EDUCATION

By:

Judith S. Lohman, Chief Analyst

2007-R-0574

October 9, 2007

NOTICE TO READERS

ACCOUNTABILITY

Schools and Districts In Need of Improvement

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires schools and districts that require corrective action under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to be subjected to intensified supervision and direction by the State Board of Education (SBE). It specifies the actions the SBE must take pursuant to this new authority. A school district or elementary school that fails to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for two successive years must be evaluated by the education commissioner. Under certain conditions, the commissioner may require the school or district to institute certain educational programs and may ask the legislature to allow another entity to control the district. The act also proposes a school improvement model school boards can adopt. (Effective July 1, 2007)

School Readiness Programs

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires the Early Childhood Education Cabinet to begin, by July 1, 2008, the statewide longitudinal evaluation of the school readiness program that it is required to conduct. It specifically requires the study to examine the educational progress of children from pre-kindergarten to grade three. It extends from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2008, the date by which the commissioner must adopt assessment measures school readiness programs must use when conducting annual evaluations. And it requires the cabinet to develop and implement an accountability plan for early childhood education services annually beginning by December 1, 2008. State-funded early childhood education providers must use the program measures developed under the accountability plan to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of their services.

Finally, it requires the cabinet to (1) develop minimum standards and a range of higher quality standards for all state-funded early care and education programs and (2) in consultation with the Office of Workforce Competitiveness, develop a quality workforce development plan for school readiness. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Kindergarten Assessment

PA 07-3, June Special Session moves up, from October 1, 2009 to October 1, 2007, the date by which the education commissioner must, within available appropriations, develop and implement a state-wide developmentally appropriate kindergarten assessment tool. It specifies that the tool must not be used as a measurement tool for school readiness program accountability. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Early Reading Success Program

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires SDE to develop efficacy measures for early reading intervention programs used by Early Reading Success grant recipients and make a list of effective programs available to grant recipients. It must provide the measures and the list to the governor and the legislature by January 1, 2008. Beginning with FY 08, SDE must annually use the measures to determine the efficacy of the programs used by each grant recipient. If SDE determines that a grant recipient is using an ineffective program, it must require the recipient to use a program from the SDE list. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Magnet School Financial Audits

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires RESC-operated interdistrict magnet schools to file a financial audit with the education commissioner annually in the form he prescribes.

The act also requires the commissioner to randomly select one RESC-operated interdistrict magnet school every year for a comprehensive financial audit conducted by an auditor selected by the commissioner. The RESC must pay for the audit. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Pilot Program For Combining Charter And Regular School Achievement Data

PA 07-3, June Special Session establishes a six-year pilot program for determining district-wide AYP for purposes of the federal NCLB and the state school accountability laws for Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. The program must combine student achievement data from schools under the jurisdiction of each city's board of education with that of charter schools located in the same city. The act allows SDE to use combined data only if (1) a board of education and a charter school mutually agree to include the charter school's data and (2) the education commissioner approves the agreement. (Effective July 1, 2007)

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

School Construction Bond Maturity

PA 07-87 allows municipalities and regional school districts to issue bonds for school construction projects with a maximum term of 30 rather than 20 years. The 30-year bonds are allowed only for projects for which the General Assembly authorized grant commitments on or after July 1, 1996, thus barring municipalities and regional school districts from refinancing earlier projects for a longer term. The act also increases regional school districts' flexibility in issuing bonds to refinance outstanding debt (“refunding bonds”). (Effective, July 1, 2007)

Security Assessments and Assistance for Schools

PA 07-208 requires any school district applying for a state school construction grant for a new school or a major alteration, extension, renovation, or replacement of a school that involves a school entrance, to include in the project plans security infrastructure for the entrances. The new requirement covers school construction applications for projects to be included on priority lists for 2009 and thereafter.

