Educational Foundation Program Act (EFPA)
Section 1. Establishment1. In addition to all other appropriations and apportionments of public school money now provided by law and made available for public schools there shall be apportioned and paid to local boards of education from the Foundation Program Fund, the amounts to be determined as hereinafter provided and in accordance with regulations.
This Foundation Program Fund shall be used principally:
(1) To aid in providing at least a
180 198 full instructional day minimum school term, or the hourly equivalent thereof, except as otherwise provided in paragraph c. of subdivision (1) of subsection (b); and,
(2) To assist in the promotion of educational opportunity for all children in public schools.
(b) The following requirements and procedures, supplemented when necessary by regulations of the regional Board of Education, shall govern the apportionment of the fund:
Section 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN FUND
a. In order for a local board of education to share in the apportionment of the Foundation Program Fund and to receive the maximum benefits therefrom, the board shall meet the following conditions:
i. The appropriate local governing body must insure that the local board of education within its jurisdiction is receiving an amount of local tax receipts equivalent to
ten twenty mills of school tax as computed from the most current assessed valuation of property which comprises the school tax district or districts of the local board of education. The Superintendent of Education shall determine compliance with this provision of the law in accordance with rules or procedures adopted by the regional Board of Education. In determining compliance for a county board of education, tax revenues provided to the county board of education from the county, from whatever tax source derived, shall be considered. In determining compliance for a city board of education, tax revenues provided to the city board of education by the county and the city, from whatever tax source derived, shall be considered.
ii. In the expenditure of all funds available for the Foundation Program as herein defined, the local board of education shall as nearly as practicable provide the same length of term in all schools.
iii. The local board of education shall provide a school term of at least
180 198 full instructional days, or the hourly equivalent of no less than
1080 1188 instructional hours. The local academic school calendar shall be annually established by the local board of education, within the parameters of subparagraph
iv. In case the local board of education fails to operate any schools the minimum
180 198 full instructional day term, or the hourly equivalent thereof, or the minimum term as defined by the Board of Education, the Foundation Program allowances of the local board of education shall be computed only for the actual period the schools are in session that school year.
v. In extreme circumstances involving natural occurrences, health-related occurrences, or other extenuating circumstances that result in the cancellation of an instructional day, a local board of education may submit a plan for the approval of the Superintendent of Education to replace cancelled instructional days by adjusting the school calendar to extend the hours of actual teaching time on specified instructional days.
At any time that a Governor declares a state of emergency for any part of the region, any affected school system that is closed as a result and loses student days or employee days, or both, may appeal to the State Superintendent of Education for relief in fulfilling the local school calendar with respect to student days or employee days, or both, with no loss of income to employees.
vi. The local board of education, in providing the minimum required number of instructional days or hours, shall have greater flexibility in establishing the school calendar by adjusting the days or extending the hours of actual teaching or instructional time provided on specified instructional days for the schools under the jurisdiction of the local board. The academic school calendar, established by the local board of education, shall include the minimum required number of instructional days or hours.
vii. The local board of education shall expend funds for teachers' salaries in accordance with a salary schedule adopted by the local board of education and approved by the State Superintendent of Education. The salary schedule shall be at least
100 125 percent of those salary amounts specified in the State Minimum Salary Schedule by cell.
The local board of education shall allocate state and local Foundation Program funds to each school in an equitable manner, based on the needs of the students and the schools, as reflected in the current year's actual student populations, including at-risk students, students receiving special education services, and students enrolled in vocational/technical educational programs. The local board of education shall report annually to the Board of Education on how all state and local funds for public education, including Foundation Program funds and capital outlay funds, have been allocated to each of its schools or area vocational centers.
e. The local board of education shall submit to the State Superintendent of Education, under the regulations of the State Board of Education, the following:
1. A proposed building program which sets out in detail the location of all present and proposed buildings; which indicates proposed educational centers and grades to be taught at these centers and which provides schools for all children of the local board of education.
2. Except for those city boards of education not maintaining a transportation system, a proposed transportation program showing the proposed routing of buses and the condition of all roads to be used for transportation.
3. A proposed professional development program which sets out in detail the professional development needs of employees of the local board of education.
4. A proposed technology program which sets out in detail the proposed expenditures of technology funds.
5. A proposed program for the provision of services to students with disabilities and gifted students in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
6. A proposed program for the provision of vocational educational services in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
7. A proposed program for the provision of educational services to at-risk students in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. The proposed program for at-risk students shall include the provision that all funds allocated shall be spent for at-risk students.
8. The local board of education shall meet such other standards as may be set up by the State Board of Education to promote improved educational opportunity and provide better schools.
Section 3. Costs & Funding
1. $1
0,000,000,000 shall be allocated to the Foundation for its operations and distribution of those funds to local boards of education to be spent over the next
fifteen ten years. This money shall be drawn from federal income taxes.
2. The Foundation shall create a website to garner private donations to aid in the operation of this Foundation and to aid local boards of education.
3. Should this Foundation run out of funds, the Foundation
's spending shall be supplemented by means of a newly-created Atlasian Schools Emergency Slush Fund, which is to support operations until such time as further funding is allocated by the Atlasian Government. will cease operations until the federal government approves additional funding. Funding should be spent
liberally to prioritize the well-being of Atlasia's children. conservatively to allow the Foundation to operate for ten years without additional governmental funding.
4. $1,000,000,000 shall be allocated to the Atlasian Schools Emergency Slush Fund, to be held with a domestic banking institution in liquid form.
5. The total anticipated spending of this bill is $11,000,000,000.
