Raised Bill No. 946 Summary

• Makes minimum education budget requirement provisions permanent for all fiscal years (replacing previous year-specific provisions) while maintaining existing exceptions and allowable reductions effective July 1, 2021.

• Excludes COVID-19 related supplemental appropriations and federal funds (from CARES Act and CRRSA) from education budget calculations for fiscal years ending June 30, 2020 through June 30, 2023.

• Excludes school security infrastructure competitive grant funds awarded during the prior fiscal year from education budget calculations for fiscal years ending June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

• Allows school districts to reduce budgeted education appropriations based on declining student enrollment (50% of net current expenditures per student), aid reductions, tuition payments for high school students, or documented operational savings approved by the Commissioner of Education.

• Prevents budget reductions for alliance districts, top 10% performing school districts by accountability index, member towns of newly formed regional school districts in their first year, and districts experiencing catastrophic insured losses.