Bill Text: IA SF2296 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the state preschool program by establishing a preschool expansion incentive, authorizing state aid for the incentive, and addressing program costs. (Formerly SSB 3140 and SF 2237.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-23 - Read first time, referred to Appropriations. H.J. 525. [SF2296 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF2296-Introduced.html

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Senate File 2296 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON
                                     APPROPRIATIONS

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2237)
                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB
                                     3140)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the state preschool program by establishing
  2    a preschool expansion incentive, authorizing state aid for
  3    the incentive, and addressing program costs.
  4 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 4, Code 2016, is
  1  2 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  1  3    NEW PARAGRAPH.  e.  Development and implementation of a plan
  1  4 for the school district's preschool program to have sufficient
  1  5 capacity to operate without a waiting list for school budget
  1  6 years beginning on or after July 1, 2020.
  1  7    Sec. 2.  Section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraphs g and h,
  1  8 Code 2016, are amended to read as follows:
  1  9    g.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015 2016, and
  1 10 each succeeding fiscal year, of the amount of preschool
  1 11 foundation aid received by a school district for a fiscal year
  1 12 in accordance with section 257.16, not more than five ten
  1 13  percent may be used by the school district for administering
  1 14 the district's approved local program. Outreach activities
  1 15 and rent for facilities not owned by the school district are
  1 16 permissive uses of the administrative funds.
  1 17    h.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015 2016, and
  1 18 each succeeding fiscal year, of the amount of preschool
  1 19 foundation aid received by a school district for a fiscal year
  1 20 in accordance with section 257.16, not less than ninety=five
  1 21  ninety percent of the per pupil amount shall be passed through
  1 22 to a community=based provider for each pupil enrolled in
  1 23 the district's approved local program. For the fiscal year
  1 24 beginning July 1, 2015 2016, and each succeeding fiscal year,
  1 25 not more than ten percent of the amount of preschool foundation
  1 26 aid passed through to a community=based provider may be used by
  1 27 the community=based provider for administrative costs.  The
  1 28 costs of outreach activities and rent for facilities not owned
  1 29 by the school district are permissive administrative costs.
  1 30 The costs of transportation involving children participating in
  1 31 the preschool program and other children may be prorated.
  1 32    Sec. 3.  Section 256C.4, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
  1 33 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1 34    b.  The enrollment count of eligible students shall not
  1 35 include a child who is included in the enrollment count
  2  1 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by
  2  2 a an existing preschool program already receiving state or
  2  3 federal funds for the purpose of the provision of providing
  2  4  four=year=old preschool programming while the child is being
  2  5 served by the existing program. Such preschool programming
  2  6  However, the enrollment count of eligible students may include
  2  7 a child being served by an existing preschool program if
  2  8 the preschool programming in the existing program has been
  2  9 enhanced as a result of preschool program expansion incentive
  2 10 state aid provided under section 256C.7. For the purposes
  2 11 of this chapter, an "existing preschool program" includes but
  2 12 is not limited to shared visions and other child development
  2 13 assistance programs provided under chapter 256A and section
  2 14 279.51, special education programs provided under section
  2 15 256B.9, school ready children grant programs and other programs
  2 16 provided under chapter 256I, and federal head start programs
  2 17 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and
  2 18 Secondary Education Act of 1965.
  2 19    Sec. 4.  Section 256C.5, subsection 1, unnumbered paragraph
  2 20 1, Code 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  2 21    For the purposes of this section and section 256C.4 chapter,
  2 22 unless the context otherwise requires:
  2 23    Sec. 5.  NEW SECTION.  256C.7  Preschool program expansion
  2 24 incentive.
  2 25    1.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context
  2 26 otherwise requires:
  2 27    a.  "Base incentive enrollment" means the average of the
  2 28 actual enrollments of eligible students in the preschool
  2 29 programming provided by a school district on October 1, 2013,
  2 30 October 1, 2014, and October 1, 2015.
  2 31    b.  "Incentive enrollment" means the amount by which the
  2 32 actual enrollment of eligible students in the preschool
  2 33 programming provided by a school district on October 1 of
  2 34 the base year exceeds the school district's base incentive
  2 35 enrollment.
