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LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 85

infusion of State funds will be focused on specific objectives to
enhance the quality of education. Thus, both the importance and
size of the 5-year State aid program make it essential to
institute an accountability program.

The General Assembly supports the goals of improving

classroom instruction and student performance to enhance the

quality of education. Within these broad goals, much latitude

exists for local boards of education to establish their own goals
and objectives for their own schools. For example, local boards
of education may wish to use these funds to increase teacher
salaries, to reduce class sizes, to expand remedial programs, to
provide programs for children to learn English as a second
language, to expand programs for disadvantaged children, to buy
new textbooks, or to expand or initiate other programs to improve
teaching and learning in the classrooms of the State.

In short, local decision-making in the accountability
program will be matched with a statewide perspective. The
outcome of this local effort will be reported and monitored,
providing a comprehensive review of the improvements in education
as a result of the new funding program; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Education

5-202.

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the
meanings indicated.

(2) (i) "Adjusted assessed ASSESSED valuation of real
property" means the most recent estimate made by the State
Department of Assessments and Taxation before the annual State
budget is submitted to the General Assembly, of the assessed
value of real property for State purposes as of July 1 of the
first completed fiscal year before the school year for which the
calculation of State aid is made under this section.

[(ii) "Adjusted assessed valuation of real
property for fiscal year 1982" means:

1.  Properties identified as "Group I" by
the Department of Assessments and Taxation to be included in the
valuation of real property without adjustments; and

2.  Properties identified as "Groups II
and III" by the Department of Assessments and Taxation shall be
converted to full value using an average of assessment to sales
ratio data as of November 1, 1979, and November 1, 1980, pursuant
to Article 81, § 232(14) of the Code; these properties shall then
be adjusted to a percentage of full value equivalent to the