The act also establishes a competitive grant for FY 08 to improve security infrastructure in schools, install security systems in schools' primary entryways, purchase portable security devices, and train school personnel to use the devices and the infrastructure. To receive a grant, a district must show that it (1) has conducted a uniform security assessment of its school entrances and any security infrastructure; (2) has an emergency plan at its schools developed with applicable state and local first-responders; and (3) periodically practices the plan. The security assessment must be carried out under the supervision of the district's local law enforcement agency and use the Safe Schools Facilities Check List published by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. (The security infrastructure plan requirement takes effect July 1, 2007. The security infrastructure grant takes effective on passage. )

School Construction

PA 07-249 authorizes $ 378 million in state grant commitments for school construction projects, including increased grants for reauthorized projects that have changed in cost or scope by at least 10%. It also:

1. requires school renovation projects to meet additional criteria in order to receive a state grant,

2. limits the circumstances under which the state will reimburse school districts for project-related litigation expenses,

3. limits reimbursements for site remediation and improvement costs,

4. gives the education commissioner additional flexibility to approve vocational-technical school projects,

5. requires charter schools that receive state school construction grants of at least $ 250,000 to repay the unamortized part of the grant if they change the building to a nonschool use within 10 years of receiving the grant, and

6. subjects architectural and construction management services for school construction projects to competitive bidding.

It establishes special school construction grants for the Connecticut Science Center and up to two New London school projects, allowing them to receive the interdistrict magnet school reimbursement rate of 95% of eligible project costs, up to certain limits. Finally, the act waives various statutory and regulatory requirements for state-assisted school construction projects to make specific projects eligible for state grants. (Most provisions are effective July 1, 2007. The Connecticut Science Center, New London, and other project waivers are effective on passage. )

“Green” School Requirements

PA 07-242, as amended by PA 07-249, applies “green building” requirements to projects authorized by the legislature on or after January 1, 2009 for (1) new school construction costing $ 5 million or more and (2) school renovations costing $ 2 million or more. It also requires such projects to exceed the current building code energy efficiency standards by at least 20%. (Effective October 1, 2007)

Energy Efficiency Grants for Municipal Buildings and Schools

PA 07-242 requires Connecticut Innovations, Inc. (CII) to establish a grant program to allow municipalities to purchase and operate renewable energy and energy-efficient generation resources for municipal buildings and schools. CII must give priority to grant applications for high schools and disaster relief centers. Grants must make the cost of buying and operating the efficient or renewable generation source competitive with the municipality's current electricity expenses. (Effective on passage)

Pesticide Use on School Grounds

PA 07-168 (1) extends a ban on applying lawn care pesticides at preschools and elementary schools to schools with students through grade eight, but allows a school superintendent and other appropriate authorities to authorize emergency applications of lawn care pesticides in health emergencies at such schools; (2) extends, for one year, an exemption to the ban for pesticides applied according to certain integrated pest management plans; and (3) makes the Department of Environmental Protection responsible for administering and enforcing school pesticide applications. (Effective October 1, 2007)

EARLY CHILDHOOD/SCHOOL READINESS

Increase in School Readiness Per-Child Limit

PA 07-5, June Special Session extends the $ 6,925 limit on the per-child cost of the SDE's school readiness program component through December 2007. For January 2008 and each subsequent month, it requires SDE to increase the limit to a level it determines can be funded with 50% of the estimated unspent FY 08 appropriation for school readiness spaces as of June 30, 2008, but not more than $ 8,266 per child. SDE must estimate the projected lapse on January 1, 2008. (Effective on passage)

Leadership in Action Program Funding

For FYs 08 and 09, PA 07-5, June Special Session allows up to $ 100,000 per year from appropriations for the Early Childhood Education Cabinet to be used to support the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Leadership in Action Program, which trains people from diverse fields and backgrounds to focus on achieving a specific result, such reducing the number of low birth-weight babies or increasing the number of children ready for kindergarten. (Effective on passage)

