Senate File 246 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB
1101)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the state preschool program for
2 four=year=old children by establishing a preschool expansion
3 incentive, authorizing state aid for the incentive, and
4 addressing program costs.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256C.3, subsection 3, paragraph h, Code
1 2 2015, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 h. Provision for ensuring that children receiving care from
1 4 other child care arrangements can participate in the preschool
1 5 program with minimal disruption due to transportation and
1 6 movement from one site to another. The children participating
1 7 in the preschool program may be transported by the school
1 8 district to and from activities associated with the program
1 9 along with other children.
1 10 Sec. 2. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, Code 2015, is amended
1 11 by adding the following new paragraph:
1 12 NEW PARAGRAPH. e. Development and implementation of a plan
1 13 for the school district's preschool program to have sufficient
1 14 capacity to operate without a waiting list for school budget
1 15 years beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
1 16 Sec. 3. Section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraphs g and h,
1 17 Code 2015, are amended to read as follows:
1 18 g. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011 2015, and
1 19 each succeeding fiscal year, of the amount of preschool
1 20 foundation aid received by a school district for a fiscal year
1 21 in accordance with section 257.16, not more than five ten
1 22 percent may be used by the school district for administering
1 23 the district's approved local program. Outreach activities
1 24 and rent for facilities not owned by the school district are
1 25 permissive uses of the administrative funds.
1 26 h. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 2015, and
1 27 each succeeding fiscal year, of the amount of preschool
1 28 foundation aid received by a school district for a fiscal year
1 29 in accordance with section 257.16, not less than ninety=five
1 30 ninety percent of the per pupil amount shall be passed through
1 31 to a community=based provider for each pupil enrolled in
1 32 the district's approved local program. For the fiscal year
1 33 beginning July 1, 2011 2015, and each succeeding fiscal year,
1 34 not more than five ten percent of the amount of preschool
1 35 foundation aid passed through to a community=based provider
2 1 may be used by the community=based provider for administrative
2 2 costs. The costs of outreach activities and rent for
2 3 facilities not owned by the school district are permissive
2 4 administrative costs. The costs of transportation involving
2 5 children participating in the preschool program and other
2 6 children may be prorated.
2 7 Sec. 4. Section 256C.4, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
2 8 2015, is amended to read as follows:
2 9 b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not
2 10 include a child who is included in the enrollment count
2 11 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by
2 12 a an existing preschool program already receiving state or
2 13 federal funds for the purpose of the provision of providing
2 14 four=year=old preschool programming while the child is being
2 15 served by the existing program. Such preschool programming
2 16 However, the enrollment count of eligible students may include
2 17 a child being served by an existing preschool program if
2 18 the preschool programming in the existing program has been
2 19 enhanced as a result of preschool program expansion incentive
2 20 state aid provided under section 256C.7. For the purposes
2 21 of this chapter, an "existing preschool program" includes but
2 22 is not limited to shared visions and other child development
2 23 assistance programs provided under chapter 256A and section
2 24 279.51, special education programs provided under section
2 25 256B.9, school ready children grant programs and other programs
2 26 provided under chapter 256I, and federal head start programs
2 27 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and
2 28 Secondary Education Act of 1965.
2 29 Sec. 5. Section 256C.5, subsection 1, unnumbered paragraph
2 30 1, Code 2015, is amended to read as follows:
2 31 For the purposes of this section and section 256C.4 chapter,
2 32 unless the context otherwise requires:
2 33 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 256C.7 Preschool program expansion
2 34 incentive.
2 35 1. For the purposes of this section, unless the context
3 1 otherwise requires:
3 2 a. "Base incentive enrollment" means the average of the
3 3 actual enrollments of eligible students in the preschool
3 4 programming provided by a school district on October 1, 2012,
3 5 October 1, 2013, and October 1, 2014.
3 6 b. "Incentive enrollment" means the amount by which the
3 7 actual enrollment of eligible students in the preschool
3 8 programming provided by a school district on October 1 of
3 9 the base year exceeds the school district's base incentive
3 10 enrollment.
