AB50: Bill Text

AB50,1915 Section 1915. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:

AB50,1000,16 115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2025-26 school year and annually thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount by which the school district increased its expenditures made by the school board, operator, or governing body in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

AB50,1916 Section 1916. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.

AB50,1917 Section 1917. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and amended to read:

AB50,1001,2 115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and independent charter schools boards, operators of charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in programs under ss. 118.60 and 119.23 that are eligible for the aid.

AB50,1918 Section 1918. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1919 Section 1919. 115.366 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1001,7 115.366 (3) Awards. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, from From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (du), the department shall award up to $1,000 $6,000 for each school for which a grant is awarded under sub. (1).

AB50,1920 Section 1920. 115.367 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB50,1001,15 115.367 Aid for comprehensive school mental health services. (1) Beginning in the 2025-26 school year and annually thereafter, the state superintendent shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dt) and subject to sub. (3), reimburse a school board or the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) for expenditures relating to mental health services provided during in-school or out-of-school time. Mental health services eligible for reimbursement under this subsection include at least all of the following:

AB50,1001,16 (a) Mental health evidence-based improvement strategies.

AB50,1001,18 (b) Mental health literacy and stigma reduction programs for pupils and adults.

AB50,1001,21 (c) Collaborating or contracting with community mental health providers, consultants, organizations, cooperative educational service agencies, and other experts to provide consultation, training, mentoring, and coaching.

AB50,1001,22 (d) Parent training and informational events.

AB50,1001,23 (e) Assistance programs for pupils and families.

AB50,1001,24 (f) Mental health navigators.

AB50,1002,1 (g) Mental health system planning.

AB50,1002,2 (h) Translator and interpreter services.

AB50,1002,4 (i) School-employed mental health professionals who are accessible to all pupils and for whom a reimbursement is not made under s. 115.364 (2) (a).

AB50,1002,6 (j) Setting up spaces and purchasing equipment suitable for mental health telehealth service delivery.

AB50,1002,8 (k) Projects designed to assist minors experiencing problems resulting from the use of alcohol or other drugs or to prevent alcohol or other drug use by minors.

AB50,1002,9 (L) Telehealth services, as defined in s. 440.01 (1) (hm).

AB50,1002,10 (2) The following costs are ineligible for reimbursement under sub. (1):

AB50,1002,11 (a) Payments for direct treatment services or insurance deductibles.

AB50,1002,12 (b) Training that is not related to pupil mental health.

AB50,1002,13 (c) Staff salaries for positions that are not related to pupil mental health.

AB50,1002,14 (d) Indirect costs of regular school operations.

AB50,1002,17 (3) (a) In each school year, the amount the state superintendent reimburses a school board or operator of an independent charter school under sub. (1) may not exceed the greater of the following:

AB50,1002,18 1. $100,000.

AB50,1002,20 2. $100 multiplied by the number of pupils enrolled in the school district or charter school in the previous school year.

AB50,1003,2 (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dt) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under sub. (1), the state superintendent shall prorate state aid payments among the school boards and the operators of charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x) that are eligible for the aid.

AB50,1921 Section 1921. 115.39 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.39 (2) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB50,1003,9 115.39 (2) (a) (intro.) Contract with individuals who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in science-based early literacy instruction and instructional practices and have instructional experience in grades kindergarten to 12 to serve as literacy coaches. The office may not contract for more than 64 the following number of full- time equivalent positions under this paragraph.:

AB50,1922 Section 1922. 115.39 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1003,11 115.39 (2) (a) 1. In the 2025-26 school year, 64.

AB50,1923 Section 1923. 115.39 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1003,13 115.39 (2) (a) 2. In the 2026-27 and each school year thereafter, 100.

AB50,1924 Section 1924. 115.39 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1003,18 115.39 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) The total number of full-time equivalent literacy coaches assigned under pars. (a) and (b) in the 2025-26 school year to eligible schools located within the geographical boundaries of a school district may not exceed the following:

AB50,1925 Section 1925. 115.39 (3) (c) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1003,23 115.39 (3) (c) 1m. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the total number of full-time equivalent literacy coaches assigned under pars. (a) and (b) to eligible schools located within the geographical boundaries of a school district may not exceed the following:

AB50,1003,24 a. For a 1st class city school district, 16.

AB50,1004,1 b. For a school district other than a 1st class city school district, 6.

AB50,1926 Section 1926. 115.395 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1004,3 115.395 Early literacy tutoring; grants. (1) In this section:

AB50,1004,5 (a) “High-dosage literacy tutoring” means literacy tutoring that is all of the following:

AB50,1004,7 1. Provided to a pupil in a one-on-one setting or in a small group that does not include more than 4 pupils per tutor.

AB50,1004,9 2. Provided to a pupil at least 3 sessions, each of which is at least 30 minutes in duration, per week by the same tutor.

AB50,1004,11 3. Provided by tutors who are professionally trained and receive ongoing support and coaching.

AB50,1004,13 4. Provided using high-quality instructional materials that align with classroom content.

AB50,1004,14 5. Held during school hours.

AB50,1004,16 (b) “Literacy tutoring” means tutoring that includes science-based early reading instruction and does not include 3-cueing.

AB50,1004,18 (c) “Science-based early reading instruction” has the meaning given in s. 118.015 (1c) (b).

AB50,1004,19 (d) “Three-cueing” has the meaning given in s. 118.015 (1c) (c).

