Senate Bill 521 Summary

• Authorizes eligible counties to use Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grants for school building repairs and renovations in addition to new construction.

• Changes the matching requirement for tier two counties from 1:1 to 2:1 (two dollars of grant funds for every one dollar provided by the county).

• Extends maximum lease agreement terms from 25 years to 40 years for school facility leases, provided the county retains property ownership and the landlord covers all repairs and maintenance.

• Allows tier three counties with populations not exceeding 400,000 to access grant funds up to $10,000,000 with a 1:1 matching requirement for lease agreements.

• Permits counties that received a $10,000,000 tier two grant in 2020 and were subsequently reclassified as tier one to receive a new tier one award if they have not used the previous grant funds.