§
20-2-133 (This is sometimes referred to as SB618 section that
provides funds for Residential Treatment CenterSchools.)
(a) Admission to
the instructional programs funded under this article shall be free
to all eligible children and youth who enroll in such programs
within the local school system in which they reside and to children
as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section. Therefore, a
local school system shall not charge resident students tuition or
fees, nor shall such students be required to provide materials or
equipment except for items specified by the State Board of
Education, as a condition of enrollment or full participation in any
instructional program. However, a local school system is authorized
to charge nonresident students tuition or fees or a combination
thereof; provided, however, that such charges to a student shall not
exceed the average locally financed per student cost for the
preceding year, excluding the local five mill share funds required
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-164; provided, further, that no child
in a placement operated by the Department of Human Resources or for
which payment is made by the Department of Juvenile Justice or the
Department of Human Resources or any of its divisions and no child
who is in the physical or legal custody of the Department of
Juvenile Justice or under the care or physical or legal custody of
the Department of Human Resources or any of its divisions shall be
charged tuition, fees, or a combination thereof. A local school
system is further authorized to contract with a nonresident
student́s system of residence for payment of tuition. The amount of
tuition paid directly by the system of residence shall be limited
only by the terms of the contract between systems. Local units of
administration shall provide textbooks or any other reading
materials to each student enrolled in a class which has a course of
study that requires the use of such materials by the students.
(b)(1) Any
child, except a child in a youth development center as specifically
provided in this paragraph, who is in the physical or legal custody
of the Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Human
Resources, or in a placement operated by the Department of Human
Resources, or in a facility or placement paid for by the Department
of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Human Resources or any of
its divisions and who is physically present within the geographical
area served by a local unit of administration for any length of time
is eligible for enrollment in the educational programs of that local
unit of administration; provided, however, that the child meets the
age eligibility requirements established by this article. The local
unit of administration of the school district in which such child is
present shall be responsible for the provision of all educational
programs, including special education and related services, at no
charge as long as the child is physically present in the school
district. A child will be considered in the physical or legal
custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of
Human Resources or any of its divisions if custody has been awarded
either temporarily or permanently by court order or by voluntary
agreement, or if the child has been admitted or placed according to
an individualized treatment or service plan of the Department of
Human Resources. No child in a youth development center, regardless
of his or her custody status, shall be eligible for enrollment in
the educational programs of the local unit of administration of the
school district in which that youth development center is located.
No child or youth in the custody of the Department of Corrections or
the Department of Juvenile Justice and confined in a facility as a
result of a sentence imposed by a court shall be eligible for
enrollment in the educational programs of the local unit of
administration of the school district where such child or youth is
being held.
(2) Except as
otherwise provided in this Code section, placement in a facility by
a parent or by another local unit of administration shall not create
an obligation, financial or otherwise, on the part of the local unit
of administration in which the facility is located to educate the
child.
(3) For any
child described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the custodian
of or placing agency for the child shall notify the appropriate
local unit of administration at least five days in advance of the
move, when possible, when the child is to be moved from one local
unit of administration to another.
(4) When the
custodian of or placing agency for any child notifies a local unit
of administration, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection,
that the child may become eligible for enrollment in the educational
programs of a local unit of administration, such local unit of
administration shall request the transfer of the educational records
and Individualized Education Programs (IEṔs) and all education
related evaluations, assessments, social histories, and observations
of the child from the appropriate local unit of administration no
later than ten days after receiving notification. Notwithstanding
any other law to the contrary, the custodian of the records has the
obligation to transfer these records and the local unit of
administration has the right to receive, review, and utilize these
records. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, upon the
request of a local unit of administration responsible for providing
educational services to a child described in paragraph (1) of this
subsection, the Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of
Human Resources shall furnish to the local unit of administration
all medical and educational records in the possession of the
Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Human Resources
pertaining to any such child, except where consent of a parent or
legal guardian is required in order to authorize the release of any
of such records, in which event the Department of Juvenile Justice
or the Department of Human Resources shall obtain such consent from
the parent or guardian prior to such release.
