Rhode Island General Laws Title 16. Education § 16-7-23.1. Special maintenance of effort rules for high local contribution and high per pupil expenditure communities

(a) Any community that has a local appropriation that funds at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the basic education program shall be defined as a high local contribution community. A high local contribution community that has provided full funding of the basic education program and all other approved programs required in law and regulation is authorized to reduce its local appropriation to schools by an amount up to ten percent (10%) of any increase it receives in state school funds, pursuant to the implementation of the permanent foundation education aid formula as defined in § 16-7.2-3.

(b) Any community that has a local appropriation that combined with state education aid provides full funding of the basic education program and exceeds the benchmarks established by the department of elementary and secondary education for costs outside the permanent foundation education aid formula, pursuant to § 16-7.2-3, including but not limited to transportation, facility maintenance, and retiree health care, shall be defined as a high per pupil expenditure community. A high per pupil expenditure community is authorized to reduce its local appropriation to schools by an amount up to ten percent (10%) of any increase it receives in state school funds, pursuant to the implementation of the permanent foundation education aid formula as defined in § 16-7.2-3.

(c) Upon request of the local community, and for good cause shown, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may grant variances to subsection (a) and (b) if the commissioner finds that such adjustment does not disrupt the continued effective operation of the public school system of the city or town.