Use of Unallocated School Readiness Funds

PA 07-3, June Special Session, as amended by PA 07-5, June Special Session, expands the education commissioner's permitted uses for school readiness funds that a town has not earmarked for expenditure by October 1. In addition to using them for supplemental grants to other eligible towns, he can also use them to generally support local school readiness programs. He can use the funds specifically for (1) assisting local school readiness programs in meeting and maintaining accreditation requirements, (2) providing training in implementing the preschool curriculum frameworks and developing a state-wide preschool curriculum, (3) developing assessments for first and second grade students, (4) developing and implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool and kindergarten student learning and for children to transition from preschool to kindergarten. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

Facilities

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority and SDE to develop a plan to increase capacity in school readiness programs. The plan must include recommendations on facility needs, professional development, and grant formula changes. (Effective July 1, 2007).

Model Programs

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires the education commissioner to establish two model early childhood learning programs associated with higher education institutions in place of the two similar pilot programs prior law required. Each one may include a laboratory school and a model day care program for 60 children ages three to five. The act requires SDE to issue requests for proposals for the programs and provide grants of $ 100,000 each from Early Reading Success Program funds. (Effective July 1, 2007).

Head Start Program Funds

PA 07-3, June Special Session eliminates a provision requiring at least 75% of the Head Start competitive grant funding to be allocated to Head Start programs established before July 1, 1992. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Reach Out and Read

PA 07-3, June Special Session, requires SDE to establish and administer a program to match federal and private funds to provide grants to pediatric care providers to promote early childhood literacy in health care settings. But PA 07-5, June Special Session repeals the grant. (Grant is effective July 1, 2007. Repeal is effective on passage. )

State-Funded Child Day Care Centers

The Department of Social Services (DSS) uses a unit cost reimbursement system for paying state-funded child care centers. Beginning January 1, 2008, PA 07-2, June Special Session requires any increase in payments to centers must be based on a requirement that they meet the statutory staffing requirements for school readiness programs. The school readiness law defines “staff qualifications” in a way that requires school readiness classrooms to include at least one staff person with certain credentials, such as a college degree or coursework, and imposes stricter requirements in the future (e. g. , bachelor vs. associate degree). (Effective July 1, 2007)

Day Care Services in Public School Buildings

PA 07-252 allows day care centers and group day care homes that provide services exclusively to school-age children in a public school building to ask the Department of Public Health (DPH) for a variance from its regulations governing physical plant requirements. Before DPH can approve a variance, it requires the center or home to (1) document that it will satisfactorily meet the regulation's specific intent by other means and (2) enter a written agreement with DPH specifying the variance, its duration, and the terms under which it is granted. The day care operator must post the variance near its license and, when a child enrolls and annually thereafter, notify the child's parents or guardian of the variance. (Effective on passage)

GRANTS AND FUNDING

Education Cost Sharing Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session changes several key factors in the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, which distributes state education aid to towns. It increases the ECS foundation amount, which is the per-student spending that ECS aid helps towns achieve, from $ 5,891 to $ 9,687 per-student through FY 12. It increases the state's contribution to the overall cost of education by increasing the state guaranteed wealth level from 55% to 75% above the wealth of the median town. It increases minimum aid for wealthier towns from 6% to 9% of the foundation and to 13% for wealthier towns with a high proportion of low-income students.

The act also increases student need weightings for poverty and limited-English and updates the data used for the poverty weighting. In FY 09, it reduces the number of resident students by 25% of the number of a town's full-time students who attend interdistrict magnet schools receiving state magnet operating grants.

It eliminates (1) supplemental aid to towns based on poverty concentrations and higher-than-average population densities and (2) a factor that provided additional aid for low-achieving students.