(5) Any local
unit of administration which serves a child pursuant to paragraph
(1) of this subsection shall receive in the form of annual grants in
state funding for that child the difference between the actual state
funds received for that child pursuant to Code Section 20-2-161 and
the reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in educating that
child, calculated pursuant to regulations adopted by the State Board
of Education. Each local board of education shall be held harmless
by the state from expending local funds for educating students
pursuant to this Code section; provided, however, that this shall
only apply to students who are unable to leave the facility in which
they have been placed.
(6) Enrollment
of an eligible child pursuant to this Code section shall be
effectuated in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the
State Board of Education.
(7) The
Department of Education, the Department of Human Resources, the
Department of Juvenile Justice, and the local units of
administration where Department of Education, Department of Juvenile
Justice, or Department of Human Resources placements, facilities, or
contract facilities are located shall jointly develop procedures
binding on all agencies implementing the provisions of this Code
section applicable to children and youth in the physical or legal
custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice or under the care or
physical or legal custody of the Department of Human Resources."
SECTION 2. All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
§
20-2-181. Calculation of program weights to reflect base school
size
The calculation of all program weights shall reflect a base size
local school system of 3,300 full-time equivalent students. The
calculation of program weights for the kindergarten program, the
kindergarten early intervention program, the primary grades (1-3)
early intervention program, the primary grades (1-3) program, the
upper elementary grades (4-5) early intervention program, and the
upper elementary grades (4-5) program shall reflect a base school
size of 450 full-time equivalent students. The calculation of
program weights for the middle grades (6-8) program, the middle
school (6-8) program, the special education programs, the remedial
education program, and the English for speakers of other languages
program shall reflect a base school size of 624 full-time equivalent
students. The calculation of the program weights for the high school
general education program and the high school vocational laboratory
program shall reflect a base school size of 970 full-time equivalent
students. The calculation of program weights for the alternative
education program shall reflect a base school size of 100 full-time
equivalent students, except that the calculations for secretaries
and media personnel shall reflect a base school size of 624
full-time equivalent students.
§ 20-2-182. Program weights to reflect funds for payment of
salaries and benefits; maximum class size; reporting requirements;
application to specific school years
(a) The program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall
reflect sufficient funds to pay at least the beginning salaries of
all teachers needed to provide essential classroom instruction in
order to ensure a Quality Basic Education Program for all enrolled
students, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly.
(b) The program weights for the primary, primary grades early
intervention, upper elementary, upper elementary grades early
intervention, middle grades, and middle school programs, when
multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay
at least the beginning salaries of specialists qualified to teach
art, music, foreign language, and physical education, subject to
appropriation by the General Assembly.
(c) The program weights for the kindergarten, kindergarten early
intervention, primary, primary grades early intervention, upper
elementary, upper elementary grades early intervention, middle
grades, middle school, and alternative education programs and the
program weights for the high school programs authorized pursuant to
paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-151, when
multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay
the beginning salaries for guidance counselors needed to provide
essential guidance services to students and whose duties and
responsibilities shall be established by the state board to require
a minimum of five of the six full-time equivalent program count
segments of the counselor's time to be spent counseling or advising
students or parents.
(c.1) The program weights for the kindergarten and the kindergarten
early intervention programs, when multiplied by the base amount,
shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the salaries for instructional
aides.
(d) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall
reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries for
technology specialists needed to provide essential technology
services.
(e) The program weights for the high school programs authorized
pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of Code Section
20-2-151, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect
sufficient funds to provide teachers with a preparation period free
of assigned students.
(f) Reserved.
(g) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall
reflect sufficient funds to pay the cost of sick and personal leave
for teachers, the employer's portion of costs for membership in the
Teachers Retirement System of Georgia and health insurance programs
authorized by law, the cost of essential instructional materials and
equipment needed to operate effectively such instructional programs,
and the cost of travel required of personnel in order to deliver
educational services to enrolled students, subject to appropriation
by the General Assembly.
(h) All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall
reflect, whenever they are revised pursuant to subsection (f) of
Code Section 20-2-161, an amount of funds for the purpose of
providing staff and professional development to certificated and
classified personnel and local school board members which shall be
at least equivalent to 1.5 percent of salaries of all certificated
professional personnel used in the development of each respective
program weight, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly.