  3  1    c.  "Incentive period" means the budget years beginning July
  3  2 1, 2017, July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019.
  3  3    d.  "Incentive state aid" means the product of ten percent of
  3  4 the regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year
  3  5 multiplied by the school district's incentive enrollment in the
  3  6 base year.
  3  7    2.  a.  A preschool program expansion incentive is
  3  8 established in accordance with this section.  In order to be
  3  9 eligible for the incentive, a school district must develop and
  3 10 implement a preschool program expansion plan, approved by the
  3 11 department, to expand enrollment of eligible students in the
  3 12 school district's preschool programming.  In addition, the
  3 13 school district shall work with existing preschool program
  3 14 providers to expand hours and otherwise enhance the preschool
  3 15 programming available to the children participating in the
  3 16 programs.  The plan's goal shall be that by the end of the
  3 17 incentive period the district's preschool programming will
  3 18 be available without a waiting list to each child wanting to
  3 19 enroll in the programming. After completion of the incentive
  3 20 period, the department shall analyze the growth in access
  3 21 to the preschool program and enhancements made in preschool
  3 22 programming as a result of the incentive, including in
  3 23 the programs provided directly by school districts and in
  3 24 those offered in partnership with community providers.  The
  3 25 department shall submit a report to the general assembly that
  3 26 shall include identification of progress made toward the
  3 27 incentive program's goals and documentation of collaboration
  3 28 efforts made with input from participating families, early care
  3 29 providers, and community partners.
  3 30    b.  The elements addressed in the preschool program expansion
  3 31 plan shall include but are not limited to the following:
  3 32    (1)  How the school district will work in collaboration with
  3 33 participating families, early care providers, and community
  3 34 partners, as described in section 256C.3, subsection 3,
  3 35 to provide the preschool programming in as convenient and
  4  1 cost=effective a manner as possible for the families of the
  4  2 four=year=old children who are eligible for the programming.
  4  3    (2)  A specification of the roles of the early care providers
  4  4 and community partners in support of the expansion plan.
  4  5    (3)  A delineation of the specific steps for expanding hours
  4  6 and otherwise enhancing the preschool programming available to
  4  7 the children participating in the existing preschool programs
  4  8 located in the school district.
  4  9    (4)  Identification of specific outcomes and progress
  4 10 measures for the expansion plan.
  4 11    (5)  Detailed plans for contacting and soliciting enrollment
  4 12 of eligible students, particularly from low=income families,
  4 13 non=English speaking families, and families from ethnic and
  4 14 racial groups underrepresented in the district's preschool
  4 15 program enrollment.
  4 16    3.  The department of education shall provide required
  4 17 elements and recommend best practices for outreach and program
  4 18 expansion under the incentive, including expansion plan models
  4 19 that school districts may consider in developing their local
  4 20 expansion plans, and including but not limited to submission
  4 21 provisions, annual updates, and documentation of collaboration
  4 22 efforts with and input from participating families, early care
  4 23 providers, and community partners.
  4 24    4.  During the incentive period, in addition to the
  4 25 regular preschool foundation aid based on the preschool
  4 26 budget enrollment, the school district implementing a
  4 27 preschool expansion plan approved by the department shall
  4 28 receive incentive state aid based on the district's incentive
  4 29 enrollment. The incentive state aid shall be paid as
  4 30 part of the state aid payments made to school districts in
  4 31 accordance with section 257.16 and shall be subject to the
  4 32 same requirements applicable to preschool foundation aid under
  4 33 section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraph "d".
  4 34    5.  A school district shall utilize its incentive state aid
  4 35 to defray increases in costs in connection with the school
  5  1 district's preschool program expansion plan.  Such costs shall
  5  2 include but are not limited to renovation and other facility
  5  3 costs connected with expansion, outreach, one=time expenses,
  5  4 and other costs identified as eligible by the department.
