assistance to states for state equalization plans

assistance to states for state equalization plans Sec. 842. (a) (1) Any State desiring to develop a plan for a program of financial assistance to local educational agencies in that State to assist such agencies in the provision of free public education may, upon application therefor, be reimbursed for the development or administration of such a plan in accordance with the provisions of this section. Each plan developed pursuant to, or which meets the requirements of, this section shall be submitted to the Commissioner not later than July 1, 1977, and shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be consistent with the guidelines developed pursuant to paragraph (3). Such plan shall be designed to implement a program of State aid for free public education— (A) which is consistent with such standards as may be required by the fourteenth article of amendment to the Constitution; and (B) the primary purpose of which is to achieve equality of educational opportunity for all children in attendance at the schools of the local educational agencies of the State. (2) The Commissioner shall develop guidelines defining the principles set forth in clauses (A) and (B) of paragraph (1). Not later than April 1, 1975, the Commissioner shall publish such guidelines in the Federal Register and submit such guidelines to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (3) During the sixty-day period following such publication, the Commissioner shall provide interested parties with an opportunity to present views and make recommendations with respect to such guidelines. Not later than July 1, 1975, the Commissioner shall (A) republish such guidelines in the Federal Register, together with any amendments thereto as may be merited and (B) publish in the Federal Register a summary of the views and recommendations presented by interested parties under the preceding sentence, together with the comments of the Commissioner respecting such views and recommendations. (4) (A) The guidelines published in accordance with paragraph (3), together with any amendments, shall, not later than July 1, 1975, be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If either the Senate or the House of Representatives adopts, prior to December 1, 1975, a resolution of disapproval of such guidelines, the Commissioner shall, prior to December 15, 1975, publish new guidelines. Such new guidelines shall take into consideration such views and policies as may be made in connection with such resolution and shall become effective thirty days after such publication. (B) A resolution of disapproval under this paragraph may be in the form of a resolution of either the Senate or the House of Representatives or such resolution may be in the form of a concurrent resolution of both Houses. If such a resolution of disapproval is in the form of a concurrent resolution, the new guidelines published in accordance with the second sentence of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be consistent with such policies as may be established by such concurrent resolution. 88 Stat. 611 (C) If each of the Houses adopts a separate resolution with respect to guidelines submitted in accordance with this paragraph for any year and in connection therewith makes policy statements which differ substantially, then such differences may be resolved by the adoption of a concurrent resolution by both Houses. Any such concurrent resolution shall be deemed to be adopted in accordance with subparagraph (B). (b) Any State developing a plan pursuant to this section may reject any guidelines developed and published under subsection (a) of this section if such State, as a provision of its plan, states the reasons for each such rejection. (c) (1) Each State that develops a plan under this section shall be reimbursed for the reasonable amounts expended by the State in the development or administration of such a plan based upon the ratio of the population of that State to the population of all States except that no State shall receive less than $100,000 and no State shall receive more than $1,000,000. (2) For the purposes of this section the term “State” means the fifty States.