Funds used for professional or staff development purposes may be
used throughout the fiscal year, including days when students are
not present at school, to meet professional or staff development
needs in the order of priority determined by the local board of
education within the comprehensive professional and staff
development program plan approved by the State Board of Education
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-232. Such professional and staff
development program plan shall address deficiencies of certificated
personnel as identified by evaluations required under Code Section
20-2-210. Where possible, professional and staff development funds
shall be used for activities that enhance the skills of certificated
personnel and directly relate to student achievement. Subsequent
certificated personnel evaluations shall include an assessment of an
employee's professional and staff development activities and their
effect on identified deficiencies and student achievement. Funds for
professional development purposes may be used for activities
occurring at any time during the fiscal year outside of an
employee's normal contract hours.
(i) (1) It is the intent of this paragraph to provide a clear
expectation to parents and guardians as to the maximum number of
students that may be in their child's classroom in kindergarten
through eighth grade. Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, for
the following regular education programs, the maximum individual
class size for mathematics, science, social studies, and language
arts classes shall be:
(A) Kindergarten program (without full-time aide)...................18
(B) Kindergarten program (with full-time aide)......................20
(C) Primary grades program (1-3)....................................21
(D) Upper elementary grades program (4-5)...........................28
(E) Middle grades program (6-8) and middle school program (6-8) as
defined in Code Section 20-2-290...........................28
(2) The State Board of Education shall adopt for each
instructional program authorized pursuant to Part 3 of this article
except those programs included in paragraph (1) of this subsection
the maximum number of students which may be taught by a teacher in
an instructional period. For the remedial education, vocational
laboratory, alternative education, and early intervention programs,
the State Board of Education shall provide for a system average
maximum class size that shall not exceed the funding class size by
more than 20 percent, unless specifically authorized by the State
Board of Education; provided, however, that the system average
maximum class size for special education, gifted, and English for
speakers of other languages classes shall be set by the State Board
of Education. For each instructional program covered under this
paragraph, the maximum number of students who may be taught by a
teacher in an instructional period shall not exceed the system
average maximum class size for the program by more than two
students; provided, however, that a system average maximum class
size which results in a fractional full-time equivalent shall be
rounded up to the nearest whole number; provided, however, that this
provision shall not apply to general education programs in
mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts for grades 9
through 12. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, each local
board of education shall be allowed to exceed maximum class sizes
set by the state board pursuant to this paragraph for general
education programs in mathematics, science, social studies, and
language arts for grades 9 through 12 and may establish such maximum
class sizes that shall not exceed the funding class size by more
than 39 percent and shall annually report to the state board and to
each school council in its school system such class sizes
established. For a period not to exceed seven years, beginning with
the 2000-2001 school year, local school systems shall be allowed to
exceed the maximum class sizes set forth in this subsection in a
manner consistent with State Board of Education rules and subsection
(k) of this Code section, except for those programs included in
paragraph (1) of this subsection beginning with the 2006-2007 school
year. The State Board of Education shall lower the current maximum
class sizes set by state board rules in effect for the 1999-2000
school year, beginning with the 2000-2001 school year, by an amount
so that, beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, State Board of
Education rules are in compliance with this subsection; provided,
however, that this shall not apply to the programs included in
paragraph (1) of this subsection beginning with the 2006-2007 school
year.
(3) The maximum individual class size for the kindergarten and
primary grades programs is defined as the number of students in a
physical classroom. The maximum individual class size for all other
purposes shall be defined as the maximum number of students that may
be taught by a teacher in a class segment. Maximum class sizes for
the programs covered in paragraph (2) of this subsection that result
in a fractional full-time equivalent shall be rounded up to the
nearest whole number as needed.
(4) The number of students taught by a teacher at any time after
the first 15 school days of a school year may not exceed the maximum
such number unless authorization for a specific larger number is
requested of the state board after the first FTE count of a school
year as required in subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-160. The
state board may approve said request only in the limited
circumstance where educationally justified and where an act of God
or other unforeseen event led to the precipitous rise in enrollment
within that school system or led to another occurrence which
resulted in the local board's inability to comply with this
subsection. The state board shall not reduce class sizes without the
authorization of the General Assembly if this reduction necessitates
added costs for facilities, personnel, and other program needs.
Local boards of education may reduce class sizes, build additional
facilities, and provide other resources at local cost if such
actions are in the best interest of the local school systems'
programs as determined by the local boards of education.
