AB68-ASA2-AA3,351dg Section 351dg. 115.882 of the statutes is renumbered 115.882 (intro.) and amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,20,18 115.882 Payment of state aid; reimbursement rate. (intro.) Funds appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (b) shall be used first for the purpose of s. 115.88 (4). Costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6) and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at a rate set to distribute the full amount appropriated for reimbursement for the costs, not to exceed 100 percent. the following rates:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351dp Section 351dp. 115.882 (1) and (2) of the statutes are created to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,20,20 115.882 (1) In the 2021-22 school year, 45 percent of eligible costs.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,20,22 (2) In the 2022-23 school year and in each school year thereafter, 50 percent of eligible costs.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351eg Section 351eg. 115.95 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,21,6 115.95 (2) It is the policy of this state to provide equal educational opportunities by ensuring that necessary programs are available for limited-English proficient pupils while allowing each school district and charter school under s. 118.740 (2r) and (2x) maximum flexibility in establishing programs suited to its particular needs. To this end, this subchapter provides support for educating limited-English proficient pupils and establishes bilingual-bicultural education programs for pupils in school districts with specified concentrations of limited-English proficient pupils in the attendance areas of particular schools.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351ep Section 351ep. 115.95 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,21,12 115.95 (3) It is the policy of this state to reimburse school districts, in substantial part, for the added costs of providing the programs established under this subchapter and to provide support to school districts and charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x) for the added costs of educating limited-English proficient pupils.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351f Section 351f. 115.958 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,21,18 115.958 Capacity-building grants for licensed educators. (1) A school board or the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) may apply to the department for a grant for the school district or charter school to provide support and financial assistance to its staff and teachers in obtaining licensure or certification as bilingual teachers and teachers of English as a 2nd language.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,21,22 (2) Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ch), the department may award grants under sub. (1) to school districts and charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x) in amounts determined by the department.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,21,24 (3) The department may promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351g Section 351g. 115.96 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,22,1 115.96 (title) Establishment Pupil counts; establishment of programs.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351k Section 351k. 115.96 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,22,10 115.96 (1) Count of limited-English proficient pupils. Annually, on or before March 1, each a school board and the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall conduct a count of the limited-English proficient pupils in the public schools of the district or in the charter school, assess the language proficiency of such the pupils , and classify such the pupils by language group, grade level, age, and English language proficiency. A school board or operator is eligible for state aid under s. 115.995 only if the school board or operator conducts the count under this subsection.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351hg Section 351hg. 115.97 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,22,24 115.97 (1) A school board may combine pupils in attendance at separate schools in its bilingual-bicultural education program. The school board shall be eligible for state aids under s. 115.995 if the number of limited-English proficient pupils served from the combined schools meets the requirements under sub. (2), (3) or (4). A pupil shall be eligible for a bilingual-bicultural education program only until he or she is able to perform ordinary classwork in English. The bilingual-bicultural education program shall be designed to provide intensive instruction to meet this objective. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to authorize isolation of children of limited-English proficient ability or ethnic background for a substantial portion of the school day. Pupils who are not limited-English proficient pupils may participate in a bilingual-bicultural education program, except that a school board shall give preference to limited-English proficient pupils in admitting pupils to such a program.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351hp Section 351hp. 115.97 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,23,4 115.97 (6) A school board that is required to establish a bilingual-bicultural education program under sub. (2), (3), or (4) is eligible for state aid under s. 115.995 only if the state superintendent is satisfied that the school board maintained the bilingual-bicultural education program in accordance with this subchapter.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351i Section 351i. 115.977 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,23,11 115.977 (2) A school district may establish bilingual-bicultural education programs by contracting with other school districts or with a cooperative educational service agency. If 10 or more pupils in kindergarten to grade 3, 20 or more in grades 4 to 8 or 20 or more in a high school program are enrolled in a program under a contract pursuant to this subsection, the school district offering the program is eligible for reimbursement under s. 115.995.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351jb Section 351jb. 115.993 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,23,14 115.993 (title) Report Reports on bilingual-bicultural education and pupil counts.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351jc Section 351jc. 115.993 of the statutes is renumbered 115.993 (1) and amended to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,23,25 115.993 (1) Annually, on or before August 15, the school board of a district operating a bilingual-bicultural education program under this subchapter shall report to the state superintendent the number of pupils, including both limited-English proficient pupils and other pupils, instructed the previous school year in bilingual-bicultural education programs, an itemized statement on oath of all disbursements on account of a summary of the costs incurred to operate the bilingual-bicultural education program operated during the previous school year, and a copy of the estimated budget for that operating the bilingual-bicultural education program for the current school year.

AB68-ASA2-AA3,351jf Section 351jf. 115.993 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

AB68-ASA2-AA3,24,6 115.993 (2) Annually, on or before August 15, a school board and the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) shall report to the state superintendent the number of limited-English proficient pupils enrolled in the school district or attending the charter school in the previous school year and the classification of those pupils by language group.