1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing funding for universal preschool for four-year-old 
1.3 	students;amending Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.05, 
1.4 	subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [124D.167] UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD 
1.7 	STUDENTS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Child eligibility. (a) A child who is at least four years old on 
1.9 	September 1 of that year and not yet enrolled in kindergarten is eligible to participate in 
1.10 	Minnesota's universal preschool program. The child may choose a program offered under 
1.11 	this section or apply for an early learning scholarship under section 124D.165.
1.12 	(b) A child who is between birth through age three is eligible to participate in a 
1.13 	school district's program as local funding allows.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Revenue. A child who is eligible for universal preschool under subdivision 
1.15 	1 who does not receive an early learning scholarship may enroll in a school district's 
1.16 	program.
1.17 		Subd. 3.Qualifying preschool program. (a) A school district program or 
1.18 	contracted program that meets the following qualifications may provide preschool services 
1.19 	and enroll eligible children under this section:
1.20 	(1) programs must have a child-to-adult ratio of no greater than nine to one;
1.21 	(2) programs must meet an average of at least two and one-half hours per day, 
1.22 	four days per week;
1.23 	(3) curriculum and learning standards must be aligned between the preschool 
1.24 	programs and kindergartens;
2.1 	(4) programs must employ necessary qualified teachers, and by January 1, 2016, 
2.2 	at least 50 percent of the teachers employed by a program to teach preschool must be 
2.3 	licensed in early childhood education;
2.4 	(5) programs must have a strong accountability system with documented learning 
2.5 	standards, and must be highly rated by the Quality Rating System;
2.6 	(6) each child must be assessed at program entrance and again at program exit;
2.7 	(7) programs must offer comprehensive family services including developmental, 
2.8 	behavioral, and health screening;
2.9 	(8) programs must offer compensatory services in language, literacy, and 
2.10 	mathematical thinking in a developmentally appropriate manner; and
2.11 	(9) programs must develop collaborative partnerships with school-based early 
2.12 	childhood programs, kindergarten teachers and other school officials, Head Start programs, 
2.13 	and community-based child care programs.
2.14 	(b) Qualified preschool programs may include preschool programs operated by 
2.15 	school districts, private preschool programs, Head Start programs, and child care programs 
2.16 	with an educational component.
2.17 		Subd. 4.Payment. (a) A school district may provide programming or contract with 
2.18 	a qualifying program to provide preschool services for eligible children. A district may 
2.19 	establish a new program where no existing reasonably accessible program meets the 
2.20 	requirements in subdivision 3. A district that contracts for services must submit a copy 
2.21 	of each contract to the commissioner. The payment from the school district to a contract 
2.22 	provider for a child enrolled for the full year must not exceed the basic general education 
2.23 	formula allowance attributable to that child for that year.
2.24 	(b) A qualified program that offers additional services including home visits, parent 
2.25 	supports, social services, and health referrals for the most at-risk children may receive a 
2.26 	bonus in the amount of ten percent of the per-child payment rate for each child served.
2.27 		Subd. 5.Participation. A school district or contracted program qualifying under 
2.28 	this section may also participate in the early learning scholarship program under section 
2.29 	124D.165.

2.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016 
2.31 	and later.

2.32 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.05, subdivision 1, is 
2.33 	amended to read:
2.34 		Subdivision 1.Pupil unit. Pupil units for each Minnesota resident pupil under the 
2.35 	age of 21 or who meets the requirements of section 120A.20, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), 
3.1 	in average daily membership enrolled in the district of residence, in another district under 
3.2 	sections 123A.05 to 123A.08, 124D.03, 124D.08, or 124D.68; in a charter school under 
3.3 	section 124D.10; or for whom the resident district pays tuition under section 123A.18, 
3.4 	123A.22, 123A.30, 123A.32, 123A.44, 123A.488, 123B.88, subdivision 4, 124D.04, 
3.5 	124D.05, 125A.03 to 125A.24, 125A.51, or 125A.65, shall be counted according to this 
3.6 	subdivision.
3.7 	(a) A prekindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled in a program approved 
3.8 	by the commissioner and has an individualized education program is counted as the ratio 
3.9 	of the number of hours of assessment and education service to 825 times 1.0 with a 
3.10 	minimum average daily membership of 0.28, but not more than 1.0 pupil unit.
3.11 	(b) A prekindergarten pupil who is assessed but determined not to be disabled is 
3.12 	counted as the ratio of the number of hours of assessment service to 825 times 1.0.
3.13 	(c) A kindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled in a program approved 
3.14 	by the commissioner is counted as the ratio of the number of hours of assessment and 
3.15 	education services required in the fiscal year by the pupil's individualized education 
3.16 	program to 875, but not more than one.
3.17 	(d) A kindergarten pupil who is not included in paragraph (c) is counted as 1.0 pupil 
3.18 	unit if the pupil is enrolled in a free all-day, every day kindergarten program available to 
3.19 	all kindergarten pupils at the pupil's school that meets the minimum hours requirement in 
3.20 	section 120A.41, or is counted as .55 pupil unit, if the pupil is not enrolled in a free all-day, 
3.21 	every day kindergarten program available to all kindergarten pupils at the pupil's school.
3.22 	(e) A pupil who is in any of grades 1 to 6 is counted as 1.0 pupil unit.
3.23 	(f) A pupil who is in any of grades 7 to 12 is counted as 1.2 pupil units.
3.24 	(g) A pupil who is in the postsecondary enrollment options program is counted 
3.25 	as 1.2 pupil units.
3.26 	(h) A pupil who is at least four years of age as of September 1, and not included 
3.27 	in paragraphs (a) to (g), is counted as 1.0 pupil units for purposes of section 126C.10, 
3.28 	subdivision 2, only.

3.29 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016 
3.30 	and later.