Bill Text: IA SF473 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the state preschool program for four-year-old children by establishing a preschool expansion incentive, authorizing state aid for the incentive, and addressing program costs. (Formerly SSB 1101 and SF 246.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-17 - Subcommittee, Dvorsky, Kraayenbrink, and Schoenjahn. S.J. 257. [SF473 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF473-Introduced.html
Senate File 473 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON
                                     APPROPRIATIONS

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SF 246)
                                 (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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