AB50,1004,24 (2) The department shall establish and implement a competitive grant program to award grants to community-based nonprofit organizations for the purpose of providing literacy tutoring, including high-dosage literacy tutoring, to pupils in 5-year-old kindergarten to grade 3 who have not yet demonstrated the ability to read at grade level.

AB50,1005,2 (3) The department may promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.

AB50,1927 Section 1927. 115.407 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1005,8 115.407 Grants to support local programming; career pathway to teaching. (1) (a) The department shall develop a competitive request-for-proposal process for the award of a grant to an entity for the purpose of subsidizing cocurricular opportunities provided to public school pupils in grades 6 to 12 that encourage pupils to pursue a career in teaching elementary and secondary grades.

AB50,1005,12 (b) The department shall accept applications from entities responding to the request-for-proposal under par. (a) and shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (er), award a grant to an entity that satisfies the requirements under sub. (2).

AB50,1005,16 (2) To be eligible for a grant under this section, an entity shall demonstrate that it has successfully supported cocurricular opportunities in public schools in this state to encourage pupils to pursue a career in teaching elementary and secondary grades.

AB50,1928 Section 1928. 115.421 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1005,24 115.421 Student teacher stipends. From the appropriation account under s. 20.255 (3) (cj), beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the department shall provide payments, in the amount of $2,500 per individual per semester, to an individual who is completing student teaching as part of a teacher preparatory program approved by the state superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a). Receipt of a payment under this section does not preclude an individual’s receipt of a payment under s. 115.41. The department may promulgate rules to implement this section.

AB50,1929 Section 1929. 115.422 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1006,9 115.422 Grow your own programs; teacher pipeline capacity building. (1) In this section, “grow your own program” means a program to encourage individuals to pursue a career in teaching or to facilitate teacher licensure. “Grow your own programs” include high school clubs that encourage careers in teaching, payment of costs associated with current staff acquiring education needed for licensure, support for career pathways using dual enrollment, support for partnerships focused on attracting or developing new teachers, or incentives for paraprofessionals to gain licensure.

AB50,1006,13 (2) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (fj), the department shall award grants to a school district or the operator of a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) to reimburse the school district or charter school for costs associated with grow your own programs.

AB50,1006,15 (3) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including criteria for awarding a grant.

AB50,1930 Section 1930. 115.424 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1006,21 115.424 Cooperating teacher stipends. From the appropriation account under s. 20.255 (3) (ck), beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the department shall provide payments, in the amount of $1,000 per teacher per semester, to a cooperating teacher who is overseeing an individual who is completing student teaching. The department may promulgate rules to implement this section.

AB50,1931 Section 1931. 115.433 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1007,3 115.433 Aid for career and technical education. (1) In this section, “high school career and technical education pathway” means a series of career and technical education opportunities that prepare a pupil for a postsecondary option in a specific career area.

AB50,1007,13 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dk), the state superintendent shall provide payments to school boards and operators of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) for the purpose of increasing high school career and technical education pathways in public schools. Aid payments under this subsection may be used for expenses related to creating career and technical education courses and high school career and technical education pathways and for expanding access to existing career and technical education courses and high school career and technical education pathways. The department shall pay to a school board or operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) an amount calculated as follows:

AB50,1007,16 (a) Determine the total number of pupils in the high school grades enrolled in school districts and charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) in the previous school year.

AB50,1007,19 (b) Determine the number of pupils in the high school grades enrolled in the school district or charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) in the previous school year.

AB50,1007,21 (c) Divide the amount determined under par. (b) by the amount determined under par. (a).

AB50,1007,23 (d) Multiply the quotient calculated under par. (c) by one of the following amounts, whichever is applicable:

AB50,1007,24 1. In the 2025-26 school year, $5,000,000.

AB50,1008,2 2. In the 2026-27 school year, the unencumbered balance of the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (dk) at the close of the 2025-26 fiscal year.

AB50,1008,4 3. In the 2027-28 school year, and each school year thereafter, one-half of the amount appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (dk) for the applicable fiscal biennium.

AB50,1008,6 (3) The department may promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.

AB50,1932 Section 1932. 115.436 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1008,11 115.436 (3) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, from From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ae) and subject to par. (b), the department shall pay to each school district eligible for sparsity aid under this paragraph $400 $500 multiplied by the membership in the previous school year.

AB50,1933 Section 1933. 115.436 (3) (am) of the statutes is renumbered 115.436 (3) (am) 1. and amended to read:

AB50,1008,20 115.436 (3) (am) 1. Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, from From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ae), the department shall, subject to par. (b), pay to each school district that received aid under this section par. (a) in the previous school year but does not satisfy the requirement under sub. (2) (a) or (2m) (a) is ineligible to receive aid under pars. (a) and (c) in the current school year 50 percent of the amount received by the school district under par. (a) in the previous school year.

AB50,1934 Section 1934. 115.436 (3) (am) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1009,2 115.436 (3) (am) 2. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ae), the department shall, subject to par. (b), pay to each school district that received aid under par. (c) in the previous school year but is ineligible to receive aid under pars. (a) and (c) in the current school year 50 percent of the amount received by the school district under par. (c) in the previous school year.

AB50,1935 Section 1935. 115.436 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1009,7 115.436 (3) (c) Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, from From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ae) and subject to par. (b), the department shall pay to a school district that is eligible for sparsity aid under this paragraph $100 $200 multiplied by the school district’s membership in the previous school year.

AB50,1936 Section 1936. 115.437 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 115.437 (1) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB50,1009,10 115.437 (1) (intro.) In this section, “number: