Bill Text: CT HB05358 | 2012 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Authorization Of State Grant Commitments For School Building Projects And Concerning Changes To The Statutes Concerning School Building Projects.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2012-06-15 - Signed by the Governor [HB05358 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2012-HB05358-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING AUTHORIZATION OF STATE GRANT COMMITMENTS FOR SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS AND CONCERNING CHANGES TO THE STATUTES CONCERNING SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Construction Services, having reviewed applications for state grants for public school building projects in accordance with section 10-283 of the general statutes on the basis of priorities for such projects and standards for school construction established by the State Board of Education, and having prepared a listing of all such eligible projects ranked in order of priority, including a separate schedule of previously authorized projects which have changed substantially in scope or cost, as determined by the Commissioner of Construction Services together with the amount of the estimated grant with respect to each eligible project, and having submitted such listing of eligible projects, prior to December 15, 2011, to a committee of the General Assembly established under section 10-283a of the general statutes for the purpose of reviewing such listing, is hereby authorized to enter into grant commitments on behalf of the state in accordance with said section 10-283 with respect to the priority listing of such projects and in such estimated amounts as approved by said committee prior to February 1, 2012, as follows:
(1) Estimated Grant Commitments.
School District |
Estimated |
Estimated | |
School |
Project Costs |
Grant | |
Project Number |
|||
BERLIN |
|||
Berlin High School |
|||
0065 EA/RR |
$ 69,950,000 |
$ 32,974,430 | |
HARTFORD |
|||
West Middle School |
|||
0303 EA/RR |
54,600,000 |
43,680,000 | |
HARTFORD |
|||
Hartford Magnet Middle School |
|||
0304 MAG/EA |
29,440,000 |
23,552,000 | |
WATERBURY |
|||
Bucks Hill School |
|||
0283 CV |
500,000 |
394,650 | |
WATERBURY |
|||
Cross School |
|||
0284 CV |
450,000 |
355,185 | |
BROOKLYN |
|||
Brooklyn Middle School |
|||
0027 EA |
1,700,000 |
1,250,690 | |
GUILFORD |
|||
(New) Guilford High School |
|||
0100 N |
92,220,800 |
28,653,003 | |
HARTFORD |
|||
Burns Academy for Latino Studies |
|||
0302 A |
700,000 |
557,480 | |
MERIDEN |
|||
Francis T. Maloney High School |
|||
0092 EA/RR |
107,500,000 |
82,925,500 | |
MERIDEN |
|||
Orville H. Platt High School |
|||
0093 EA/RR |
111,800,000 |
86,242,520 | |
MIDDLETOWN |
|||
Middletown Vo-Ag Center |
|||
0113 VE |
50,000 |
47,500 | |
SOUTHINGTON |
|||
Carl M. Small Regional Vo-Ag |
|||
0126 VE |
259,753 |
246,765 | |
STRATFORD |
|||
Stratford High School |
|||
0097 EA/RR |
56,115,586 |
28,057,793 | |
VERNON |
|||
Rockville High School (Vo-Ag) |
|||
0134 VE |
154,095 |
146,390 | |
WATERBURY |
|||
Wallace Middle/Crosby High |
|||
0285 EA |
15,758,000 |
12,381,061 | |
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 6 |
|||
Wamogo Regional High School (Vo-Ag) |
|||
0048 VE |
309,800 |
294,310 | |
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 14 |
|||
Nonnewaug High School (Vo-Ag) |
|||
0091 VA/VE |
246,101 |
233,796 | |
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 14 |
|||
Nonnewaug High School (Vo-Ag) |
|||
0092 VE |
246,508 |
234,183 | |
DANBURY |
|||
Danbury High School |
|||
0137 EC |
4,073,767 |
2,196,983 | |
EASTFORD |
|||
Eastford Elementary School |
|||
0012 EC |
150,000 |
90,000 |
(2) Previously Authorized Projects That Have Changed Substantially in Scope or Cost which are Seeking First Reauthorization.
