govern the approval of necessarily existent small schools consistent with principles of
107 efficiency and economy that serve the purpose of eliminating schools where consolidation is
108 feasible by participation in special school units; and
109 (b) ensure that school districts are not building secondary schools in close proximity to
110 one another where economy and efficiency would be better served by one school meeting the
111 needs of secondary students in a designated geographical area.
112 (4) The state board shall prepare and publish objective standards and guidelines for
113 determining which small schools are necessarily existent after consultation with local school
114 boards.
115 (5) (a) Additional weighted pupil units for schools classified as necessarily existent small
116 schools shall be computed using distribution formulas adopted by the state board.
117 (b) The distribution formulas establish the following maximum sizes for funding under the
118 necessarily existent small school program:
119 (i) an elementary school 160
120 (ii) a one or two-year secondary school 300
121 (iii) a three-year secondary school 450
122 (iv) a four-year secondary school 500
123 (v) a six-year secondary school 600
124 (c) An elementary school with fewer than 10 students shall receive the same add-on
125 weighted pupil units as an elementary school with 10 students.
126 (d) A secondary school with fewer than 15 students shall receive the same add-on
127 weighted pupil units as a secondary school with 15 students.
128 (e) If a necessarily existent small school generates ADM in both elementary and
129 secondary grades, the state board may divide the school's ADM between an elementary and
130 secondary distribution formula.
131 (f) The state board shall prepare and distribute an allocation table based on the
132 distribution formula to each school district.
133 (6) (a) To avoid penalizing a school district financially for consolidating the school
134 district's small schools, additional weighted pupil units may be allowed a school district each year,
135 not to exceed two years.
136 (b) The additional weighted pupil units may not exceed the difference between what the
137 school district receives for a consolidated school and what the school district would have received
138 for the small schools had the small schools not been consolidated.
139 (7) (a) The state board may allocate up to 208 weighted pupil units to support schools
140 that:
141 (i) have isolating conditions, as defined by the state board, including geographic isolation;
142 and
143 (ii) do not qualify for necessarily existent small schools funding due to formula limitations.
144 (b) The state board shall review funding allocations under this Subsection (7) at least
145 once every five calendar years.
146 (8) If the state board classifies a school as a necessarily existent small school in
147 accordance with this section, the state board shall, subject to legislative appropriation, distribute
148 small district base funding to the relevant school district in the following amounts:
149 (a) for a district with [
150 [
151 [
152 [
153 (9) Subject to legislative appropriation, the state board shall give first priority from an
154 appropriation made under this section to funding an expense approved by the state board as
155 described in Subsection 53G-6-305(3)(a).
156 (10) (a) Subject to Subsection (10)(b) and after a distribution made under Subsection (9),
157 the state board may distribute a portion of necessarily existent small schools funding:
158 (i) in accordance with a formula adopted by the state board that considers the tax effort
159 of a local school board; or
160 (ii) to isolated small schools, as identified by the state board.
161 (b) The amount distributed in accordance with Subsection (10)(a) may not exceed the
162 necessarily existent small schools fund in balance of the prior fiscal year.
163 (11) A local school board may use the money allocated under this section for
164 maintenance and operation of school programs or for other school purposes as approved by the
165 state board.
166 Section 3. Section 53F-2-312 is amended to read:
167 53F-2-312. Appropriation for class size reduction.
168 (1) Money appropriated to the state board for class size reduction shall be used to reduce
169 the average class size in kindergarten through grade 8 in the state's public schools.
170 (2) A school district or charter school shall receive an allocation for class size reduction
171 based on the school district or charter school's prior year average daily membership plus growth in
172 kindergarten through grade 8 as determined under [
173 to the total prior year average daily membership plus growth in kindergarten through grade 8
174 statewide.
175 (3) (a) An LEA governing board may use an allocation to reduce class size in any one or
176 all of the grades referred to under this section, except as otherwise provided in Subsection (3)(b).
177 (b) (i) An LEA governing board shall use 50% of an allocation to reduce class size in any
178 one or all of grades kindergarten through grade 2, with an emphasis on improving student reading
179 skills.