The act phases in the increased state aid, specifying that towns receive 17. 31% in FY 08 and 23. 3% in FY 09 of the difference between what they were eligible to receive in FY 07 and their fully funded grant. It requires that each town receive at least a 4. 4% increase for FY 08 and FY 09. PA 07-5, June Special Session requires SDE to adjust the 17. 31% percentage for all towns to accommodate the cost of the minimum 4. 4% increase within the budgeted ECS appropriation for FY 08. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

Minimum Budget Requirement

PA 07-3, June Special Session establishes a new education minimum budget requirement (MBR) for towns. Instead of requiring them to spend 100% of increased ECS grants on education, as the law previously did, the act allows towns to spend part of the aid increase for other things. It requires towns to spend between 15% and 65% of the ECS increases on education, with the exact MBR percentage determined by each town's relative current education spending, wealth, and student achievement. Low-performing school districts, as determined by three or more years of failure to make AYP, must increase their MBRs by an additional 20 percentage points. PA 07-5, June Special Session eliminates a separate calculation for “current program expenditures per resident student” for towns that are members of K-12 regional school districts, thus making all three MBR factors town-based. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

FY 08 ECS Increase Deferral Option

PA 07-3, June Special Session allowed towns, by September 15, 2007, to ask the education commissioner to defer part of their ECS aid increases for FY 08. If the commissioner approves, deferred amounts must be added to the town's FY 09 grant. PA 07-5, June Special Session overrides provisions of any state law, local charter, special act or home-rule ordinance to allow towns to ask for the deferrals and repeals a similar but broader section of PA 07-3, June Special Session. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

Limits on Certain Categorical Education Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session limits various state education grants to school districts and regional educational service centers (RESCs) through FY 09 at the levels appropriated in PA 07-1, June Special Session (the budget). It requires that, if the appropriated amounts are not sufficient to fully fund the grants, amounts be proportionately reduced. Limits apply to grants for (1) health services to private school students, (2) public and private school transportation, (3) adult education, (4) bilingual education, and (6) RESC lease and operating costs. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Priority School District Grants

For FYs 08 and 09, PA 07-3, June Special Session directs the distribution of the priority school district (PSD) grant appropriation among state grant programs for priority school districts, school readiness, Early Reading Success, extended school building hours, and school accountability. For each fiscal year starting with FY 08, it requires each town in a priority school district to receive a PSD grant of at least $ 150 per student. It also requires the SBE to add $ 650,000 per year starting in FY 08 to the PSD grant for the town with the sixth highest population in the state. The population counts must be based on the most recent decennial census. (Norwalk is the town with the sixth highest population in Connecticut based on the 2000 Census. ) (Effective July 1, 2007)

Supplemental Priority School District Grants

PA 07-5, June Special Session extends an FY 07 allocation of $ 2,610,798 in additional PSD grants to the three largest school districts (Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven) for two years, through FY 09. It also reduces the total funding for a supplemental PSD grant to all priority districts from $ 6 million to $ 4,750,900 per fiscal year. In both cases, the money is addition to all other PSD grants each district receives. (Effective on passage)

Open Choice Program Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session increases grants to districts accepting students from other districts as part of the state interdistrict's school attendance program (Open Choice) from $ 2,000 to $ 2,500 for each out-of-district student. When total program enrollment is below the number for which the state appropriates funds, it increases, from $ 350,000 to $ 500,000, the maximum pool of those excess funds available for distribution to receiving districts that enroll 10 or more out-of-district students in the same school. Finally, it act increases the maximum statewide average grant to RESCs and local and regional school districts that provide transportation for Open Choice from $ 2,100 to $ 3,250 per student. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Open Choice Grants For Students In The Sheff Region

PA 07-5, June Special Session allows the education commissioner, within available appropriations, to provide grants for preschool, kindergarten, and academic support programs for students participating in the Open Choice interdistrict attendance program in the 22-town “Sheff Region. ” The commissioner must approve the programs receiving the grants. (Effective on passage)