School District |
Authorized |
Requested | |
School |
|||
Project Number |
|||
GRISWOLD |
|||
Griswold Middle School |
|||
058-0034 EA/RR |
|||
Estimated… |
|||
Total Project Costs |
$ 34,000,000 |
$ 30,697,319 | |
Total Grant |
25,013,800 |
22,584,018 | |
MILFORD |
|||
Jonathan Law High School |
|||
084-0177 EA/EC |
|||
Estimated… |
|||
Total Project Costs |
$ 5,500,000 |
$ 4,163,471 | |
Total Grant |
2,141,150 |
1,620,839 | |
CREC |
|||
Medical Professions & Teacher |
|||
Preparation Magnet School |
|||
241-0096 MAG/N/PS |
|||
Estimated… |
|||
Total Project Costs |
$ 52,115,425 |
$ 64,507,200 | |
Total Grant |
49,509,654 |
61,281,840 |
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-286 concerning the calculation of grants using the state standard space specifications, the town of Griswold shall be exempt from the state standard space specifications for the purpose of the calculation of the grant for the new construction project at the Griswold Elementary School (Project Number 058-0035 N).
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring a completed grant application be submitted prior to June 30, 2012, or subsection (d) of said section 10-283, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring local funding authorization for the local share of project costs prior to application, for the school construction priority list to be considered by the General Assembly in the 2013 regular legislative session, the Commissioner of Education shall give review and the Commissioner of Construction Services shall give review and approval priority to a project for the renovation and expansion of the William J. Johnston Middle School in the town of Colchester, provided a complete grant application with funding authorization for the local share of the project costs and a complete application is filed on or before November 30, 2012.
Sec. 4. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning projected enrollment for a school building project for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the town of Bethel may use one thousand one hundred forty as its projected enrollment figure for the extension and alteration project (Project Number 009-0057 EA) at Bethel High School.
Sec. 5. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring that the description of a project type for a school building project be made at the time of application for a school building project grant or the provisions of subdivision (18) of section 10-282 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-282, the town of Meriden may change the description of the extension and alteration project (Project Number 080-0092 EA/RR) at Francis T. Maloney High School and the extension and alteration project (Project Number 080-0093 EA/RR) at Orville H. Platt High School to renovation projects and subsequently qualify as renovation projects, as defined in subdivision (18) of said section 10-282.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services setting square footage specifications for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the town of Meriden may use two hundred eighty thousand square feet eligible as the maximum square footage for the extension and alteration and roof replacement project (Project Number 080-0092 EA/RR) at Francis T. Maloney High School and two hundred sixty thousand square feet eligible as the maximum square footage for the extension and alteration and roof replacement project (Project Number 080-0093 EA/RR) at Orville H. Platt High School.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services limiting reimbursement to one-half of the eligible percentage of the net eligible cost of construction to a town for construction, extension or major alteration of a natatorium or auditorium, the town of Meriden shall receive full reimbursement of the eligible percentage of the net eligible cost of the extension and alteration and roof replacement project (Project Number 080-0092 EA/RR) at Francis T. Maloney High School and the extension and alteration and roof replacement project (Project Number 080-0093 EA/RR) at Orville H. Platt High School.
Sec. 6. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-292 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a bid not be let out until plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities, the town of North Branford may let out for bid on and commence a project for code violations (Project Number TMP-099-WVD) at North Branford High School and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities.
Sec. 7. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-286d of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a site-acquisition grant be used for site-acquisition costs, the town of Windham may use previously authorized site-acquisition grant funds for other construction costs for the new magnet school construction project (Project Number 163-0071 MAG/N) at the Windham Magnet School.
Sec. 8. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-292 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a bid not be let out until plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities, the town of West Hartford may let out for bid on and commence a project for a roof replacement (Project Number 155-0232 RR) at Aiken Elementary School and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities.
Sec. 9. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-292 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education, the Department of Construction Services requiring that a bid not be let out until plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities, the town of West Hartford may let out for bid on and commence a project for relocatable classrooms (Project Number 155-0233 RE) at Bugbee Elementary School and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities.
Sec. 10. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 173 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted under said chapter, the town of West Hartford is authorized to illuminate the athletic fields at Conard High School in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars and shall be subsequently eligible for school construction grant assistance, provided a completed grant application is submitted to the Department of Construction Services prior to June 30, 2013. The full cost of the illumination project shall be deemed eligible costs for the purpose of grant calculation. The grant for construction assistance shall be calculated using the same rate of reimbursement as assigned to school building projects for the town of West Hartford.