  5  5    Sec. 6.  Section 257.16, Code 2016, is amended by adding the
  5  6 following new subsection:
  5  7    NEW SUBSECTION.  1A.  For the fiscal years in which the
  5  8 preschool program expansion incentive applies in accordance
  5  9 with section 256C.7, the appropriation made in subsection 1
  5 10 shall include the amount necessary to pay incentive state aid
  5 11 in accordance with section 256C.7.  This subsection is repealed
  5 12 on July 1, 2021.
  5 13    Sec. 7.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance
  5 14 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
  5 15 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
  5 16 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
  5 17 received by the school district under section 257.16.  This
  5 18 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
  5 19 to meet all of the state funding=related requirements of
  5 20 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
  5 21 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
  5 22 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
  5 23 districts.
  5 24                           EXPLANATION
  5 25 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  5 26 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  5 27    This bill relates to the statewide preschool program for
  5 28 four=year=old children by establishing a preschool program
  5 29 expansion incentive and authorizing state aid for the
  5 30 incentive. The bill also addresses costs allowed under the
  5 31 program.
  5 32    Code section 256C.3, relating to preschool program
  5 33 requirements, is amended to require each school district to
  5 34 implement a plan for the school district's preschool program to
  5 35 have sufficient capacity to operate without a waiting list for
  6  1 school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2020.
  6  2    To be eligible for the preschool expansion incentive,
  6  3 a school district must develop and implement a preschool
  6  4 expansion plan, approved by the department, in order to expand
  6  5 enrollment of eligible students in the school district's
  6  6 preschool programming.  Requirements for the plan are
  6  7 provided in the bill, including how the school district will
  6  8 collaborate with participating families, early care providers,
  6  9 and community partners to expand the district's preschool
  6 10 enrollment.  The department of education is to specify other
  6 11 requirements for the plan and for approval of plans by the
  6 12 department. The bill requires the department of education to
  6 13 analyze the enhancements to the preschool program following the
  6 14 incentives period and submit a report to the general assembly.
  6 15    Current law in Code section 256C.4 prohibits inclusion
  6 16 in the preschool program of children already included in a
  6 17 school's enrollment count for purposes of the school aid
  6 18 foundation formula or children who are served by an existing
  6 19 preschool program already receiving state or federal funds for
  6 20 the purpose of providing four=year=old preschool programming
  6 21 while the child is being served by the existing program.  The
  6 22 bill allows inclusion of children participating in an existing
  6 23 program if the preschool programming in the existing program
  6 24 has been enhanced as part of the expansion incentive.
  6 25    The incentive program will operate for the three school
  6 26 budget years beginning July 1, 2017, July 1, 2018, and July
  6 27 1, 2019.  For those three budget years, a school district is
  6 28 eligible to receive incentive state aid for the increase in
  6 29 the actual enrollment of eligible students in the preschool
  6 30 programming provided by a school district in the immediately
  6 31 preceding school year over the base incentive enrollment.
  6 32 The base incentive enrollment is the average of the actual
  6 33 enrollments of eligible students in the school district's
  6 34 preschool programming on October 1, 2013, October 1, 2014,
  6 35 and October 1, 2015.  The amount of incentive state aid is
  7  1 equal to 10 percent of the regular program state cost per pupil
  7  2 multiplied by the school district's incentive enrollment in the
  7  3 base year.
  7  4    The incentive state aid is required to be used to defray
  7  5 increases in costs in connection with the school district's
  7  6 preschool expansion plan.  Such costs may include renovation
  7  7 and other facility costs connected with expansion, outreach,
  7  8 one=time expenses, and other costs identified as eligible by
  7  9 the department.
  7 10    The bill also addresses administrative costs under the
  7 11 preschool program by increasing the allowable administrative
  7 12 costs for school districts from 5 to 10 percent.
  7 13    The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
  7 14 section 25B.3.  The bill requires that the state cost of
  7 15 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
  7 16 district from state school foundation aid received by the
  7 17 school district under Code section 257.16.  The specification
  7 18 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
  7 19 funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2.  The
  7 20 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
  7 21 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
  7 22 mandates included in the bill.
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