(a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall establish, within available bond authorizations, a grant program to assist state charter schools in financing (1) school building projects, as defined in section 10-282, (2) general improvements to school buildings, as defined in subsection (a) of section 10-265h, and (3) repayment of debt incurred for school building projects. The governing authorities of such state charter schools may apply for such grants to the Department of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. The commissioner shall give preference to applications that provide for matching funds from nonstate sources.

(b) All final calculations for grant awards pursuant to this section in an amount equal to or greater than two hundred fifty thousand dollars shall include a computation of the state grant amount amortized on a straight line basis over a ten-year period. Any state charter school which abandons, sells, leases, demolishes or otherwise redirects the use of a school building which benefited from such a grant award during such amortization period, including repayment of debt for the purchase, renovation or improvement of the building, shall refund to the state the unamortized balance of the state grant remaining as of the date that the abandonment, sale, lease, demolition or redirection occurred. The amortization period shall begin on the date the grant award is paid. A state charter school required to make a refund to the state pursuant to this subsection may request forgiveness of such refund if the building is redirected for public use.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 28, 54; P.A. 03-76, S. 50; Sept. 8 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-2, S. 24; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-6, S. 36; P.A. 07-249, S. 7; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7, S. 45; P.A. 10-111, S. 14.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change, effective June 3, 2003; Sept. 8 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-2 amended section to extend grant program through fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, limiting eligibility for grants to state charter schools whose charters were renewed in fiscal years ending June 30, 2001, June 30, 2002, and June 30, 2003, effective September 10, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-6 replaced reference to fiscal years ending June 30, 2002, to June 30, 2004, with reference to fiscal years ending June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, eliminated provision re within available appropriations, added language re assistance for repayment of debt incurred prior to July 1, 2005, removed restriction that eligibility be for schools with charters renewed during the fiscal years ending June 30, 2001, to June 30, 2003, eliminated language limiting schools to one grant not to exceed $500,000 and added language permitting commissioner to give preference to schools with matching funds from nonstate sources, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 07-249 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re amortization, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to fiscal years ending June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, with reference to fiscal years ending June 30, 2008, and June 30, 2009, and eliminating limitation on repayment of debt in Subdiv. (3) by deleting “prior to July 1, 2005”, effective November 2, 2007; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “years” with “year” and replacing “and June 30, 2009” with “and each fiscal year thereafter”, effective May 26, 2010.

See Sec. 10-66jj re bond authorization.