SPONSOR:

Rep. Chukwuocha & Rep. S. Moore & Rep. K. Williams & Sen. Sturgeon

Reps. Baumbach, Hensley, K. Johnson, Minor-Brown, Michael Smith; Sens. Hansen, Lockman

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 54

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO OPTIONAL MID-YEAR UNIT COUNT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 17, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows and redesignating accordingly:

§ 1704A Optional mid-year unit count.

(a) A school district or charter school which experiences enrollment growth during the school year but after the actual unit count as described in § 1704 of this chapter has been certified and reported, may at its option participate in an “optional mid-year unit count” on the last school day of January. The “optional mid-year unit count” shall be conducted in accordance with § 1703 of Title 14 to calculate any units generated in addition to the total district enrollment on the last school day in September, as certified in the actual unit count as required in § 1704.

(b) The Department of Education shall annually (after January 31) certify and report the “optional mid-year unit count” as required in § 1710 of this title. The Department of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement § 1704A.

(c) Additional units generated by the optional mid-year unit count shall be utilized only in schools which experienced enrollment growth between the last school day in September and the last school day in January.

(d) The optional mid-year unit count shall be done in accordance with § 1703 of this title, and certified and reported by the Department of Education under § 1710 of this title. School districts and charter schools shall qualify for state financial support for each additional unit in an amount equivalent to the daily rate of a Class A substitute teacher, as described in Chapter 13, § 1326 of Title 14, inclusive of other employment costs, for the remaining days of the school year, not to exceed a period of ninety days. The optional mid-year unit count must not be utilized to reduce or rescind units or funding previously earned or allocated through the actual unit count to any school district.

(e) School districts are authorized to assess a local match to provide a local contribution for personnel costs associated with the State support generated by the optional mid-year unit count.

SYNOPSIS

This Act clarifies the method of calculating the optional mid-year unit count, as well as how the mid-year count may be used and makes the option available to charter schools. A school district or charter school will qualify for state financial support for each additional unit under the optional unit count at the daily rate of a Class A substitute teacher, including other employment costs, for the remaining days of the school year. The Act authorizes school districts to provide a local match for personnel costs associated with the optional mid-year unit count.