3 11 c. "Incentive period" means the budget years beginning July
3 12 1, 2016, July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018.
3 13 d. "Incentive state aid" means the product of twenty percent
3 14 of the regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year
3 15 multiplied by the school district's incentive enrollment in the
3 16 base year.
3 17 2. a. A preschool program expansion incentive is
3 18 established in accordance with this section. In order to be
3 19 eligible for the incentive, a school district must develop and
3 20 implement a preschool program expansion plan, approved by the
3 21 department, to expand enrollment of eligible students in the
3 22 school district's preschool programming. In addition, the
3 23 school district shall work with existing preschool program
3 24 providers to expand hours and otherwise enhance the preschool
3 25 programming available to the children participating in the
3 26 programs. The plan's goal shall be that by the end of the
3 27 incentive period the district's preschool programming will
3 28 be available without a waiting list to each child wanting to
3 29 enroll in the programming. After completion of the incentive
3 30 period, the department shall analyze the growth in access
3 31 to the preschool program and enhancements made in preschool
3 32 programming as a result of the incentive, including in
3 33 the programs provided directly by school districts and in
3 34 those offered in partnership with community providers. The
3 35 department shall submit a report to the general assembly that
4 1 shall include identification of progress made toward the
4 2 incentive program's goals and documentation of collaboration
4 3 efforts made with input from participating families, early care
4 4 providers, and community partners.
4 5 b. The elements addressed in the preschool program expansion
4 6 plan shall include but are not limited to the following:
4 7 (1) How the school district will work in collaboration with
4 8 participating families, early care providers, and community
4 9 partners, as described in section 256C.3, subsection 3,
4 10 to provide the preschool programming in as convenient and
4 11 cost=effective a manner as possible for the families of the
4 12 four=year=old children who are eligible for the programming.
4 13 (2) A specification of the roles of the early care providers
4 14 and community partners in support of the expansion plan.
4 15 (3) A delineation of the specific steps for expanding hours
4 16 and otherwise enhancing the preschool programming available to
4 17 the children participating in the existing preschool programs
4 18 located in the school district.
4 19 (4) Identification of specific outcomes and progress
4 20 measures for the expansion plan.
4 21 (5) Detailed plans for contacting and soliciting enrollment
4 22 of eligible students, particularly from low=income families,
4 23 non=English speaking families, and families from ethnic and
4 24 racial groups underrepresented in the district's preschool
4 25 program enrollment.
4 26 3. The department of education shall provide required
4 27 elements and recommend best practices for outreach and program
4 28 expansion under the incentive, including expansion plan models
4 29 that school districts may consider in developing their local
4 30 expansion plans, and including but not limited to submission
4 31 provisions, annual updates, and documentation of collaboration
4 32 efforts with and input from participating families, early care
4 33 providers, and community partners.
4 34 4. During the incentive period, in addition to the
4 35 regular preschool foundation aid based on the preschool
5 1 budget enrollment, the school district implementing a
5 2 preschool expansion plan approved by the department shall
5 3 receive incentive state aid based on the district's incentive
5 4 enrollment. The incentive state aid shall be paid as
5 5 part of the state aid payments made to school districts in
5 6 accordance with section 257.16 and shall be subject to the
5 7 same requirements applicable to preschool foundation aid under
5 8 section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraph "d".
5 9 5. A school district shall utilize its incentive state aid
5 10 to defray increases in costs in connection with the school
5 11 district's preschool program expansion plan. Such costs shall
5 12 include but are not limited to renovation and other facility
5 13 costs connected with expansion, outreach, one=time expenses,
5 14 and other costs identified as eligible by the department.
5 15 Sec. 7. Section 257.16, Code 2015, is amended by adding the
5 16 following new subsection:
5 17 NEW SUBSECTION. 1A. For the fiscal years in which the
5 18 preschool program expansion incentive applies in accordance
5 19 with section 256C.7, the appropriation made in subsection 1
5 20 shall include the amount necessary to pay incentive state aid
5 21 in accordance with section 256C.7. This subsection is repealed
5 22 on July 1, 2019.
5 23 Sec. 8. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
5 24 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
5 25 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
5 26 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
5 27 received by the school district under section 257.16. This
5 28 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
5 29 to meet all of the state funding=related requirements of
5 30 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
5 31 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
5 32 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
5 33 districts.
5 34 EXPLANATION
5 35 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
6 1 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
6 2 This bill relates to the statewide preschool program for
6 3 four=year=old children by establishing a preschool program
6 4 expansion incentive and authorizing state aid for the
6 5 incentive. The bill also addresses costs allowed under the
6 6 program.
6 7 Code section 256C.3, relating to preschool program
6 8 requirements, is amended to require each school district to
6 9 implement a plan for the school district's preschool program to
6 10 have sufficient capacity to operate without a waiting list for
6 11 school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
6 12 To be eligible for the preschool expansion incentive,
6 13 a school district must develop and implement a preschool
6 14 expansion plan, approved by the department, in order to expand
6 15 enrollment of eligible students in the school district's
6 16 preschool programming. Requirements for the plan are
6 17 provided in the bill, including how the school district will
6 18 collaborate with participating families, early care providers,
6 19 and community partners to expand the district's preschool
6 20 enrollment. The department of education is to specify other
6 21 requirements for the plan and for approval of plans by the
6 22 department. The bill requires the department of education to
6 23 analyze the enhancements to the preschool program following the
6 24 incentives period and submit a report to the general assembly.
6 25 Current law in Code section 256C.4 prohibits inclusion
6 26 in the preschool program of children already included in a
6 27 school's enrollment count for purposes of the school aid
6 28 foundation formula or children who are served by an existing
6 29 preschool program already receiving state or federal funds for
6 30 the purpose of providing four=year=old preschool programming
6 31 while the child is being served by the existing program. The
6 32 bill allows inclusion of children participating in an existing
6 33 program if the preschool programming in the existing program
6 34 has been enhanced as part of the expansion incentive.
6 35 The incentive program will operate for the three school
7 1 budget years beginning July 1, 2016, July 1, 2017, and July
7 2 1, 2018. For those three budget years, a school district is
7 3 eligible to receive incentive state aid for the increase in
7 4 the actual enrollment of eligible students in the preschool
7 5 programming provided by a school district in the immediately
7 6 preceding school year over the base incentive enrollment.
7 7 The base incentive enrollment is the average of the actual
7 8 enrollments of eligible students in the school district's
7 9 preschool programming on October 1, 2012, October 1, 2013,
7 10 and October 1, 2014. The amount of incentive state aid is
7 11 equal to 20 percent of the regular program state cost per pupil
7 12 multiplied by the school district's incentive enrollment in the
7 13 base year.
7 14 The incentive state aid is required to be used to defray
7 15 increases in costs in connection with the school district's
7 16 preschool expansion plan. Such costs may include renovation
7 17 and other facility costs connected with expansion, outreach,
7 18 one=time expenses, and other costs identified as eligible by
7 19 the department.
7 20 The bill also addresses administration and other costs under
7 21 the preschool program in amendments to Code sections 256C.3 and
7 22 256C.4. Authorization is provided for a school district to
7 23 transport the children participating in the preschool program
7 24 to and from activities associated with the program along with
7 25 other children. The bill authorizes community=based providers
7 26 to prorate the costs of transporting children participating in
7 27 the preschool program. The allowable administrative costs for
7 28 school districts are increased from 5 to 10 percent. Also, the
7 29 costs of outreach activities and facility rent are permitted
7 30 as administrative costs.
7 31 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
7 32 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
7 33 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
7 34 district from state school foundation aid received by the
7 35 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
8 1 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
8 2 funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
8 3 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
8 4 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
8 5 mandates included in the bill.
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