Sec. 10-239d. Demonstration board and staff. Scholarships.
Sec. 10-239d. Demonstration board and staff. Scholarships. The local or regional board of education may establish a demonstration board and staff and may authorize it to administer the demonstration project authorized by sections 10-239a to 10-239h, inclusive, provided the costs of such organization shall be borne by the contracting
federal agency. The members of the demonstration board, if it is not the local or regional
board of education itself, shall serve for the terms established by the appointing board.
(1) The demonstration board may: (A) Employ a staff for the demonstration board,
(B) receive and expend funds to support the demonstration board and scholarships for
children in the demonstration area, (C) contract with other government agencies and
private persons or organizations to provide or receive services, supplies, facilities and
equipment, (D) determine rules and regulations for use of scholarships in the demonstration area, (E) adopt rules and regulations for its own government, (F) receive and expend
funds from the federal governmental agency necessary to pay for the costs incurred in
administering the program, (G) otherwise provide the specified programs, services and
activities.
(2) The demonstration board shall award a scholarship to each school child residing
in the demonstration area, subject only to such age and grade restrictions which it may
establish. The scholarship funds shall be made available to the parents or legal guardian
of a scholarship recipient in the form of a drawing right, certificate or other document
which may not be redeemed except for educational purposes.
(3) The demonstration board shall establish the amount of the scholarship in a fair
and impartial manner as follows: There shall be a basic scholarship equal in amount to
every other basic scholarship for every eligible student in the demonstration area. In no
case shall the amount of the basic scholarship fall below the level of average current
expense per pupil for corresponding grade levels in the public schools in the demonstration area in the year immediately preceding the demonstration program.
(4) In addition to each base scholarship, compensatory scholarships shall be given
to disadvantaged children. The amount of such compensatory scholarships and the manner by which children may qualify for them shall be established by the demonstration
board.
(5) Adequate provision for the pro rata or incremental redemption of scholarships
shall be made.
(6) The contract shall provide sufficient money to pay all actual and necessary transportation costs incurred by parents in sending their children to the school of their choice
within the demonstration area, subject to distance limitations imposed by existing law.
(7) The contract shall specify that the contracting federal governmental agency shall
hold harmless the participating board from any possible decreased economies of scale
or increased costs per pupil caused by the transition to a demonstration program.
(1972, P.A. 122, S. 4; P.A. 78-218, S. 173; P.A. 07-217, S. 46.)
History: P.A. 78-218 substituted "local" for "town" boards of education; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subdiv.
(1), effective July 12, 2007.