LRB-1212/P2
EAW:emw&skw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Kretschmann, BB0233 - Bilingual-bicultural aid
For 2023-2025 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Education
Primary and secondary education
Bilingual-bicultural education aids
The bill increases the reimbursement rate for a bilingual-bicultural education program to 15 percent of qualifying costs in the 2023-24 school year and 20 percent of qualifying costs in the 2024-25 school year and each school year thereafter.
Under current law, a bilingual-bicultural education program is a program designed to improve the comprehension and the speaking, reading, and writing ability of a limited-English proficient pupil in the English language. A school district is required to establish a bilingual-bicultural education program if it has a certain amount of limited-English proficient pupils from the same language group within an individual school in the district. If DPI determines that a school district's bilingual-bicultural education program meets all statutory requirements, DPI reimburses the school district a percentage of qualifying costs of the bilingual-bicultural education program. Under current law, the percentage that is reimbursed is calculated by dividing the amount allocated in the biennial budget act among all qualifying school districts. DPI estimates that qualifying school districts received reimbursement for bilingual-bicultural education programs in the amount of 7.7 percent of qualifying costs for the 2021-22 school year.
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:
Section
1. 20.255 (2) (cc) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.255 (2) (cc) Bilingual-bicultural education aids. The amounts in the schedule A sum sufficient for bilingual-bicultural education programs aid under subch. VII of ch. 115 s. 115.995.
****Note: This is reconciled s. 20.255 (2) (cc). This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -1211/P1 and -1212/P1.
Section
2. 115.995 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 115.995 (2) (intro.) and amended to read:
115.995 (2) (intro.) Certify to the department of administration in favor of the school district a sum equal to a percentage of the amount expended on limited-English proficient pupils by the school district during the preceding year for salaries of personnel participating in and attributable to bilingual-bicultural education programs under this subchapter, special books and equipment used in the bilingual-bicultural programs and other expenses approved by the state superintendent. The percentage shall be determined by dividing the amount in the From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (cc)
in the current school year less $250,000 by the total amount of aidable costs in the previous school year., the state superintendent shall reimburse the school district the following amounts:
Section
3. 115.995 (2) (a) and (b) of the statutes are created to read:
115.995 (2) (a) In the 2023-24 school year, 15 percent of the amount certified under this subsection for the previous school year.
(b) In the 2024-25 school year and each school year thereafter, 20 percent of the amount certified under this subsection for the previous school year.
(End)