Charter School Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session increases the charter school per-student grant from $ 8,000 to $ 8,650 for FY 08 and $ 9,300 for FY 09. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Magnet School Operating Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session, as amended by PA 07-5, June Special Session establishes per-pupil grants for magnet schools for FYs 08 through FY 11. For each out-of district student attending a host magnet school the maximum grant is $ 6,016 for FY 08, $ 6,730 for FY 09, $ 7440, for FY 10, and $ 8,158 for FY 11. For each host district resident attending a host magnet, the grant is $ 3,000. These amounts also apply for students attending RESC magnets where 55% or more of the students come from one town. The act increases the per-student grant for RESC-operated magnets that enroll less than 55% of students from a single district from $ 6,500 to $ 7,060 for FY 08, $ 7,620 for FY 09, $ 8,180 for FY 10, and $ 8,741 for FY 11. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

Vo Ag Center Per-Student Grant and Tuition Limit

PA 07-3, June Special Session increases the state's per-student grant to districts operating vocational agriculture (vo ag) centers from $ 700 to $ 1,355 for each secondary school student enrolled in a center on the preceding October 1. It also increases the maximum allowable vo ag center tuition charge from $ 7,069 to $ 7,992 per student (82. 5% of $ 9,687). (Effective July 1, 2007)

After-School Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session expands the type of programs eligible for state after-school grants, specifies that grants may be used for entities that provide after-school program support, and requires eligible programs to have parent involvement as one of its program components. It requires grantees to report to SDE on its expenditures and performance outcomes, including measurements showing impact on student achievement and school attendance and behavior. It requires SDE to provide technical assistance, evaluation, program monitoring, professional development, and accreditation support to grantees. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Youth Service Bureau Grants

PA 07-3, June Special Session increases the number of youth service bureaus (YSBs) eligible for SDE grants. It also establishes a YSB enhancement grant and requires SDE to award additional annual grants of from $ 3,300 to $ 10,000 according to the population of the town or group of towns a YSB serves. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Hartford Interdistrict All-Day Kindergarten Grants

PA 07-5, June Special Session extends indefinitely the education commissioner's authority to provide grants for Hartford students to participate in an all-day kindergarten program under the Open Choice interdistrict school attendance program. The grants can be used to pay for before- and after-school care and remedial services for the kindergarten students in the program as well as for subsidies to receiving districts. (Effective on passage)

Early Reading Success Competitive Grants

PA 07-5, June Special Session increases the annual appropriation for early reading success competitive grants from the FY 07 level of $ 1,788,001 to $ 1,850,000 and extends the grant through FY 09. It continues to limit the maximum amount SDE may use for administering the grants to $ 353,646 per year. (Effective on passage)

Bridges College-Readiness Grant Program

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to contract, by March 1, 2008, with the Connecticut State University (CSU) system board of trustees to develop a college-readiness grant program to (1) address core subject-matter deficiencies among college-bound high school students and (2) improve these students' performance on Connecticut mastery and college placement examinations. The CSU trustees must (1) develop a plan for implementing a college-readiness program in the CSU system, in consultation with SDE and DHE and (2) submit it to SDE and DHE. (Effective July 1, 2007)

WACE Technical Training Center

For FYs 07 and 08, PA 07-1, June Special Session exempts WACE Technical Training Center in Waterbury from adult education grant requirements and allows it to spend up to $ 300,000 of its grant for technical training. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Amer-i-can Program Funding

PA 07-5, June Special Session transfers a $ 250,000 appropriation in the budget act for each of FYs 08 and 09 for the Amer-i-can Program from the Department of Correction to SDE. (Effective on passage)

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Administering Medication in School Readiness and Before- And After-School Programs

PA 07-241 allows directors of school readiness programs and certain before- or after-school programs to give medicine to a child who is enrolled in the program. The before- and after-school programs covered are those that are (1) administered by a public school system or municipal agency or department and (2) located in a public school. The medicine must be administered according to SBE regulations. The act immunizes those who administer medicine according to the act from civil liability to the child or his parent or guardian for negligent acts or omissions in giving medicine. The immunity does not extend to acts or omissions that constitute gross, willful, or wanton negligence. (Effective on passage).

