FORMERLY HOUSE BILL
NO. 967
AN ACT MAKING A SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING A SUPPLEMENTARY EQUALIZATION FUND AND PROVIDING FOR THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS APPROPRIATED.
WHEREAS, Delaware's current school equalization formula does not adequately compensate for the disparity in property assessments between school districts; and
WHEREAS, several school districts with relatively low property assessments will, as a result of inflation and other factors, not be able to continue the present education programs without additional State support; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists for fiscal year 1973 in certain of the State's school districts; and
WHEREAS, the State plans to study and appropriately modify its equalization formula next year.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Section 1. There is hereby appropriated of the Department of Public Instruction the sum of $800,000 or so much thereof as may be required to carry out the purposes of this Act during the fiscal year 1973. Said appropriation will be considered as an additional entitlement for Division III — Equalization, but may be used only for operating costs other than salaries.
Section 2. The funds appropriated in this Act shall be alloted to the various school districts in accordance with each's ability to support education through local taxation. The per-unit allocation of funds hereunder shall be in accordance with the following chart:
•Category 1 — $2 per unit Alexis I. duPont
New Castle County Vocational-Technical Kent County Vocational-Technical Sussex County Vocational-Technical
Category 3 — $50 per unit Capital
Alfred I. duPont
Delmar
Category 5 — $175 per unit
Conrad Marshallton-McKean
Newark Milford Stanton Laurel
Category 7 — $400 per unit DeLaWarr
Category 2 — $25 per unit Cape Henlopen Wilmington
Indian River
Mount Pleasant
Category 4 — $75 per unit Claymont
Smyrna
New Castle-Gunning Bedford Seaford
Category 6 — $375 per unit
Woodbridge
Appoqunimink
Caesar Rodney
Section 3. This Act shall be known as a supplementary appropriation for the fiscal year 1973, and the funds appropriated herein shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of funds in the General Fund of the State of Delaware not otherwise appropriated.
Section 4. Funds appropriated herein remaining unexpended on June 30, 1973, shall revert to the General Fund of the State of Delaware.
Section 5. This Act shall be effective with the school year starting in September, 1972, and computed on the number of units as determined by enrollment September 30, 1972.