SF 1812

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/26/2014 09:14am

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing funding for universal preschool for four-year-old
students; amending Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.05,
subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

[124D.167] UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD
STUDENTS.

Subdivision 1.

Child eligibility.

(a) A child who is at least four years old on
September 1 of that year and not yet enrolled in kindergarten is eligible to participate in
Minnesota's universal preschool program. The child may choose a program offered under
this section or apply for an early learning scholarship under section 124D.165.

(b) A child who is between birth through age three is eligible to participate in a
school district's program as local funding allows.

Subd. 2.

Revenue.

A child who is eligible for universal preschool under subdivision
1 who does not receive an early learning scholarship may enroll in a school district's
program.

Subd. 3.

Qualifying preschool program.

(a) A school district program or
contracted program that meets the following qualifications may provide preschool services
and enroll eligible children under this section:

(1) programs must have a child-to-adult ratio of no greater than nine to one;

(2) programs must meet an average of at least two and one-half hours per day,
four days per week;

(3) curriculum and learning standards must be aligned between the preschool
programs and kindergartens;

(4) programs must employ necessary qualified teachers, and by January 1, 2016,
at least 50 percent of the teachers employed by a program to teach preschool must be
licensed in early childhood education;

(5) programs must have a strong accountability system with documented learning
standards, and must be highly rated by the Quality Rating System;

(6) each child must be assessed at program entrance and again at program exit;

(7) programs must offer comprehensive family services including developmental,
behavioral, and health screening;

(8) programs must offer compensatory services in language, literacy, and
mathematical thinking in a developmentally appropriate manner; and

(9) programs must develop collaborative partnerships with school-based early
childhood programs, kindergarten teachers and other school officials, Head Start programs,
and community-based child care programs.

(b) Qualified preschool programs may include preschool programs operated by
school districts, private preschool programs, Head Start programs, and child care programs
with an educational component.

Subd. 4.

Payment.

(a) A school district may provide programming or contract with
a qualifying program to provide preschool services for eligible children. A district may
establish a new program where no existing reasonably accessible program meets the
requirements in subdivision 3. A district that contracts for services must submit a copy
of each contract to the commissioner. The payment from the school district to a contract
provider for a child enrolled for the full year must not exceed the basic general education
formula allowance attributable to that child for that year.

(b) A qualified program that offers additional services including home visits, parent
supports, social services, and health referrals for the most at-risk children may receive a
bonus in the amount of ten percent of the per-child payment rate for each child served.

Subd. 5.

Participation.

A school district or contracted program qualifying under
this section may also participate in the early learning scholarship program under section
124D.165.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.05, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Pupil unit.

Pupil units for each Minnesota resident pupil under the
age of 21 or who meets the requirements of section 120A.20, subdivision 1, paragraph (c),
in average daily membership enrolled in the district of residence, in another district under
sections 123A.05 to 123A.08, 124D.03, 124D.08, or 124D.68; in a charter school under
section 124D.10; or for whom the resident district pays tuition under section 123A.18,
123A.22, 123A.30, 123A.32, 123A.44, 123A.488, 123B.88, subdivision 4, 124D.04,
124D.05, 125A.03 to 125A.24, 125A.51, or 125A.65, shall be counted according to this
subdivision.

(a) A prekindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled in a program approved
by the commissioner and has an individualized education program is counted as the ratio
of the number of hours of assessment and education service to 825 times 1.0 with a
minimum average daily membership of 0.28, but not more than 1.0 pupil unit.

(b) A prekindergarten pupil who is assessed but determined not to be disabled is
counted as the ratio of the number of hours of assessment service to 825 times 1.0.

(c) A kindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled in a program approved
by the commissioner is counted as the ratio of the number of hours of assessment and
education services required in the fiscal year by the pupil's individualized education
program to 875, but not more than one.

(d) A kindergarten pupil who is not included in paragraph (c) is counted as 1.0 pupil
unit if the pupil is enrolled in a free all-day, every day kindergarten program available to
all kindergarten pupils at the pupil's school that meets the minimum hours requirement in
section 120A.41, or is counted as .55 pupil unit, if the pupil is not enrolled in a free all-day,
every day kindergarten program available to all kindergarten pupils at the pupil's school.

(e) A pupil who is in any of grades 1 to 6 is counted as 1.0 pupil unit.

(f) A pupil who is in any of grades 7 to 12 is counted as 1.2 pupil units.

(g) A pupil who is in the postsecondary enrollment options program is counted
as 1.2 pupil units.

(h) A pupil who is at least four years of age as of September 1, and not included
in paragraphs (a) to (g), is counted as 1.0 pupil units for purposes of section 126C.10,
subdivision 2, only.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.