Expanded School-Based Health Centers

PA 07-185 as amended by PA 07-2, June Special Session, requires DPH, within available funding, to expand school-based health clinic services in FY 08 for (1) priority school districts and (2) areas designated by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration as health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, or areas with a medically underserved population. It requires any school-based health clinic constructed on or after October 1, 2007 that is located in, or attached to, a school building, to have an entrance separate from the school. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Health Assessments for Adolescents

PA 07-58 requires public school students to have health assessments in either grade nine or 10, instead of grade 10 or 11. (Effective July 1, 2008)

Administration Of Medication In Schools Based On Optometrists' Written Orders

PA 07-252 allows school nurses and others authorized to administer medications to students to administer them pursuant to an optometrist's written order. (Effective July 1, 2007)

“A Better Chance” Housing

PA 07-252 exempts from Department of Children and Families licensing requirements houses in which students participating in “A Better Chance” programs live. These programs bring academically talented minority students from other states to live and attend school in Connecticut. (Effective July 1, 2007)

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Governing Councils

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires (1) the local school board chairperson, another designated board member or the local school superintendent, to be a member of a charter school's governing board; (2) requires governing councils to include revenue received from both public and private sources in their annual reports to the education commissioner; and (3) councils to post their meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes, including those of any subcommittees, on any web site it operates. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Random Audits

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires the education commissioner to randomly select a state charter school every year for a comprehensive financial audit by an auditor the commissioner selects. The charter school is responsible for all costs of the audit unless SDE decides to use unspent charter school grant funds for this purpose. (Effective July 1, 2007).

Funding Priority

PA 07-3, June Special Session sets funding priorities when more than one new state charter school is approved and awaiting funding in any one fiscal year. In these situations, it requires SBE to determine which school to fund first based on the following factors in order of importance: (1) if the applicant has demonstrated a record of academic success by its students, (2) if the school is located in a district with a demonstrated need for student improvement, and (3) if the applicant has plans for the preparation of facilities, staffing, and student outreach. (Effective July 1, 2007).

Use of Excess Charter School Funds

PA 07-5, June Special Session expands the permitted uses of any excess charter school funds to include paying expenses incurred (1) in the creation of a CommPACT school or (2) by SDE to ensure continuity of a charter school, when a competent court requires it. SDE must consult with the OPM secretary in allocating the funds for either of these purposes. (Effective on passage)

SCHOOL BUSES

Operator Qualifications

PA 07-224 as amended by PA 07-5, June Special Session, imposes additional background check requirements on applicants for licenses and endorsements to drive school buses and school transportation vehicles (STVs), including a check of the state child abuse and neglect registry. It requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) commissioner to deny a license or suspend an endorsement for transporting students for anyone convicted of a serious criminal offense, if the person has not completed his or her sentence or completed it within the past five years.

The act (1) requires, rather than allows, the DMV commissioner to periodically provide reports to public transportation providers, including school districts, listing anyone whose commercial driver's license or passenger endorsement the commissioner has suspended, withdrawn, or revoked and (2) requires each carrier to check these reports at least twice a month and, within 10 days after each check, prohibit from driving any of its school bus or STV drivers who are not properly licensed.

The act extends required random drug testing to those employed to drive STVs that carry 10 or fewer students and bars carriers from continuing to employ as a driver any school bus or STV driver who tests positive for drugs. The act increases penalties on (1) carriers who fail to implement required drug testing for school bus and STV drivers and applicants and (2) school transportation contractors who allow anyone not properly licensed to drive a school bus carrying school children. It imposes fines on carriers who fail to carry out the required checks of drivers' licensure status or fail to remove an operator who is not properly licensed. The act also bars the DMV commissioner from issuing temporary licenses with school bus or STV endorsements. (Effective July 1, 2007. Amendment effective on passage)

School Buses

PA 07-224 requires each school bus company to paint its name and phone number and the bus number conspicuously in black lettering on the rear and sides of each of its school buses. It requires the DMV commissioner to determine the size of the lettering. (Effective October 1, 2007).

