Int. No. 1162
By Council Members Borelli, Yeger, Vernikov, Paladino, Kagan, Holden, Ariola and Carr
A Local Law in relation to a study regarding the feasibility of providing parents with an annual $10,000 tuition reimbursement payment per student to cover the cost of nonpublic schooling and the repeal of this local law upon the expiration thereof
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:
Nonpublic school. The term “nonpublic school” means any school that contains any combination of grades from kindergarten through grade 12 in the city of New York, other than a public school, which (i) is providing instruction in accordance with article 17 and section 3204 of the education law and (ii) collects tuition.
Public school. The term “public school” means a school of the city school district of the city of New York, including charter schools under the jurisdiction of the department of education.
Student. The term “student” means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the academic year of enrollment who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in a nonpublic school.
Tuition. The term “tuition” has the same meaning as set forth in section 561 of the education law.
§ 2. Feasibility study. The department of finance, in collaboration with the department of education, shall study and report on the feasibility of providing the parents of a student enrolled in a nonpublic school with an annual $10,000 tuition reimbursement payment for each student enrolled in such school. No later than one year after the effective date of this local law, the department of finance shall submit to the mayor and speaker of the council and shall post conspicuously on its website a report on the findings of such study. Such report shall:
1. Assess the estimated costs of nonpublic school tuition reimbursement payments;
2. Assess any potential impact of nonpublic school tuition reimbursement payments to public schools, including, but not limited to, any potential impact to public school transportation and delivery of special education services at public schools;
3. Identify which agency should be responsible for the distribution of nonpublic school tuition reimbursement payments;
4. Identify any legal and practical barriers to the distribution of nonpublic school tuition reimbursement payments; and
5. Include any other information relevant to assessing the feasibility of distributing nonpublic school tuition reimbursement payments.
§ 3. Effective date. This local law takes effect immediately and expires and is deemed repealed upon the submission of the report to the mayor and the speaker of the council as required by section 2 of this local law.
NJF
LS # 13131
7/6/2023