Bill > S276

Introduced Session

This bill authorizes an adjustment to the school district tax levy cap for expenditures incurred by a district in connection with the opening of a renovated or new school facility during the budget year for full-day kindergarten. The allowable adjustment will include costs associated with the renovated or new school facility that are related to new teaching staff members, support staff, materials and equipment, custodial and maintenance expenditures, and other costs as may be determined by the Commissioner of Education. Multiple studies have documented the benefits of a full-day kindergarten program. The inability of some school districts to offer a full-day program has been linked to a lack of facilities within the district to accommodate all students in full-day kindergarten. This bill will assist school districts that make a decision to renovate existing facilities or build new facilities to provide the space necessary to offer a full-day program. It is unrealistic to expect a school district to accommodate within its base 2% tax levy increase the new costs that will be incurred by the district in the first year that it opens a renovated or new school facility for full-day kindergarten. This bill will allow such a school district to increase its tax levy in that first year to reflect facility-related expenditures.

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Tom Kean (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/14/2020)

Official Document