School Bus Emissions

PA 07-4, June Special Session requires towns and school boards to retrofit certain full-size school buses with emissions-reducing equipment by September 1, 2010, as long as the work can be done within the grant amounts the act establishes. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must provide the grants from available appropriations. It makes the retrofitting and registration requirements contingent on whether the state can develop contracts setting price levels for the purchase, installation and warranty of the equipment for less than the act's grant amounts. However, the DEP commissioner must reimburse towns and school boards that retrofit their buses voluntarily, even if the state contracts do not cover all their costs. DEP also must develop an outreach plan to educate municipalities, school boards, and bus companies about the emission and procurement contract requirements and help them retrofit their buses. (Effective July 1, 2007)

SCHOOL CHOICE

Vo Ag Centers

PA 07-3, June Special Session requires a school district that does not maintain a vo ag center to allow its students to enroll in another district's center in numbers that are at least equal to (1) the number specified in any written agreement it has with a vo ag center or (2) if there is no written agreement, the average number of its students enrolled in the center during the three previous school years. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Interdistrict Magnet School Enrollment

PA 07-3, June Special Session allows interdistrict magnet schools that have unused student capacity after accommodating students from participating districts in accordance with their enrollment agreement, to enroll any interested student directly into its program. A student from a nonparticipating district must be given preference. The board of education otherwise responsible for educating the student must pay the per-student tuition, if any, charged to participating districts. For FY 09, the act requires this tuition to equal 75% of the difference between the average per pupil expenditure of the magnet school for the prior fiscal year and the magnet school per-pupil grant. If the board of education fails to pay the tuition, the commissioner can withhold ECS funds from the school, up to the amount of the unpaid tuition, and transfer it to the fiscal agent for the magnet school as a supplementary operating grant. (Effective July 1, 2007)

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

“CommPACT Schools”

PA 07-3, June Special Session allows a board of education, through agreement with its teachers' and administrators' bargaining units, to create a CommPACT school. The board must give such a school autonomy in governance, budgeting, and curriculum. The school must be managed collaboratively by the district superintendent and a governing board comprised of school and bargaining unit representatives, community leaders, and parents and guardians of CommPACT school students. It requires DHE to contract, by March 1, 2008, with UConn's Neag School of Education to administer a field-based support program for up to 12 CommPACT schools. For FY 09, it transfers $ 500,000 of the funds appropriated to SDE for CommPACT schools to DHE for these purposes. (Effective July 1, 2007)

Vo Ag Center Tuition Limit

PA 07-3, June Special Session increases the maximum allowable vo ag center tuition charge from $ 7,069 to $ 7,992 per student (82. 5% of the new ECS foundation amount of $ 9,687). (Effective July 1, 2007).

Vo Tech School Transportation Expenditure Limit

PA 07-5, June Special Session changes the vocational-technical school transportation cost ceiling for school districts from the ECS foundation amount to $ 6,000 per student. PA 07-3, June Special Session, increased the ECS foundation amount from $ 5,891 to $ 9,687 per student. (Effective on passage)

Notice Regarding Surveys Accompanying College Admission Tests

PA 07-241 authorizes school boards to require their high schools that host college preparation or admissions forums that parents and guardians may attend to inform them that responding to some surveys accompanying the admission exams is optional. It also requires the information to include a warning that releasing personal identifying information can increase a student's risk of identity theft. (Effective July 1, 2007).

School District Reporting Of Student Insurance Rates

PA 07-2, June Special Session, as amended by PA 07-4, June Special Session, requires local or regional school boards to require all students in their jurisdiction to report whether they have health insurance. The DSS commissioner, or his designee, must provide information to the boards on state-sponsored health insurance programs for children, including application assistance. The boards must provide this information, and application assistance, to each uninsured student'