180 (ii) If a school district's or charter school's average class size is below 18 students in
181 kindergarten through grade 2, an LEA governing board may petition the state board for, and the
182 state board may grant, a waiver of the requirement described in Subsection (3)(b)(i).
183 (4) A school may use nontraditional innovative and creative methods to reduce class sizes
184 with this appropriation and may use part of an allocation to focus on class size reduction for
185 specific groups, such as at risk students, or for specific blocks of time during the school day.
186 (5) (a) An LEA governing board may use up to 20% of an allocation under this section
187 for capital facilities projects if such projects would help to reduce class size.
188 (b) If a school district's or charter school's student population increases by at least 5% or
189 at least 700 students from the previous school year, the LEA governing board may use up to 50%
190 of an allocation received by the school district or charter school under this section for classroom
191 construction.
192 (6) This appropriation is to supplement any other appropriation made for class size
193 reduction.
194 (7) The Legislature shall provide for an annual adjustment in the appropriation authorized
195 under this section in proportion to the increase in the number of students in the state in
196 kindergarten through grade 8.
197 Section 4. Section 53F-2-523 is enacted to read:
198 53F-2-523. Salary supplement for National Board-certified teachers.
199 (1) As used in this section:
200 (a) "National Board certification" means the same as that term is defined in Section
201 53E-6-102.
202 (b) "National Board-certified teacher" or "board-certified teacher" means a teacher who:
203 (i) holds a National Board certification; and
204 (ii) has an assignment to teach in an LEA.
205 (c) "Salary supplement" means a salary supplement for a board-certified or Title I school
206 board-certified teacher described in this section.
207 (d) "Title I school" means a school that receives funds under Title I of the Elementary
208 and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.
209 (e) "Title I school board-certified teacher" means a board-certified teacher who is
210 assigned to teach at a Title I school.
211 (2) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall:
212 (i) annually appropriate money to maintain annual salary supplements provided in previous
213 years; and
214 (ii) provide salary supplements to new recipients.
215 (b) Money appropriated for salary supplements shall include money for the following
216 employer-paid benefits:
217 (i) retirement;
218 (ii) workers' compensation;
219 (iii) Social Security; and
220 (iv) Medicare.
221 (3) (a) The annual salary supplement for a board-certified teacher is $1,000.
222 (b) The annual salary supplement for a Title I school board-certified teacher is $2,000.
223 (c) A board-certified teacher who qualifies for a salary supplement under Subsections
224 (3)(a) and (b) may only receive the salary supplement that is greater in value.
225 (d) The employer paid benefits described in Subsection (2)(b) are in addition to an amount
226 described in this Subsection (3).
227 (4) The state board shall:
228 (a) create an online application system for a teacher to apply to receive a salary
229 supplement;
230 (b) establish a deadline by which a teacher is required to apply in order to receive a
231 salary supplement;
232 (c) determine whether a teacher who applies for a salary supplement is a board-certified
233 teacher or a Title I school board-certified teacher;
234 (d) verify, as needed, a determination made under Subsection (4)(c) with LEA or school
235 administrators; and
236 (e) certify a list of board-certified teachers and Title I school board-certified teachers.
237 (5) To receive a salary supplement, a board-certified teacher or a Title I school
238 board-certified teacher shall apply to the state board before the deadline described in Subsection
239 (4)(b).
240 (6) The state board shall establish and administer an appeal process for a teacher who
241 applies for but does not receive a salary supplement that allows the teacher to appeal eligibility by
242 providing evidence to the state board:
243 (a) of the teacher's National Board certification; or
244 (b) (i) of the teacher's National Board certification; and
245 (ii) that the teacher is assigned to teach in a Title I school.
246 (7) The state board shall:
247 (a) distribute money appropriated for salary supplements to LEAs in accordance with the
248 provisions of this section; and
249 (b) include the cost of employer-paid benefits described in Subsection (2)(b) in the
250 amount distributed to an LEA for each salary supplement.