(j) In its report of the initial full-time equivalent program count
required by subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-160, each local
school system shall report to the Department of Education the number
of students in each class in each school as of the date of the
initial enrollment count; for schools where students change classes
during the school day, the local school system shall report the
number of students in each class period. Each local school system
shall also report to the Department of Education by March 15 of each
school year the number of students in each class in each school as
of the first Monday in March; for schools where students change
classes during the school day, the local school system shall report
the number of students in each class period.
TITLE
20. EDUCATION
CHAPTER 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
ARTICLE 6. QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION
PART 5. PROGRAM WEIGHTS AND FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-184.1 (2009)
§ 20-2-184.1. Funding for additional days of instruction; programs
for low-performing students; transportation costs
The program weights for the kindergarten, kindergarten early
intervention, primary, primary grades early intervention, upper
elementary, upper elementary grades early intervention, middle
grades, middle school, and remedial programs and the program weights
for the high school programs authorized pursuant to paragraph (4) of
subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-151, when multiplied by the base
amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salaries
for instructors needed to provide 20 additional days of instruction
for 10 percent of the full-time equivalent count of the respective
program. Such funds shall be used for addressing the academic needs
of low-performing students with programs including, but not limited
to, instructional opportunities for students beyond the regular
school day, Saturday classes, intersession classes, and summer
school classes. Following the midterm adjustment, the state board
shall issue allotment sheets for each local school system. Each
local school system shall spend 100 percent of the funds designated
for additional days of instruction for such costs at the system
level. Up to 15 percent of funds designated for additional days of
instruction may be spent for transportation costs incurred for
transporting students who are attending the additional classes
funded by these designated funds.
TITLE 20. EDUCATION
CHAPTER 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
ARTICLE 6. QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION
PART 4. FINANCING
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-168 (2009)
§ 20-2-168. Distribution of federal funds; combined purchase of
supplies and equipment; minimum school year; summer school programs;
year-round operation
(a) All federal funds received by the State Board of Education
for purposes contained within this article shall be apportioned and
distributed by the state board in a manner consistent with this
article as additional aid to local units of administration in
defraying the cost of establishing and operating approved programs
subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the
state board and in accordance with the approved state plan for such
programs, where applicable.
(b)(1) The State Board of Education, through a study which
includes consultation with the Department of Administrative
Services, representatives of local units of administration, and such
others as the state board may consult, shall determine whether an
overall substantial price advantage to local units of administration
may be obtained by means of a combined bid by local units through
the state board and the Department of Administrative Services on
standard items of school equipment, supplies, services, or other
expenses designated by the state board which are ordinarily needed,
procured, or incurred by local units, without a sacrifice of safety
or quality. The study used to make such determination shall be
performed not less than once every five years. If the state board
shall determine that such a price advantage to local units may be
obtained by such means on any one or more of such items or expenses,
the state board shall, after consultation with such persons,
establish sets of uniform standard specifications for such item or
items as may reasonably be required in order to meet the various
needs and requirements of the several local units of administration.
Local units of administration shall, at such times as the state
board shall prescribe, report the probable annual requirement of the
local unit for such standard items to the state board and the
requested time for future delivery of such items. The state board
shall compile such requirements and submit a compilation of them to
the Department of Administrative Services, together with such other
information as may be needed or otherwise requested by the
Department of Administrative Services for the purpose of advertising
for bids for a uniform state price on such items.
(2) The Department of Administrative Services shall advertise for
bids for supply of such items in the same manner followed for state
purchases; provided, however, that it shall inform prospective
bidders that the bid requested is for the furnishing of such items
to the designated local units of administration at the times
specified on the basis of a single state price applicable to all
local units, that payment for such items as may be purchased by
local units shall be made by the respective local units to the
bidder, that no guarantee is made that any purchases will be made
from the successful bidder as a result of such bidding, and such
other information as shall be appropriate under the circumstances.
The Department of Administrative Services shall, upon receipt of
bids, process them in the same manner followed for state purchases
and promptly notify the state board of the name of the successful
bidder and such other available information as may be required by
the state board, which shall promptly forward such information to
all local units of administration.
