April 16, 2008, Introduced by Senators SWITALSKI, SCHAUER and BARCIA and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled
"The state school aid act of 1979,"
by amending sections 11 and 99c (MCL 388.1611 and 388.1699c), as
amended by 2007 PA 137.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 11. (1) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008,
there is appropriated for the public schools of this state and
certain other state purposes relating to education the sum of
$11,493,064,200.00
$11,511,064,200.00 from the state school aid
fund established by section 11 of article IX of the state
constitution
of 1963 and the sum of $34,909,600.00 $36,909,600.00
from the general fund. In addition, available federal funds are
appropriated for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
(2) The appropriations under this section shall be allocated
as provided in this act. Money appropriated under this section from
the general fund shall be expended to fund the purposes of this act
before the expenditure of money appropriated under this section
from the state school aid fund. If the maximum amount appropriated
under this section from the state school aid fund for a fiscal year
exceeds the amount necessary to fully fund allocations under this
act from the state school aid fund, that excess amount shall not be
expended in that state fiscal year and shall not lapse to the
general fund, but instead shall be deposited into the school aid
stabilization fund created in section 11a.
(3) If the maximum amount appropriated under this section from
the state school aid fund and the school aid stabilization fund for
a fiscal year exceeds the amount available for expenditure from the
state school aid fund for that fiscal year, payments under sections
11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 26b, 31d, 31f, 51a(2), 51a(12), 51c, 53a,
and 56 shall be made in full. In addition, for districts beginning
operations after 1994-95 that qualify for payments under section
22b, payments under section 22b shall be made so that the
qualifying districts receive the lesser of an amount equal to the
1994-95 foundation allowance of the district in which the district
beginning operations after 1994-95 is located or $5,500.00. The
amount of the payment to be made under section 22b for these
qualifying districts shall be as calculated under section 22a, with
the balance of the payment under section 22b being subject to the
proration otherwise provided under this subsection and subsection
(4). If proration is necessary, state payments under each of the
other sections of this act from all state funding sources shall be
prorated in the manner prescribed in subsection (4) as necessary to
reflect the amount available for expenditure from the state school
aid fund for the affected fiscal year. However, if the department
of treasury determines that proration will be required under this
subsection, or if the department of treasury determines that
further proration is required under this subsection after an
initial proration has already been made for a fiscal year, the
department of treasury shall notify the state budget director, and
the state budget director shall notify the legislature at least 30
calendar days or 6 legislative session days, whichever is more,
before the department reduces any payments under this act because
of the proration. During the 30 calendar day or 6 legislative
session day period after that notification by the state budget
director, the department shall not reduce any payments under this
act because of proration under this subsection. The legislature may
prevent proration from occurring by, within the 30 calendar day or
6 legislative session day period after that notification by the
state budget director, enacting legislation appropriating
additional funds from the general fund, countercyclical budget and
economic stabilization fund, state school aid fund balance, or
another source to fund the amount of the projected shortfall.
(4) If proration is necessary under subsection (3), the
department shall calculate the proration in district and
intermediate district payments that is required under subsection
(3) as follows:
(a) The department shall calculate the percentage of total
state school aid allocated under this act for the affected fiscal
year for each of the following:
(i) Districts.
(ii) Intermediate districts.
(iii) Entities other than districts or intermediate districts.
(b) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration
amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the
percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(i) for districts by
reducing payments to districts. This reduction shall be made by
calculating an equal dollar amount per pupil as necessary to
recover this percentage of the proration amount and reducing each
district's total state school aid from state sources, other than
payments under sections 11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 26b, 31d, 31f,
51a(2), 51a(12), 51c, and 53a, by that amount.
(c) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration
amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the
percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(ii) for intermediate
districts by reducing payments to intermediate districts. This
reduction shall be made by reducing the payments to each
intermediate district, other than payments under sections 11f, 11g,
26a, 26b, 51a(2), 51a(12), 53a, and 56, on an equal percentage
basis.
(d) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration
amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the
percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(iii) for entities other
than districts and intermediate districts by reducing payments to
these entities. This reduction shall be made by reducing the
payments to each of these entities, other than payments under
sections 11j, 26a, and 26b, on an equal percentage basis.
(5) Except for the allocation under section 26a, any general
fund allocations under this act that are not expended by the end of
the state fiscal year are transferred to the school aid
stabilization fund created under section 11a.
Sec. 99c. (1) From the state school aid fund money
appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to
exceed
$0.00 $18,000,000.00 for 2007-2008 for payments to districts
under
this section for the grants
to intermediate districts for
middle school mathematics initiative pilot programs. The pilot
programs shall be designed to achieve the middle school mathematics
standards and benchmarks adopted by the state board and to assist
pupils to meet the state high school graduation requirements for
mathematics.
(2)
The amount of the payment to each district for 2006-2007
shall
be an equal amount per pupil for each pupil actually enrolled
and
attending school in the district in grades 6 to 8. Payments to
a
district under this section for subsequent fiscal years shall be
as
described in subsection (4). The
department shall award grants
for pilot programs under this section to intermediate districts on
a first-come, first-served basis. The amount of a grant shall not
exceed $1,000,000.00. To be eligible for a grant, a pilot program
shall meet all of the following:
(a) Shall provide local funding for the pilot program in an
amount at least equal to 1/3 of the amount of the grant. An
intermediate district may count the value of in-kind services
toward meeting this local match requirement.
(b) Shall be conducted by the intermediate district in
cooperation with at least 1 other entity, which may include, but is
not limited to, another intermediate district, a district, a
community college, a state university, a mathematics and science
center, or the Michigan virtual university.
(c) Shall be designed to assist pupils to meet the state high
school graduation requirements for mathematics.
(3) An intermediate district receiving a grant under this
section shall submit an annual evaluation report to the department,
in the form and manner prescribed by the department. The report
shall include at least a detailed description of each of the
programs operated under the pilot program and on the outcomes
achieved by pupils in the pilot programs.
(4) Grant funds awarded under this section are intended to be
for the first year of 3 years of funding.
(5) From the general fund money appropriated in section 11,
there is allocated $2,000,000.00 to the Michigan virtual university
to develop and implement online learning resources, including an
online diagnostic tool, that are designed to help pupils and
teachers address challenging learning concepts and principles in
mathematics.
(6) Notwithstanding section 17b, payments under this section
may be made pursuant to an agreement with the department.
(7) (3)
A district shall use funds received
under this section
before 2007-2008 for activities and efforts designed to improve
pupil performance in mathematics. However, if a district has
carried forward unexpended funds received under this section into
2007-2008, the district may use those unexpended funds for any
purpose.