Within the limits of the bond authorization, a local or regional board of education, regional educational service center or school districts entering into cooperative arrangements eligible to receive a grant pursuant to section 10-265b, shall receive not less than forty nor more than eighty per cent of the net purchase price of vocational education equipment except as otherwise provided in this section. For a local or regional board of education such percentage shall be determined pursuant to section 10-285a. For a regional educational service center or school districts entering into cooperative arrangements, such percentage shall be determined by its respective ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (1) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261, of each member town by such town's percentile ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of section 10-285a; (2) adding together the figures for each town determined under subdivision (1) of this section; and (3) dividing the total computed under subdivision (2) of this section by the total population of all member towns. The ranking of each regional educational service center or school district entering into cooperative arrangements shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and such center or school district shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank. Such percentage shall be increased by ten per cent whenever a regional educational service center or two or more local or regional boards of education purchase equipment pursuant to a cooperative arrangement for the purpose of providing a program of vocational education. For purposes of approving grant applications, school districts will be ranked, from highest to lowest, based on each member town's adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined in section 10-261. Regional school districts, regional educational service centers and school districts entering into cooperative arrangements will be assigned a rank through a population weighted average of member towns' adjusted equalized net grand list per capita rank. Grant applications shall be approved based on wealth rank beginning with the lowest wealth-ranked applicant. Applications approved pursuant to this section shall not exceed the bond authorization. Commencing with applications submitted for a grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984, and annually thereafter, no school district shall be eligible to receive a grant under this section more than once every three years.

(P.A. 82-369, S. 21, 28; P.A. 83-501, S. 9, 12; P.A. 84-388, S. 1, 3; P.A. 85-170, S. 3, 4; 85-558, S. 9, 17; P.A. 86-333, S. 13, 32; 86-416, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-405, S. 11, 26; P.A. 93-376, S. 5, 13; P.A. 98-252, S. 79, 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 105, 121.)

History: P.A. 83-501 required ranking of towns based on adjusted equalized net grand list per capita and awarding of grants to be based on wealth beginning with the lowest ranked applicant and provided that no school district shall be eligible to receive a grant more than once every three years; P.A. 84-388 added new Subsec. (d) re cooperative arrangements between boards of education, regional educational service centers and opportunities industrialization centers for the purchase of computer hardware; P.A. 85-170 made technical changes to reflect changes in Secs. 10-265a and 10-265b and deleted bid information requirement and provisions concerning the entering into of agreements, contained in Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 85-558 extended program under Subsec. (d) to fiscal year ending June 30, 1986 and included computer systems rather than only hardware; P.A. 86-333 amended Subsec. (a) to clarify the determination of wealth ranking and reimbursement percentages; P.A. 86-416 in Subsec. (a) substituted “subsection” for “section” re eligibility to receive grants and in Subsec. (b) substituted “commissioner” for “state board”, included installation and freight charges in grants for computer systems, deleted the requirements that information be filed re bidding and type and cost of the equipment and added the requirement that a copy of the purchase agreement and order be filed; substituted “ninety working days after payment” for “a reasonable period of time after receipt”; deleted the requirement that proof of receipt of the equipment be filed, and specified that certain sections not apply to the subsection; P.A. 87-405 amended Subsec. (b) to remove the limitation of the program to the fiscal year ending June 30, 1986; P.A. 93-376 deleted former Subsec. (b) concerning cooperative arrangements with opportunities industrialization centers for the purchase of computer systems, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 98-252 repealed section, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 amended P.A. 98-252 to remove section from list of those to be repealed, effective June 24, 1998.