(3) Local units of administration may obtain competitive bids
from vendors on such standard items of school equipment, supplies,
services, or other expenses based upon uniform specifications
established for such items by the state board and may purchase such
items from the vendor submitting the best bid to the local unit,
whether or not the bid price of such vendor is greater or less than
the state bid price on such items; provided, however, that whenever
a local unit purchases such standard items at a price in excess of
the state bid price for such items, the state board shall, when
computing standard costs for allotment of state funds, disallow the
excess costs paid for such items by the local unit; provided,
further, that local units of administration shall implement textbook
adoptions from textbook listings prescribed by the state board
pursuant to Article 19 of this chapter within 18 months of the time
said textbook listings are provided by the state board. The state
board shall prescribe regulations necessary for implementation and
enforcement of this subsection and is authorized to establish
standards and uniform standard specifications and procedures for the
purchase, distribution, use, and maintenance, as the case may be, of
school equipment, supplies, services, and other expenses, as may be
designated by the state board, whether or not state bid prices are
obtained on such items.
(c) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, public
elementary and secondary schools of this state receiving state aid
under this article may provide each eligible student with access to
no less than 180 school days of education each fiscal year, or the
equivalent thereof as determined in accordance with State Board of
Education guidelines. The State Board of Education shall define a
school year, which shall be no less than 180 days of instruction in
accordance with the provisions of this subsection, or the equivalent
thereof; shall define the length of the school day, based on a 180
day school year, and equivalent lengths; and shall provide that all
public elementary and secondary schools, beginning in the 2010-2011
school year, may be closed for instruction on November 11 of each
year to enable students, teachers, and administrators to participate
in Veterans Day programs to honor veterans of the armed forces.
(2) Any provision of this subsection or this article to the
contrary notwithstanding, when the President of the United States
proclaims a national emergency or when the Governor proclaims a
state of emergency or when, because of emergency, disaster, act of
God, civil disturbance, or a shortage of vital and critical
material, supplies, or fuel, the continued operation of the public
schools according to the definitions of school year, school month,
or school day is impractical or impossible, then the state board
shall have the power to authorize local boards of education to
depart from a strict interpretation of these definitions, and such
departure need not be uniform throughout the state.
(3) A local board of education may, without the necessity of
authorization from the state board, elect not to complete, as
make-up days, up to four additional days otherwise needed which are
the result of days when school was closed due to emergency,
disaster, act of God, civil disturbance, or shortage of vital or
critical material, supplies, or fuel. In any such case, the school
year applicable to that local board of education may terminate, in
the discretion of the local board, at the end of the last school day
originally designated by the local board as the end of the school
year, regardless of the day of the week on which the school calendar
was scheduled to end. The provisions of this paragraph shall not
limit the authority of the state board under paragraph (2) of this
subsection.
(4) Each fiscal year shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30 of
the following year.
(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term:
(A) "Disaster" means any happening that causes great harm or
damage.
(B) "Emergency" means a sudden, generally unexpected
occurrence or set of circumstances demanding immediate action.
(d) The governing board of any local unit of administration may
provide for continued operation of one or more educational programs
of the local unit for a period of time beyond the normal school year
provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section for the purpose
of providing summer school education programs, including: the
continuation of one or more instructional programs provided for in
Part 3 of this article, enrichment of prescribed school programs,
accelerated school programs, special programs of education
enumerated by or coming within the scope of this article, and such
other education programs as may be approved by the State Board of
Education. All summer school programs shall meet and be offered in
accordance with standards, requirements, and criteria prescribed by
the state board. Teachers and other certificated professional
personnel employed full time or part time during such period shall
be paid additional salaries based on the state minimum monthly
salary schedule in proportion to the time and services rendered by
such personnel. No additional state funds shall be allotted to local
units in support of such programs unless the General Assembly
authorizes funds for this purpose. The state board is authorized to
allot such state funds to local units in support of all or any one
or more of such summer school education programs. The extent to
which these state funds may be allotted to local units of
administration in support of any one or more of such programs shall
be determined by the state board but shall not in any event exceed
the ratio of state funds to local funds made available to the local
unit during the preceding school year in support of the calculated
cost of providing the Quality Basic Education Program in the local
unit during that school year. The state board is authorized to
determine the relative need for establishment of any one or more of
the various summer school education programs enumerated in this
subsection, to establish priorities for implementation of such
programs, and to allot funds appropriated for this purpose to local
units of administration in support of those programs.
(e)(1) It is declared to be the policy of this state that every
effort be made to utilize currently available educational facilities
and equipment on a year-round basis. The State Board of Education
shall certify that a local school system has a year-round operation
for one or more grade levels for any instructional program as
provided in Part 3 of this article which meets the following
criteria:
(A) That the operation of the program is for 232 official
attendance days or more, constituting four quarters or any plan for
year-round operation approved by the state board;
(B) That for a student's first 176 or more days, constituting
three quarters or an equivalent plan approved by the state board,
attendance shall be on a tuition-free basis; and
(C) That the program is offered for all official attendance
days in accordance with such standards, requirements, and criteria
as may be prescribed by the state board.
(2) For all instructional programs of a local school system
approved by the state board for year-round operation pursuant to
paragraph (1) of this subsection, whether the year-round operation
is approved system wide or for only a portion of the local school
system, the state board shall make the following modifications
concerning the calculation of the full-time equivalent counts used
in the allotment provisions under this article, specifically the
provisions of Code Sections 20-2-161, 20-2-162, and 20-2-165:
(A) The state board shall require a full-time equivalent count
to be done each year for the instructional programs approved for
year-round operation between June 15 and August 15 in a manner and
on a date specified by the state board; provided, however, that such
counts shall be done in a manner consistent with the provisions of
Code Section 20-2-160;
(B) The state board shall average the summer full-time
equivalent count with the other full-time equivalent counts for the
instructional programs approved for year-round operation that are
specified in the appropriate allotment provisions of this article;
and
(C) The state board shall multiply the averages which result
from subparagraph (B) of this paragraph by one and one-third and use
this full-time equivalent count in all allotment calculations for
these instructional programs. A similar process shall be applied
to all other instructional programs approved by the state board for
year-round operation which are required by this article or by state
board policy to use student counts in determining the allotment of
funds to local school systems.
(3) The state board shall have the authority to prescribe
requirements and standards for the distribution, use, and
expenditure of funds allotted under this subsection.
(f) Each local board of education shall annually provide for a
"Summer Opportunity Program," to extend educational opportunities
beyond the normal school year provided for in subsection (c) of this
Code section. This program will be made available to students who
have been retained in grades kindergarten through eight or who have
failed academic subjects in these grades. This program shall be
offered during the summer months for not less than six weeks at no
tuition cost to eligible students. The Summer Opportunity Program
may provide for lower teacher-pupil ratios, coordination with family
connection resources where appropriate, school locations for the
program nearest residential areas of the majority of students
eligible to attend the program, transportation, instruction in
subject areas failed by students, utilization of instructional
technology, and include teachers who have demonstrated teaching
success and rapport with students. Each local board shall submit a
projected number of students eligible for the Summer Opportunity
Program by grade to the Department of Education no later than
November 30 of each year in order to have calculated the state cost
to operate the Summer Opportunity Program for inclusion as a
separate funding item in the midterm adjustment for the current
fiscal year. The allocation of state funds to each local school
system for such program shall be based upon the actual enrollment in
the Summer Opportunity Program of eligible students in such system.
The cost calculations and allocations shall be based upon the length
of the Summer Opportunity Program and appropriate program weights
for programs in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 20-2-161 multiplied times the base weight amount as
established in the General Appropriations Act for the most recent
fiscal year adjusted for training and experience of teachers as
specified in subsection (e) of Code Section 20-2-161 multiplied
times the total full-time equivalency program count within each
appropriate program which includes funds sufficient to provide for
teacher salaries, instructional materials, and facilities
maintenance and operations costs. Pupil transportation costs shall
be calculated and allocated at one-sixth the annual costs for each
bus operated for the Summer Opportunity Program, excluding costs for
items paid in the initial allotment for each earned bus such as bus
replacement and bus insurance costs. The State Board of Education is
encouraged to coordinate with the board of regents to identify
student teaching programs in appropriate university system
institutions for the purpose of assigning student teachers to as
many classes within each school system's Summer Opportunity Program
as possible. This subsection in no way prohibits local boards of
education from entering into a multisystem summer program contract
to provide services identified in this subsection. Local boards are
encouraged to expand the Summer Opportunity Program through the use
of local funds, tuition, grants, scholarships, Chapter I, and all
other available funds to provide summer educational opportunities
for all other students in the school system.
