Revision: Jan. 27, 2009, midnight
HB 689-FN-A-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED
2009 SESSION
04/03
HOUSE BILL 689-FN-A-LOCAL
AN ACT directing aid to isolated small schools.
SPONSORS: Rep. Rous, Straf 7; Rep. Almy, Graf 11; Rep. Kurk, Hills 7; Rep. Major, Rock 8; Rep. Foose, Merr 1; Sen. Reynolds, Dist 2
This bill defines “isolated small school” for the purpose of determining eligibility for additional funding.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
09-0696
04/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine
AN ACT directing aid to isolated small schools.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Isolated Small Schools. Amend RSA 198 by inserting after section 40-d the following new section:
198:40-e Isolated Small Schools.
I. In addition to aid for the cost of the opportunity for an adequate education provided under RSA 198:40-a and in addition to fiscal capacity disparity aid provided under RSA 198:40-c, an isolated small school shall receive an additional $450 per pupil.
II. Beginning July 1, 2011 and every biennium thereafter, the department of education shall adjust the amount determined under paragraph I based on the average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, Northeast Region, using the "services less medical care services'' special aggregate index, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor. The average change shall be calculated using the 3 calendar years ending 18 months before the beginning of the biennium for which the calculation is to be performed.
III.(a) In this section, “isolated small school” means a school which is demographically limited and geographically isolated from other schools with children of comparable ages. An “isolated small school:”
(1) In the case of an elementary school comprised of kindergarten through grade 5, shall have an average daily membership in residence of 80 or fewer pupils on the first day of the school year and shall be located at least 10 miles from the nearest elementary school; or
(2) In the case of an elementary school comprised of kindergarten through grade 8, shall have an average daily membership in residence of 170 or fewer pupils on the first day of the school year and shall be located at least 10 miles from the nearest elementary school; or
(3) In the case of a middle or junior high school comprised of grades 6 through 8 or 9, shall have an average daily membership in residence of 90 or fewer pupils on the first day of the school year and shall be located at least 10 miles from the nearest middle or junior high school; or
(4) In the case of a high school comprised of grades 9 through 12, shall have an average daily membership in residence of 240 or fewer pupils on the first day of the school year and shall be located at least 20 miles from the nearest high school.
(b) A school may petition the commissioner of the department of education for a waiver of the distance requirement under subparagraphs III(a)(1)-(4) if the school does not comply with the distance requirement but is separated from the nearest comparable school by significant geographical barriers.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.
LBAO
09-0696
01/22/09
HB 689-FN-A-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT directing aid to isolated small schools.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Education states this bill will increase state general expenditures and local revenues by $369,450 in FY 2010 and FY 2011 and by $397,159 in FY 2012 and FY 2013. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures or state and county revenues.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Education states this bill defines “isolated, small schools” for the purpose of determining eligibility for additional funding. Under this bill, isolated, small schools will receive an additional $450 per pupil, with increases linked to inflation each biennium. A school may petition for a waiver of the isolation distance requirement if the school does not comply with the distance requirement but is separated from the nearest comparable school by significant geographical barriers. The Department assumes two to three schools with a total enrollment of 200 pupils will be granted a waiver for commute times.
The Department assumes schools with 12 students or less for grades one and two, 14 or less for grades three through eight, and 60 or less for grades nine through twelve would qualify as “small.” The Department notes because kindergarten attendance is not mandatory, kindergarten was not used to test for school size. However, it was assumed kindergarten students will also receive additional funding if the school is designated an isolated, small school. After identifying small schools, the Department removed from the count high schools less than 20 miles from another high school operated by a NH school district, joint maintenance agreement or one of the two public academies. The Department also removed any combination of K-8 schools less than 10 miles from another K-8 school operated by a NH school district. Charter schools were not considered when testing for distance. The Department estimates state general fund expenditures and local revenues will increase $369,450 in FY 2010 and FY 2011 (621 students in small, isolated schools + 200 students in schools granted a waiver = 821 students x $450). The Department assumes the per pupil amount will increase by 7.5% for FY 2012 and FY 2013, but does not assume any change in enrollment. Therefore, the Department estimates state general fund expenditures and local revenues will increase by $397,159 (621 students in small, isolated schools + 200 students in schools granted a waiver = 821 students x $483.75) in FY 2012 and FY 2013.