Bill Text: CT SB00526 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

Connecticut Senate Bill 526 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: An Act Authorizing Bonds Of The State To Assist In The Implementation Of The Hartford School District Consolidation Plan.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-29 - Public Hearing 04/02 [SB00526 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2018-SB00526-Introduced.html


General Assembly		*Raised Bill No. 526*
*February Session, 2018*		LCO No. 3119
		03119_______FIN
Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING
Introduced by:
(FIN)

AN ACT AUTHORIZING BONDS OF THE STATE TO ASSIST IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HARTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION PLAN.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the District Model for Excellence Restructuring Recommendations and School Closures approved by the board of education for the Hartford school district on January 23, 2018, relating to the closure of the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School located in the Hartford school district and the consolidation of grades preschool to five, inclusive, of said school, for the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, (1) the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School shall (A) continue to operate as a district/neighborhood school for grades preschool to five, inclusive, in the Hartford school district, and (B) enroll students in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and (2) the Montessori Magnet school, formerly located at the Moylan/McDonough Campuses, shall (A) be colocated at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School and operate as an interdistrict magnet school program in accordance with the provisions of section 10-264l of the general statutes, and (B) enroll students in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-264o of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

(b) (1) For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, the local board of education for the Hartford school district when enrolling students at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School shall:

(A) Guarantee enrollment at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School to any student who was enrolled in a preschool program or in grades kindergarten to four, inclusive, at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School during the school year commencing July 1, 2017, and not require that such student enter the Hartford District Choice Lottery conducted annually by the Hartford Public Schools Office of School Choice, until such student successfully completes grade five, provided such student is continuously enrolled at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School;

(B) Include the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School in the Hartford District Choice Lottery conducted annually by the Hartford Public Schools Office of School Choice in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection; and

(C) Guarantee enrollment at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School to any student who enrolls at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School through the Hartford District Choice Lottery conducted pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision until such student successfully completes grade five, provided such student is continuously enrolled at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School.

(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, the Hartford District Choice Lottery conducted annually by the Hartford Public Schools Office of School Choice shall give preference to siblings, students of employees of the school and students who reside within a nine-tenths of a mile radius of the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School.

Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10-264o of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2018):

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, interdistrict magnet schools that begin operations on or after July 1, 2008, pursuant to the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as extended, or the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O'Neill, et al., as extended, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, may operate without district participation agreements and enroll students from any district through [a] an enrollment lottery designated by the commissioner, except as provided in subdivision (2) of this section.

(2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, the enrollment lottery conducted for the Montessori Magnet school colocated at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School, pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall give preference to siblings, students of employees of the school and students who reside within a nine-tenths of a mile radius of the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School.

Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2018) (a) For the purposes described in subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate one million five hundred thousand dollars.

(b) The proceeds of the sale of such bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the Department of Education for the purpose of costs associated with the colocation, including any necessary alterations or renovations, of the Montessori Magnet school, formerly located at the Moylan/McDonough Campuses, at the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School in the Hartford school district.

(c) All provisions of section 3-20 of the general statutes, or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to this section. Temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in accordance with section 3-20 of the general statutes and from time to time renewed. Such bonds shall mature at such time or times not exceeding twenty years from their respective dates as may be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State Bond Commission authorizing such bonds. None of such bonds shall be authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it a request for such authorization that is signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and states such terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may require. Such bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, and the State Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	from passage	New section
Sec. 2	July 1, 2018	10-264o(a)
Sec. 3	July 1, 2018	New section

Statement of Purpose:

To prevent the closure of the L.W. Batchelder Elementary School in the Hartford School District.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]