Sec. 14.39.02.05. State Cost Share Percentage

A. The State may fund eligible costs of approved public school construction projects according to the State cost share percentage established in this regulation.

B. Percentages.

(1) The minimum State share of public school construction funding for eligible costs of approved projects is 50 percent.

(2) Reductions in the cost share that exceed -5 percent shall be phased in over 2 years so that a 1-year reduction in the cost share percentage does not exceed -5 percent.

(3) The State share percentage for the Maryland School for the Blind shall be 93 percent of eligible costs of approved projects.

C. Revisions to Percentages.

(1) By October 2018 and every 2 years thereafter, the IAC shall update, approve, and publish to the IAC’s website the cost share percentage to be applied to projects submitted for approval in the Fiscal Year.

(2) The IAC shall use the formula in §C(3) of this regulation to recommend revisions to the State cost share percentage for each county.

(3) The IAC shall add the following amounts to calculate the recommended revised cost share amounts:

(a) The LEA's current State share of the Foundation program divided by the Foundation program of the LEA as defined under Education Article, §5-202, Annotated Code of Maryland;

(b) The current amount of State aid provided to the LEA by the guaranteed tax base program as defined under Education Article, §5-210, Annotated Code of Maryland, divided by the Foundation program of the LEA;

(c) 20 percent of the amount by which the LEA's free and reduced price meal percentage exceeds the Statewide free and reduced price meal percentage in the prior school year;

(d) 5 percent if the county where the LEA is located is a Tier I county that has an unemployment rate greater than the average rate or number of percentage points identified in Economic Development Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland, or has met the average rate or number of percentage points identified in Economic Development Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland, at some time during the preceding 24-month period;

(e) 5 percent if the county where the LEA is located is a Tier I county that has a median household income level below the level identified in Economic Development Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland, or has had a median household income level below the level identified in Economic Development Article, §1-101, Annotated Code of Maryland, at some time during the preceding 24-month period;

(f) The difference between the percent growth in the LEA's full-time equivalent enrollment, as defined by Education Article, §5-202, Annotated Code of Maryland, from the 6th prior year to the prior year, and the percent growth in the Statewide full-time equivalent enrollment from the 6th prior year to the prior year, provided this calculation results in a positive number; and

(g) 10 times the amount by which the county's and local board’s total outstanding school construction debt at the end of the 2nd prior fiscal year plus the county's total school construction expenditures from its operating budget from the 4th to the 2nd prior fiscal years exceeds 1 percent of the county wealth, as defined by Education Article, §5-202, Annotated Code of Maryland, for the prior fiscal year.