Sec. 11. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 173 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted under said chapter, the town of West Hartford is authorized to illuminate the athletic fields at Hall High School in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars and shall be subsequently eligible for school construction grant assistance provided a completed grant application is submitted to the Department of Construction Services prior to June 30, 2013. The full cost of the illumination project shall be deemed eligible costs for the purpose of grant calculation. The grant for construction assistance shall be calculated using the same rate of reimbursement as assigned to school building projects for the town of West Hartford.
Sec. 12. Section 10-286h of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) (1) The Department of Construction Services, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall provide a school building project grant in accordance with the provisions of this chapter for a diversity school for any local or regional board of education that has one or more schools under the jurisdiction of such board where the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in all grades of the school is greater than twenty-five per cent of the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the public schools in all of the same grades of the school district in which said school is situated taken together, and (2) such board has demonstrated evidence of a good-faith effort to correct the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district, as determined by the Commissioner of Education. Such diversity school shall be open to resident students of the school district for the purpose of correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district not later than five years after the opening of the diversity school. For purposes of this section, "pupils of racial minorities" means those whose race is defined as other than white, or whose ethnicity is defined as Hispanic or Latino by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by the Bureau of Census of the United States Department of Commerce.
(b) An eligible local or regional board of education shall apply to the Commissioner of Construction Services, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, for a school building project grant pursuant to this section. Such application shall include (1) evidence that the local or regional board of education is developing policies to make residents of the district aware that enrollment in the diversity school is open to all eligible resident students, and (2) a plan for correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district. The Commissioner of Construction Services shall approve only applications for reimbursement under this section that the Commissioner of Education finds will assist eligible local and regional boards of education in correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district.
(c) Eligible local or regional boards of education, for purposes of a diversity school, shall be eligible for reimbursement of eighty per cent of the reasonable cost of any capital expenditure for the purchase, construction, extension, replacement, leasing or major alteration of diversity school facilities, including any expenditure for the purchase of equipment, in accordance with this section. To be eligible for reimbursement under this section, a diversity school construction project shall meet the requirements for a school building project established in this chapter, except that the Commissioner of Construction Services may waive any requirement in this chapter for good cause.
[(d) (1) The Commissioner of Education shall conduct a programmatic audit five years after the opening of a diversity school to examine whether the local or regional board of education has corrected the disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district. If the Commissioner of Education determines that the local or regional board of education has not made significant progress in correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district, the Commissioner of Education shall provide notice that such board may be responsible for repaying the Department of Construction Services in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection if significant progress is not made in correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district one year following the audit conducted pursuant to this subsection.
(2) If the Commissioner of Education determines a local or regional board of education has not made significant progress in correcting the existing disparity in the proportion of pupils of racial minorities in the district one year following the notice provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection, such board shall be responsible for repaying the cost of capital expenditures for such diversity school in an amount to be calculated by the Department of Construction Services pursuant to this subdivision and that is the difference between the reimbursement percentage received pursuant to subsection (d) of this section and the reimbursement percentage calculated in accordance with the provisions of section 10-285a. The department shall (A) compute the local share of the project cost in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, (B) determine a repayment schedule of the local share based on twenty equal annual principal payments, (C) apply a fixed rate of interest, as determined by the State Treasurer, over the life of the repayment period, and (D) determine a schedule of interest payments due from the town where the diversity school is located based on the outstanding principal at the time each principal payment is made. ]
Sec. 13. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning projected enrollment for a school building project for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the town of Stamford may use one thousand four hundred as its projected enrollment figure for the alteration and code violation project (Project Number 135-0203 A/CV) at Rippowam Middle School.
Sec. 14. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of section 1 of this act and section 10-264h of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning the reimbursement rate for the construction of interdistrict magnet schools, the town of Hartford may use ninety-five per cent as the reimbursement rate for the extension and alteration project of an interdistrict magnet facility (Project Number 064-0304 MAG/EA) at the Hartford Magnet Middle School.
Sec. 15. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning projected enrollment for a school building project for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the board of education for Regional School District 14 may use seven hundred twenty-seven as its projected enrollment figure and a grade range of grades six to eight, inclusive, for the extension and alteration project (Project Number 214-0073 EA) at Woodbury Middle School.
