Act No. 121

Public Acts of 2006

Approved by the Governor

April 14, 2006

Filed with the Secretary of State

April 14, 2006

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 14, 2006

STATE OF MICHIGAN

93RD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2006

Introduced by Senators Kuipers, Cassis, Hardiman, Birkholz, McManus, Allen, Goschka and Bishop

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 330

AN ACT to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled "An act to make appropriations to aid in the support of the public schools and the intermediate school districts of the state; to make appropriations for certain other purposes relating to education; to provide for the disbursement of the appropriations; to supplement the school aid fund by the levy and collection of certain taxes; to authorize the issuance of certain bonds and provide for the security of those bonds; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to create certain funds and provide for their expenditure; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending section 31a (MCL 388.1631a), as amended by 2005 PA 155.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 31a. (1) From the money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2005-2006 an amount not to exceed $314,200,000.00 for payments to eligible districts and eligible public school academies under this section. Subject to subsection (13), the amount of the additional allowance under this section shall be based on the number of actual pupils in membership in the district or public school academy who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding state fiscal year, as determined under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act, 42 USC 1751 to 1769h, and reported to the department by October 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year and adjusted not later than December 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year. However, for a public school academy that began operations as a public school academy after the pupil membership count day of the immediately preceding school year, the basis for the additional allowance under this section shall be the number of actual pupils in membership in the public school academy who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the current state fiscal year, as determined under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act.

(2) To be eligible to receive funding under this section, other than funding under subsection (6), a district or public school academy that has not been previously determined to be eligible shall apply to the department, in a form and manner prescribed by the department, and a district or public school academy must meet all of the following:

(a) The sum of the district's or public school academy's combined state and local revenue per membership pupil in the current state fiscal year, as calculated under section 20, plus the amount of the district's per pupil allocation under section 20j(2), is less than or equal to $6,500.00 adjusted by the dollar amount of the difference between the basic foundation allowance under section 20 for the current state fiscal year and $5,000.00, minus $200.00.

(b) The district or public school academy agrees to use the funding only for purposes allowed under this section and to comply with the program and accountability requirements under this section.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an eligible district or eligible public school academy shall receive under this section for each membership pupil in the district or public school academy who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk, as determined under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act and as reported to the department by October 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year and adjusted not later than December 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year, an amount per pupil equal to 11.5% of the sum of the district's foundation allowance or public school academy's per pupil amount calculated under section 20, plus the amount of the district's per pupil allocation under section 20j(2), not to exceed $6,500.00 adjusted by the dollar amount of the difference between the basic foundation allowance under section 20 for the current state fiscal year and $5,000.00, minus $200.00, or of the public school academy's per membership pupil amount calculated under section 20 for the current state fiscal year. A public school academy that began operations as a public school academy after the pupil membership count day of the immediately preceding school year shall receive under this section for each membership pupil in the public school academy who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk, as determined under the RichardB.Russell national school lunch act and as reported to the department by October 31 of the current fiscal year and adjusted not later than December 31 of the current fiscal year, an amount per pupil equal to 11.5% of the public school academy's per membership pupil amount calculated under section 20 for the current state fiscal year.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a district or public school academy receiving funding under this section shall use that money only to provide instructional programs and direct noninstructional services, including, but not limited to, medical or counseling services, for at-risk pupils; for school health clinics; and for the purposes of subsection (5) or (6). In addition, a district that is organized as a school district of the first class under the revised school code or a district or public school academy in which at least 50% of the pupils in membership met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding state fiscal year, as determined and reported as described in subsection (1), may use not more than 15% of the funds it receives under this section for school security. A district or public school academy shall not use any of that money for administrative costs or to supplant another program or other funds, except for funds allocated to the district or public school academy under this section in the immediately preceding year and already being used by the district or public school academy for at-risk pupils. The instruction or direct noninstructional services provided under this section may be conducted before or after regular school hours or by adding extra school days to the school year and may include, but are not limited to, tutorial services, early childhood programs to serve children age 0 to 5, and reading programs as described in former section 32f as in effect for 2001-2002. A tutorial method may be conducted with paraprofessionals working under the supervision of a certificated teacher. The ratio of pupils to paraprofessionals shall be between 10:1 and 15:1. Only 1 certificated teacher is required to supervise instruction using a tutorial method. As used in this subsection, "to supplant another program" means to take the place of a previously existing instructional program or direct noninstructional services funded from a funding source other than funding under this section.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (11), a district or public school academy that receives funds under this section and that operates a school breakfast program under section 1272a of the revised school code, MCL380.1272a, shall use from the funds received under this section an amount, not to exceed $10.00 per pupil for whom the district or public school academy receives funds under this section, necessary to operate the school breakfast program.

