AB834: Bill Text

LRB-4089/1

PG:sac:rs

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Assembly BILL 834

February 28, 2014 - Introduced by Representatives Clark, Wright, Pope, Danou, Smith, Milroy, Ringhand, Shankland, Ohnstad, Hesselbein and Sargent, cosponsored by Senators Vinehout, Schultz and Erpenbach. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB834,1,4 An Act to repeal 115.436 (2) (a) and (b); to consolidate, renumber and amend 115.436 (2) (intro.) and (c); to amend 20.255 (2) (ae); and to repeal and recreate 115.436 (3) (b) of the statutes; relating to: school district sparsity aid and and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a school district is eligible to receive sparsity aid if in the previous school year all of the following criteria were satisfied:

1. The number of pupils enrolled in the school district was no more than 725.

2. At least 20 percent of the pupils were eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Program.

3. The number of pupils enrolled in the district divided by the school district's area in square miles is less than ten.

This bill eliminates the first and second criteria, above. The bill also limits the amount of sparsity aid that a school district may receive in any school year to $750,000.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB834,1 Section 1. 20.255 (2) (ae) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB834,2,3 20.255 (2) (ae) Sparsity aid. The amounts in the schedule A sum sufficient for sparsity aid to school districts under s. 115.436.

AB834,2 Section 2. 115.436 (2) (intro.) and (c) of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 115.436 (2) and amended to read:

AB834,2,9 115.436 (2) A school district is eligible for sparsity aid under this section if it satisfies all of the following criteria: (c) The the school district's membership in the previous school year divided by the school district's area in square miles is less than 10.

AB834,3 Section 3. 115.436 (2) (a) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.

AB834,4 Section 4. 115.436 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB834,2,13 115.436 (3) (b) The department may not pay a school district more than $750,000 in any school year under this section.

AB834,5 Section 5. Initial applicability.

AB834,2,16 (1) The treatment of section 115.436 (2) (b) of the statutes first applies to sparsity aid paid to eligible school districts in the 2014-2015 school year.

AB834,2,17 (End)