Sec. 16. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring a completed grant application be submitted prior to June 30, 2012, or subsection (d) of section 10-283 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring local funding authorization for the local share of project costs prior to application, for the school construction priority list to be considered by the General Assembly in the 2013 regular legislative session, the Commissioner of Education shall give review and the Commissioner of Construction Services shall give review and approval priority to a project for the renovation and expansion of the New London High School in the town of New London, provided a complete grant application with funding authorization for the local share of the project costs and a complete application is filed on or before November 1, 2012.
Sec. 17. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning projected enrollment for a school building project for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the town of Middletown may use four hundred seventy-five as its projected enrollment figure for the alteration and roof replacement project (Project Number 083-0105 A/RR) at Lawrence Elementary School.
Sec. 18. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services concerning projected enrollment for a school building project for purposes of calculating eligible costs for a school building project grant, the town of Middletown may use four hundred fifty as its projected enrollment figure for the extension and alteration project (Project Number 083-0106 EA) at Wesley Elementary School.
Sec. 19. Section 30 of public act 07-249, as amended by section 23 of public act 07-3 of the June special session and section 104 of public act 11-57, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of title 10 of the general statutes, a local or regional school district that is a (1) district for a town (A) with a population greater than twenty thousand, but not more than thirty thousand, and (B) that is less than six square miles in area, in which at least fifty per cent of the property is exempt from taxation pursuant to chapter 203 of the general statutes, and (2) priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes shall qualify as an interdistrict magnet district.
(b) (1) The Commissioner of Education may designate as many as two schools under the jurisdiction of such district as interdistrict magnet schools for the purposes of section 10-264h of the general statutes, provided the district submits a plan to the commissioner detailing how the district will meet the enrollment requirements provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection and the commissioner deems such plan reasonable. The total grant amount for projects for both schools shall not be more than ten million dollars more than the grant amount such district would have otherwise received for such projects pursuant to the provisions of section 10-286 of the general statutes. No school in such district shall be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-264l of the general statutes, unless such school operates as an "interdistrict magnet school program", as defined in subsection (a) of said section 10-264l, and meets the district-wide enrollment requirements pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(2) Not later than three years after the reopening of the schools of the interdistrict magnet school district following school construction projects for such schools, reimbursed at the rate provided for in section 10-264h of the general statutes, the local or regional board of education of such district shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education on the progress of such district in enrolling students from other school districts. If such district does not, on or before June 30, 2015, enroll students from other districts at a rate that is at least fifteen per cent of its total district-wide enrollment, such district shall be liable to the state for repayment of the amount representing the difference between the school building project grant received pursuant to this section and section 10-264h of the general statutes, and the grant such district would have otherwise received for such projects pursuant to the provisions of section 10-286 of the general statutes.
(3) For purposes of this subsection, "district-wide enrollment" means the total number of students enrolled in the New London public schools.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes, as amended by [this act] public act 07-249, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education requiring a completed grant application be submitted prior to June 30, 2006, or subsection (d) of section 10-283 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the board requiring local funding authorization for the local share of project costs prior to application, the projects for the local or regional school district that qualifies as an interdistrict magnet school district under subsection (a) of this section shall be included in subdivision (1) of section 1 of [this act] public act 07-249, provided the school district secures the funding authorization for the local share and files a completed grant application prior to June 30, 2008, and meets all other provisions of chapter 173 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education, except as provided for in this section.
(d) Any school so designated by the commissioner as a magnet school under this section that enrolls less than twenty-five per cent of the school's students from a town outside of the school district in which such school is located shall be eligible to receive a per pupil grant, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-264l of the general statutes, for each enrolled student who is not a resident of the town in which such school is located.
Sec. 20. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring any town or regional school district to refund the unamortized balance of a school construction grant if the town or regional school district abandons, sells, leases, demolishes or otherwise redirects the use of a school building to other than a public school, the town of Guilford shall not be required to refund up to six hundred fifteen thousand dollars in total if portions of Guilford Public High School are redirected for another use prior to June 30, 2015.