(6) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), there is allocated for 2005-2006 an amount not to exceed $3,743,000.00 to support teen health centers. These grants shall be awarded for 3 consecutive years beginning with 2003-2004 in a form and manner approved jointly by the department and the department of community health. Each grant recipient shall remain in compliance with the terms of the grant award or shall forfeit the grant award for the duration of the 3-year period after the noncompliance. Beginning in 2004-2005, to continue to receive funding for a teen health center under this section a grant recipient shall ensure that the teen health center has an advisory committee and that at least one-third of the members of the advisory committee are parents or legal guardians of school-aged children. A teen health center program shall recognize the role of a child's parents or legal guardian in the physical and emotional well-being of the child. If any funds allocated under this subsection are not used for the purposes of this subsection for the fiscal year in which they are allocated, those unused funds shall be used that fiscal year to avoid or minimize any proration that would otherwise be required under subsection (13) for that fiscal year.

(7) Each district or public school academy receiving funds under this section shall submit to the department by July15 of each fiscal year a report, not to exceed 10 pages, on the usage by the district or public school academy of funds under this section, which report shall include at least a brief description of each program conducted by the district or public school academy using funds under this section, the amount of funds under this section allocated to each of those programs, the number of at-risk pupils eligible for free or reduced price school lunch who were served by each of those programs, and the total number of at-risk pupils served by each of those programs. If a district or public school academy does not comply with this subsection, the department shall withhold an amount equal to the August payment due under this section until the district or public school academy complies with this subsection. If the district or public school academy does not comply with this subsection by the end of the state fiscal year, the withheld funds shall be forfeited to the school aid fund.

(8) In order to receive funds under this section, a district or public school academy shall allow access for the department or the department's designee to audit all records related to the program for which it receives those funds. The district or public school academy shall reimburse the state for all disallowances found in the audit.

(9) Subject to subsections (5), (6), (11), and (12), any district may use up to 100% of the funds it receives under this section to reduce the ratio of pupils to teachers in grades K-6, or any combination of those grades, in school buildings in which the percentage of pupils described in subsection (1) exceeds the district's aggregate percentage of those pupils. Subject to subsections (5), (6), (11), and (12), if a district obtains a waiver from the department, the district may use up to 100% of the funds it receives under this section to reduce the ratio of pupils to teachers in grades K-6, or any combination of those grades, in school buildings in which the percentage of pupils described in subsection (1) is at least 60% of the district's aggregate percentage of those pupils and at least 30% of the total number of pupils enrolled in the school building. To obtain a waiver, a district must apply to the department and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the class size reductions would be in the best interests of the district's at-risk pupils.

(10) A district or public school academy may use funds received under this section for adult high school completion, general educational development (G.E.D.) test preparation, adult English as a second language, or adult basic education programs described in section 107.

(11) For an individual school or schools operated by a district or public school academy receiving funds under this section that have been determined by the department to meet the adequate yearly progress standards of the federal no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110, in both mathematics and English language arts at all applicable grade levels for all applicable subgroups, the district or public school academy may submit to the department an application for flexibility in using the funds received under this section that are attributable to the pupils in the school or schools. The application shall identify the affected school or schools and the affected funds and shall contain a plan for using the funds for specific purposes identified by the district that are designed to benefit at-risk pupils in the school, but that may be different from the purposes otherwise allowable under this section. The department shall approve the application if the department determines that the purposes identified in the plan are reasonably designed to benefit at-risk pupils in the school. If the department does not act to approve or disapprove an application within 30 days after it is submitted to the department, the application is considered to be approved. If an application for flexibility in using the funds is approved, the district may use the funds identified in the application for any purpose identified in the plan.