251 (8) (a) An LEA shall use money received under this section to provide a salary
252 supplement to each board-certified teacher and Title I school board-certified teacher in an amount
253 equal to the amount described in Subsection (3).
254 (b) A salary supplement is part of a teacher's base pay, subject to the teacher's
255 qualification as a board-certified teacher or Title I school board-certified teacher every year,
256 semester, or trimester.
257 (9) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if an annual appropriation for salary
258 supplements is not sufficient to cover the costs associated with salary supplements, the state
259 board shall distribute the funds on a pro rata basis.
260 Section 5. Section 53G-6-502 is amended to read:
261 53G-6-502. Eligible students.
262 (1) As used in this section:
263 (a) "At capacity" means operating above the school's open enrollment threshold.
264 (b) "COVID-19 emergency" means the spread of COVID-19 that the World Health
265 Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
266 [
267 53G-6-401.
268 [
269 the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.
270 [
271 53G-6-401.
272 (2) All resident students of the state qualify for admission to a charter school, subject to
273 the limitations set forth in this section and Section 53G-6-503.
274 (3) (a) A charter school shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application,
275 unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or the
276 charter school.
277 (b) If the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or
278 the charter school, the charter school shall select students on a random basis, except as provided
279 in Subsections (4) through (8).
280 (4) A charter school may give an enrollment preference to:
281 (a) a child or grandchild of an individual who has actively participated in the development
282 of the charter school;
283 (b) a child or grandchild of a member of the charter school governing board;
284 (c) a sibling of an individual who was previously or is presently enrolled in the charter
285 school;
286 (d) a child of an employee of the charter school;
287 (e) a student articulating between charter schools offering similar programs that are
288 governed by the same charter school governing board;
289 (f) a student articulating from one charter school to another pursuant to an articulation
290 agreement between the charter schools that is approved by the State Charter School Board;
291 (g) a student who resides within up to a two-mile radius of the charter school and whose
292 school of residence is at capacity; [
293 (h) a child of a military servicemember as defined in Section 53B-8-102[
294 (i) for the 2021-2022 school year, a student who withdraws from the charter school to
295 attend an online school or home school for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19
296 emergency.
297 (5) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (5)(b), and notwithstanding Subsection (4)(g), a
298 charter school that is approved by the state board after May 13, 2014, and is located in a high
299 growth area as defined in Section 53G-6-504 shall give an enrollment preference to a student who
300 resides within a two-mile radius of the charter school.
301 (b) The requirement to give an enrollment preference under Subsection (5)(a) does not
302 apply to a charter school that was approved without a high priority status pursuant to Subsection
303 53G-6-504(7)(b).
304 (6) If a district school converts to charter status, the charter school shall give an
305 enrollment preference to students who would have otherwise attended it as a district school.
306 (7) (a) A charter school whose mission is to enhance learning opportunities for refugees
307 or children of refugee families may give an enrollment preference to refugees or children of
308 refugee families.
309 (b) A charter school whose mission is to enhance learning opportunities for English
310 language learners may give an enrollment preference to English language learners.
311 (8) A charter school may weight the charter school's lottery to give a slightly better
312 chance of admission to educationally disadvantaged students, including:
313 (a) low-income students;
314 (b) students with disabilities;
315 (c) English language learners;
316 (d) migrant students;
317 (e) neglected or delinquent students; and
318 (f) homeless students.
319 (9) A charter school may not discriminate in the charter school's admission policies or
320 practices on the same basis as other public schools may not discriminate in admission policies and
321 practices.
322 Section 6. Section 53G-6-504 is amended to read:
323 53G-6-504. Approval of increase in charter school enrollment capacity --
324 Expansion.
325 (1) For the purposes of this section:
326 (a) "High growth area" means an area of the state where school enrollment is
327 significantly increasing or projected to significantly increase.
328 (b) "Next school year" means the school year that begins on or after the July 1
329 immediately following the end of a general session of the Legislature.
330 (2) The state board may approve an increase in charter school enrollment capacity
331 subject to the Legislature:
332 (a) appropriating funds for an increase in charter school enrollment capacity in the next
333 school year; or
334 (b) authorizing an increase in charter school enrollment capacity in the school year
335 immediately following the next school year.