Sec. 21. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring that the description of a project type for a school building project be made at the time of application for a school building project grant and the provisions of subdivision (18) of section 10-282 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-282 concerning the definition of renovation, the town of Waterford may change the description of the extension and alteration project (Project Number 152-0102 EA) at Waterford High School to a renovation project and subsequently qualify as a renovation, as defined in subdivision (18) of said section 10-282 and qualify for waivers as defined in subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education of the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 limiting the number of times a project may be submitted to the legislature for authorization due to a change in cost or score, or requiring that no such project that has changed in scope or cost to the degree determined by the commissioner shall be eligible for reimbursement under this chapter unless it appears on such list, the change in cost and scope identified above shall be deemed to have been authorized by the legislature and shall not be considered when determining the number of times the project is submitted for authorization by either the Department of Education or the Department of Construction Services.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-292 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a bid not be let out until plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities, the town of Waterford may let out for bid on and commence a project for the renovation (Project Number 152-0102 RENO) of Waterford High School and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities.
Sec. 22. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 10-286 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services regarding eligible costs for roof replacement projects, the town of Fairfield may replace the roof at Warde High School (Project Number 051-BWQX) and be eligible to receive a grant based on the eligible percentages determined pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of said section 10-286 of the eligible project costs.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 10-291 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that the total replacement of an existing roof have a minimum roof pitch of one-half inch per foot, the town of Fairfield may use a roof pitch that is less than one-half inch per foot for the roof replacement project (Project Number 051-BWQX) at Warde High School and shall be eligible to be considered for a grant commitment from the state.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-292 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a bid not be let out until plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities, the town of Fairfield may let out for bid on and commence a project for roof replacement (Project Number 051-BWQX) at Warde High School and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Services' bureau of school facilities.
Sec. 23. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring that the description of a project type for a school building project be made at the time of application for a school building project grant or the provisions of section 10-282 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to said section 10-282, the town of Bridgeport may change the description of the extension and alteration project (Project Number 015-0167 EA) at Longfellow School to a new project (Project Number 015-0167 N) and subsequently qualify as a new project, provided the increase in the grant commitment due to such change from an extension and alteration project to a new construction project shall not exceed twenty-three million two hundred thousand dollars.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-284 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a town or regional school district begin construction on a project not later than two years after the effective date of the act of the General Assembly authorizing the Commissioner of Education to enter into grant commitments for such project, the town of Bridgeport shall have until June 30, 2014, to begin construction on a new construction project (Project Number 015-0167 N) at Longfellow School.
Sec. 24. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 173 of the general statutes authorizing the Commissioner of Construction Services to enter into grant commitments for school building projects and the amount of grants approved by the commissioner under said chapter, the town of Bridgeport may receive an increase to the project budget in an amount not to exceed one million five hundred thousand dollars for the extension and alteration project (Project Number 015-0164 EA) at Columbus School in order to cover the costs associated with polychlorinated biphenyl contamination, provided the town of Bridgeport seeks recovery of damages at law or equity for such polychlorinated biphenyl contamination and any award of damages arising out of litigation or settlement of claims for such polychlorinated biphenyl contamination shall be applied against the school building project grant awarded under chapter 173 of the general statutes for such extension and alteration project.
Sec. 25. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-284 of the general statutes or any regulations adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring that a town or regional school district begin construction on a project not later than two years after the effective date of the act of the General Assembly authorizing the Commissioner of Construction Services to enter into grant commitments for such project, the town of New Haven shall have until June 30, 2014, to begin construction on a new interdistrict magnet school (Project Number 093-0357 MAG/NEW) known as the Engineering and Science University Magnet School near the University of New Haven in West Haven.
Sec. 26. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring a completed grant application be submitted prior to June 30, 2011, and the provisions of section 10-66bb of the general statutes concerning limitations on enrollment, a purchase of site and new construction project for Achievement First Amistad High School in New Haven with costs not to exceed thirty-five million dollars shall be included in subdivision (1) of section 1 of this act, provided a complete grant application is submitted prior to June 30, 2013. Such building project shall be eligible for a reimbursement rate of sixty-eight and ninety-three hundredths per cent. All final calculations completed by the Department of Construction Services for such school building project shall include a computation of the state grant for the school building project amortized on a straight line basis over a twenty year period. If such building ceases to be used as Achievement First Amistad High School during such amortization period, the governing authority of Achievement First Amistad High School shall refund to the state the unamortized balance of the state grant remaining as of the date the alternate use for the building project initially occurs. The amortization period for a project shall begin on the date the project was accepted as complete by the governing authority.
Sec. 27. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring that the description of a project type for a school building project be made at the time of application for a school building project grant, the Capitol Region Education Council may change the description and scope of the following projects to a facility purchase and extension and alteration and roof replacement project: Academy of Aerospace (Project Number 241-0099), Discovery Academy (Project Number 241-0100) and Museum Academy (Project Number 241-0101).
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 10-283 and 10-286d of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 requiring that the estimated total project costs be made at the time of application for a school building project grant, the Capitol Region Education Council may increase the costs associated with site or site and facility acquisition such that the total estimated project costs are increased as follows for the following projects: Reggio Magnet School of the Arts (Project Number 241-0095) to thirty-one million four hundred sixty-nine thousand five hundred dollars, International Magnet School for Global Citizenship (Project Number 241-0098) to twenty-six million five hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred five dollars, Academy of Aerospace (Project Number 241-0099) to seventy-two million nine hundred ninety-three thousand dollars and Discovery Academy (Project Number 241-0100) thirty-five million six hundred seventy-five thousand dollars.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-283 limiting the number of times a project may be submitted to the legislature for authorization due to a change in cost or scope, or requiring that no such project that has changed in scope or cost to the degree determined by the commissioner shall be eligible for reimbursement under this chapter unless it appears on such list, the change in cost and scope identified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be deemed to have been authorized by the legislature and shall not be considered when determining the number of times the project is submitted for authorization by either the Department of Education or the Department of Construction Services.
Sec. 28. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-264h or chapter 173 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services pursuant to said section 10-264h or chapter 173 concerning eligible costs for school building project grant reimbursement, reasonable costs as determined by the Commissioner of Education associated with short-term or temporary financing costs, including interest, necessary for the construction of the interdistrict magnet schools described in this section, shall be considered eligible for grant assistance for each of the following projects authorized for the Capitol Region Education Council: Reggio Magnet School of the Arts (Project Number 241-0095), International Magnet School for Global Citizenship (Project Number 241-0098), Public Safety Academy (Project Number 241-0097), Medical Professions and Teacher Preparation Academy (Project Number 241-0096), Academy of Aerospace (Project Number 241-0099), Discovery Academy (Project Number 241-0100) and Museum Academy (Project Number 241-0101).
Sec. 29. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10-283 of the general statutes, or any regulation adopted by the State Board of Education or the Department of Construction Services requiring a completed grant application be submitted prior to June 30, 2011, and the provisions of section 10-66bb of the general statutes concerning limitations on enrollment, an extension and alteration project for Common Ground High School in New Haven with costs not to exceed four million dollars shall be included in subdivision (1) of section 1 of this act, provided a complete grant application is submitted prior to June 30, 2013. Such building project shall be eligible for a reimbursement rate of seventy-eight and ninety-three hundredths per cent. All final calculations completed by the Department of Construction Services for such school building project shall include a computation of the state grant for the school building project amortized on a straight line basis over a twenty year period. If such building ceases to be used as Common Ground High School during such amortization period, the governing authority of Common Ground High School shall refund to the state the unamortized balance of the state grant remaining as of the date the alternate use for the building project initially occurs. The amortization period for a project shall begin on the date the project was accepted as complete by the governing authority.
Sec. 30. (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 173 of the general statutes or any regulation adopted under said chapter 173, the town of Hartford is authorized to construct a connector road and rail crossing between Weaver High School and the University of Hartford in an amount not to exceed two million one hundred thousand dollars and shall be eligible to subsequently be considered for a grant commitment from the state, provided a completed grant application is submitted to the Department of Construction Services prior to June 30, 2013, provided further plans and specifications have been approved by the Department of Construction Service's bureau of school facilities and provided further an audit is conducted pursuant to section 10-287 of the general statutes prior to final payment of such grant commitment. The full cost of the connector road and rail crossing project shall be deemed eligible costs for the purpose of grant calculation. The grant for construction assistance shall be calculated using the same rate of reimbursement as assigned to school building projects for the town of Hartford.