(12) A district or public school academy that receives funds under this section may use funds it receives under this section to implement and operate an early intervening program for pupils in grades K to 3 that meets either or both of the following:

(a) Monitors individual pupil learning and provides specific support or learning strategies to pupils as early as possible in order to reduce the need for special education placement. The program shall include literacy and numeracy supports, sensory motor skill development, behavior supports, instructional consultation for teachers, and the development of a parent/school learning plan. Specific support or learning strategies may include support in or out of the general classroom in areas including reading, writing, math, visual memory, motor skill development, behavior, or language development. These would be provided based on an understanding of the individual child's learning needs.

(b) Provides early intervening strategies using school-wide systems of academic and behavioral supports and is scientifically research-based. The strategies to be provided shall include at least pupil performance indicators based upon response to intervention, instructional consultation for teachers, and ongoing progress monitoring. A school-wide system of academic and behavioral support should be based on a support team available to the classroom teachers. The members of this team could include the principal, special education staff, reading teachers, and other appropriate personnel who would be available to systematically study the needs of the individual child and work with the teacher to match instruction to the needs of the individual child.

(13) If necessary, and before any proration required under section 11, the department shall prorate payments under this section by reducing the amount of the per pupil payment under this section by a dollar amount calculated by determining the amount by which the amount necessary to fully fund the requirements of this section exceeds the maximum amount allocated under this section and then dividing that amount by the total statewide number of pupils who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding fiscal year, as described in subsection (1).

(14) If a district is formed by consolidation after June 1, 1995, and if 1 or more of the original districts was not eligible before the consolidation for an additional allowance under this section, the amount of the additional allowance under this section for the consolidated district shall be based on the number of pupils described in subsection (1) enrolled in the consolidated district who reside in the territory of an original district that was eligible before the consolidation for an additional allowance under this section.

(15) A district or public school academy that does not meet the eligibility requirement under subsection (2)(a) is eligible for funding under this section if at least 1/4 of the pupils in membership in the district or public school academy met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding state fiscal year, as determined and reported as described in subsection (1), and at least 4,500 of the pupils in membership in the district or public school academy met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding state fiscal year, as determined and reported as described in subsection (1). A district or public school academy that is eligible for funding under this section because the district meets the requirements of this subsection shall receive under this section for each membership pupil in the district or public school academy who met the income eligibility criteria for free breakfast, lunch, or milk in the immediately preceding fiscal year, as determined and reported as described in subsection (1), an amount per pupil equal to 11.5% of the sum of the district's foundation allowance or public school academy's per pupil allocation under section 20, plus the amount of the district's per pupil allocation under section 20j(2), not to exceed $6,500.00 adjusted by the dollar amount of the difference between the basic foundation allowance under section 20 for the current state fiscal year and $5,000.00, minus $200.00.

(16) As used in this section, "at-risk pupil" means a pupil for whom the district has documentation that the pupil meets at least 2 of the following criteria: is a victim of child abuse or neglect; is below grade level in English language and communication skills or mathematics; is a pregnant teenager or teenage parent; is eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch subsidy; has atypical behavior or attendance patterns; or has a family history of school failure, incarceration, or substance abuse. For pupils for whom the results of at least the applicable Michigan education assessment program (MEAP) test have been received, at-risk pupil also includes a pupil who does not meet the other criteria under this subsection but who did not achieve at least a score of level 2 on the most recent MEAP English language arts, mathematics, or science test for which results for the pupil have been received. For pupils for whom the results of the Michigan merit examination have been received, at-risk pupil also includes a pupil who does not meet the other criteria under this subsection but who did not achieve proficiency on the reading component of the most recent Michigan merit examination for which results for the pupil have been received, did not achieve proficiency on the mathematics component of the most recent Michigan merit examination for which results for the pupil have been received, or did not achieve basic competency on the science component of the most recent Michigan merit examination for which results for the pupil have been received. For pupils in grades K-3, at-risk pupil also includes a pupil who is at risk of not meeting the district's core academic curricular objectives in English language arts or mathematics.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor