AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT (Prohibits total education aid paid to any local education agency from being reduced by more than one percent (1%) of the municipal education appropriation in the previous fiscal year.)

S2025

2026 -- S 2025
========
LC003292
========

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF ACT

Introduced By:
Senators Rogers, de la Cruz, Paolino, and Raptakis

Date Introduced:
January 09, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Section 16-7.2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.2 entitled "The
2
Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
3

16-7.2-4. Determination of state’s share.
4
(a) For each district, the state’s share of the foundation education aid calculated pursuant
5
to § 16-7.2-3(a) shall use a calculation that considers a district’s revenue-generating capacity and
6
concentration of high-need students. The calculation is the square root of the sum of the state share
7
ratio for the community calculation, pursuant to § 16-7-20, squared plus the district’s percentage
8
of students in grades PK-6 in poverty status squared, divided by two.
9
If this calculation results in a state share ratio that is less than the state share ratio for the
10
community calculated pursuant to § 16-7-20(a) and that district’s poverty status percentage as
11
defined in § 16-7.2-3(a)(2) is greater than fifty percent (50%), the state share ratio shall be equal to
12
the state share ratio for the community calculated pursuant to § 16-7-20(a).
13
(b) For purposes of determining the state’s share, school district student data used in this
14
calculation shall include charter school and state school students. These ratios are used in the
15
permanent foundation education aid formula calculation described in § 16-7.2-5.
16
(c) There shall be a poverty loss stabilization fund for districts that experience a decline in
17
the state share ratio calculated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section from the prior year of more
18
than 2.0 percent (2%). The amount shall be equal to fifty percent (50%) of the difference in the

1
amount of permanent foundation education aid received pursuant to § 16-7.2-3 received in the prior
2
year.
3

(d) In any given fiscal year, the total education aid paid to a local education agency,
4
including distributed categorical funds, shall not be reduced by more than one percent (1%) of the
5
municipal education appropriation to the local education agency in the previous fiscal year.
6
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
========
LC003292
========

LC003292 - Page 2 of 3
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF ACT
***
1
This act would prohibit total education aid paid to any local education agency from being
2
reduced by more than one percent (1%) of the municipal education appropriation in the previous
3
fiscal year.
4
This act would take effect upon passage.
========
LC003292
========

LC003292 - Page 3 of 3