336 (3) In appropriating funds for, or authorizing, an increase in charter school enrollment
337 capacity, the Legislature shall provide a separate appropriation or authorization of enrollment
338 capacity for a charter school proposed and approved in response to a request for applications
339 issued under Section 53G-5-301.
340 (4) (a) A charter school may annually submit a request to the state board for an increase
341 in enrollment capacity in the amount of .25 times the number of students in grades 9 through 12
342 enrolled in an online course in the previous school year through the Statewide Online Education
343 Program.
344 (b) A charter school shall submit a request for an increase in enrollment capacity
345 pursuant to Subsection (4)(a) on or before October 1 of the school year for which the increase in
346 enrollment capacity is requested.
347 (c) The state board shall approve a request for an increase in enrollment capacity made
348 under Subsection (4)(a) subject to the availability of sufficient funds appropriated under Title 53F,
349 Chapter 2, Part 7, Charter School Funding, to provide the full amount of the per student allocation
350 for each charter school student in the state to supplement school district property tax revenues.
351 (d) An increase in enrollment capacity approved under Subsection (4)(c) shall be a
352 permanent increase in the charter school's enrollment capacity.
353 (e) For the 2021-2022 school year, the previous school year described in Subsection
354 (4)(a) is the 2019-2020 school year.
355 (5) (a) On or before January 1, 2017, the state board shall, in accordance with Title 63G,
356 Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, and after considering suggestions from charter
357 school authorizers, make rules establishing requirements, procedures, and deadlines for an
358 expansion of a charter school.
359 (b) The rules described in Subsection (5)(a) shall include rules related to:
360 (i) an expansion of a charter school when another charter school issues a notice of
361 closure; and
362 (ii) the establishment of a satellite campus.
363 (6) (a) If the Legislature does not appropriate funds for an increase in charter school
364 enrollment capacity that is tentatively approved by the state board, the state board shall prioritize
365 the tentatively approved schools and expansions based on approved funds.
366 (b) A charter school or expansion that is tentatively approved, but not funded, shall be
367 considered to be tentatively approved for the next application year and receive priority status for
368 available funding.
369 (7) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(b) or (7)(b), in approving an increase in
370 charter school enrollment capacity for new charter schools and expanding charter schools, the
371 state board shall give:
372 (i) high priority to approving a new charter school or a charter school expansion in a high
373 growth area; and
374 (ii) low priority to approving a new charter school or a charter school expansion in an
375 area where student enrollment is stable or declining.
376 (b) An applicant seeking to establish a charter school in a high growth area may elect to
377 not receive high priority status as provided in Subsection (7)(a)(i).
378 (8) For fiscal year 2021, in addition to an appropriation described in Subsection
379 53F-2-704(2)(a), for the guarantee described in Section 53F-2-704, the state board may use up to
380 $8,000,000 from the following sources in priority order:
381 (a) funds from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
382 described in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. 116-136; and
383 (b) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Subsection 53F-2-205(3)(b), nonlapsing
384 Minimum School Program funds.
385 Section 7. Appropriation.
386 The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020,
387 and ending June 30, 2021. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year
388 2021. Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
389 Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for the
390 use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
391 ITEM 1
392 To State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic School
393 Programs
394 From Education Fund
$246,300
395 Schedule of Programs:
396 National Board-Certified Teacher Program $246,300
397 ITEM 2
398 To State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic School
399 Programs
400 From Education Fund, One-time
$3,000,000
401 Schedule of Programs:
402 English Language Learner Software Support $3,000,000
403 The Legislature intends that:
404 (1) the State Board of Education allocate the appropriation under this section to a local
405 education agency in proportion to the local education agency's share of statewide English
406 language learner students; and
407 (2) a local education agency select a vendor and use an allocation of money allocated
408 under Subsection (1) to pay for software licenses for software used for English language learner
409 student instruction.
410 Section 8. Effective date.
411 If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
412 upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
413 Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the
414 date of veto override.