§ 38–2914. Public Education Finance Reform Commission.

(a)(1) An independent organization shall be retained by the Mayor of the District of Columbia to convene and staff an independent commission on public education finance reform in the District of Columbia, to be known as the Public Education Finance Reform Commission (“Commission”).

(2) The Commission shall:

(A) Be conducted according to the standard procedures of the independent organization, with full cooperation of the:

(i) Council;

(ii) Mayor;

(iii) Chancellor;

(iv) State Superintendent of Education; and

(v) Other government personnel;

(B) Establish a process by which the public may participate in providing information, opinion, and reaction to Commission proceedings and reports; and

(C) Post all documents that it produces on the Internet.

(3) All Commission meetings and deliberations shall be open to the public.

(b) The Commission shall study and report on revisions to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula with regard to improvements in:

(1) Equity;

(2) Adequacy;

(3) Affordability; and

(4) Transparency, including:

(A) The maintenance of uniformity in funding between District of Columbia Public Schools (“DCPS”) and public charter schools, taking into account services provided without charge by other District of Columbia agencies;

(B) The determination of the funding level needed by DCPS and the public charter schools to provide educational services sufficient to enable public school students, including special education students and English-language learners, to meet the academic standards of the District of Columbia;

(C) The fiscal ability of the District of Columbia government to provide the necessary funding level; and

(D) The presentation of the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula and calculations made pursuant to it so that the public may clearly understand the basis of the calculations and related budget appropriations.

(c)(1) Prior to the delivery of final recommendations, the Commission shall provide to the Mayor and Council an equity report detailing for fiscal years 2009 and 2010:

(A) The kinds and amounts of payments made directly to DCPS and to public charter schools from the General Fund of the District of Columbia;

(B) The kind and amount of any other transfers from the General Fund of the District of Columbia to DCPS and public charter schools from District of Columbia government agencies;

(C) The kind and value of in-kind services provided to DCPS and the public charter schools by District of Columbia government agencies; and

(D) The kind and value of reprogrammed funds from the General Fund of the District of Columbia to DCPS or the public charter schools.

(2) The equity report shall include:

(A) An analysis of the impact of these payments, transfers, in-kind services, and reprogramming on the uniformity of funding for DCPS and public charter schools;

(B) Recommendations for increasing uniformity in the 2013 budget and succeeding years; and

(C) Weaknesses in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act or in its implementation, if any, that interfere with uniformity of funding.

(d) No later than November 30, 2011, the Commission shall provide the Mayor and Council with a final report and its recommendations for consideration in the development of the fiscal year 2013 budget.