Amendment #1147 to H4000

Student Opportunity Act Funding

Ms. Fluker Oakley of Boston moves to amend the bill in section 2 by striking out item 7061-0011 and inserting in place thereof the following item:

"7061-0011 For one-time grants to public schools and districts in the commonwealth which have experienced pandemic-related disruptions in their enrollment that negatively affect their chapter 70 aid for fiscal year 2022, or which have significantly increased their transportation needs in fiscal year 2022; provided, that in awarding grants, the department shall give priority to districts which can demonstrate a significant reduction in student enrollment on October 1, 2020, followed by a significant increase in enrollment on October 1, 2021, and which can further demonstrate that said enrollment volatility has materially and significantly impacted their chapter 70 aid distribution, and/or increased their required transportation costs for fiscal year 2022; provided further, that, in order to use accurate and updated enrollment figures, the department shall award all grants from this item based on, and subsequent to, the receipt of enrollment data from school districts on October 1, 2021; provided further, that the department shall issue a report on enrollment trends based on data from said October 1 reporting, which indicates, in the aggregate and by district, whether and by how much student enrollment has returned to pre-pandemic levels in each public school and district; provided further, that said report shall also contain a proposed methodology and formula, if appropriate, for the distribution of said funds; provided further, that said report shall be issued not later than November 1, 2021, and shall be provided to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, and the chairs of the house and senate ways and means committees; provided further, that, in developing said methodology, the department shall consider: (a) the relative size of any enrollment loss reported on October 1, 2020, and its effects on the district’s chapter 70 distribution, if any, (b) the district’s enrollment history over a 10 year period, and whether the enrollment loss of October 1, 2020 was part of a sustained long term pattern of enrollment loss, or a sudden and anomalous loss likely to have been caused by the pandemic and associated shutdowns, (c) how much federal funding the district has received, and whether it might be used to mitigate any revenue losses caused by enrollment volatility, (d) the significance of transportation costs in the district’s overall budget, and the relative disruption to said budget caused by any significant increases in expected transportation spending due to enrollment growth in fiscal year 2022, and (e) whether the municipality is receiving any aid above their target share as a result of having a municipal contribution below their target share; provided further, that, in order to provide the general court with sufficient time to review the report, and the proposed methodology, no grants from this item shall be made until 1 month from the date of the department’s report or December 1, 2021, whichever is later; provided further, that every district with year-on-year enrollment growth on October 1, 2021 shall receive a grant from this item; provided further, that, notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, assistance funded by this item shall only be available on a one-time non-recurring basis; provided further, that no funds distributed from this item to a municipality or regional school district shall be considered base aid in fiscal year 2023; and provided further, that any funds distributed from this item to a city, town or regional school district shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city, town or regional school district and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the school committee of such city, town or regional school district without further appropriation, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary………………………………………..………………...…….$120,000,000”.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #1147 to H4000

Student Opportunity Act Funding