Rhode Island § 16-3-19 - Establishment of Regional School Districts [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]

§ 16-3-19. Costs of operation — Payment of debts — Apportionment among district members.

(a)(1) The cost of the operation of a regional school district and the cost of payment of an indebtedness of the regional school district authorized by the regional school district financial meeting or regional representatives under the provisions of § 16-3-14 shall be borne by the member towns and/or cities that comprise the regional school district in that proportion that the equalized weighted assessed valuation of the property of the towns and cities that lie within the regional school district as determined from the latest figure certified by the department of revenue bears to the total equalized weighted assessed valuation of the total property of the regional school district, or, if the figures from the department of revenue are not available, the latest figures on equalized weighted assessed valuation used by the state department of elementary and secondary education in determining equalization aid under chapter 7 of this title shall be used.

(2) However, the apportionment of the cost of operating a regional school district and the cost of paying indebtedness may be determined by the members towns and/or cities that comprise the regional school district in a manner approved by a majority vote within each member community.

(b) On or before March 1 in each year the treasurer of the regional school district shall determine the proportionate share of the cost of the operation and the cost of the capital debt service payments of the regional school district for the next regional school district fiscal year to be borne by the towns and/or cities that comprise the regional school district in the manner prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, and he or she shall notify the town or city treasurer of the towns and/or cities comprising the regional school district of the total amount of money necessary to be raised from the regional school district taxpayers of each town or city for the operation of the regional school district for the fiscal year following.