Senate File 2159 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3068)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the statewide preschool program for
2 four=year=old children and funding associated with the program
3 and providing an effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5315SV 82
6 jp/nh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256C.3, subsection 1, Code Supplement
1 2 2007, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 1. ELIGIBLE CHILDREN. A child who is a resident of Iowa
1 4 and is four years of age by on or before September 15 of a
1 5 school year shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool
1 6 program under this chapter. If space and funding are
1 7 available, a school district approved to participate in the
1 8 preschool program may enroll a younger or older child in the
1 9 preschool program; however, the child shall not be counted for
1 10 state funding purposes.
1 11 Sec. 2. Section 256C.4, subsection 1, Code Supplement
1 12 2007, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
1 13 NEW PARAGRAPH. f. The receipt of funding by a school
1 14 district for the purposes of this chapter, the need for
1 15 additional funding for the purposes of this chapter, or the
1 16 enrollment count of eligible students under this chapter,
1 17 shall not be considered to be unusual circumstances, create an
1 18 unusual need for additional funds, or qualify under any other
1 19 circumstances that may be used by the school budget review
1 20 committee to grant supplemental aid to or establish modified
1 21 allowable growth for a school district under section 257.31.
1 22 Sec. 3. Section 256C.5, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
1 23 Supplement 2007, is amended to read as follows:
1 24 b. For budget years subsequent to the initial school year
1 25 for which a school district approved to participate in the
1 26 preschool program receives that initial approval and
1 27 implements the preschool program, the funding for the
1 28 preschool foundation aid payable to that school district shall
1 29 be paid from the appropriation made in section 257.16.
1 30 Continuation of a school district's participation in the
1 31 preschool program for a second or subsequent budget year is
1 32 subject to the approval of the department based upon the
1 33 school district's compliance with accountability provisions
1 34 and the department's on=site review of the school district's
1 35 implementation of the preschool program.
2 1 Sec. 4. Section 256C.6, subsection 1, Code Supplement
2 2 2007, is amended to read as follows:
2 3 1. PHASE=IN. For the initial fiscal year in which a
2 4 school district participates in the preschool program pursuant
2 5 to an appropriation provided in subsection 2, the department
2 6 shall apply a modified set of the requirements of the
2 7 provisions of this chapter relating to preschool program
2 8 implementation, preschool enrollment reporting, and
2 9 distribution of funding as necessary to begin the distribution
2 10 in that fiscal year and additional program implementation in
2 11 the next fiscal year. For each month after September 1, in
2 12 the initial fiscal year that a school district approved to
2 13 participate in the preschool program begins programming, the
2 14 department shall reduce the preschool foundation aid payable
2 15 to the school district by one=tenth of the amount that would
2 16 otherwise have been payable to the school district for the
2 17 full school year.
2 18 Sec. 5. Section 256C.6, subsection 2, Code Supplement
2 19 2007, is amended by adding the following new unnumbered
2 20 paragraph:
2 21 NEW UNNUMBERED PARAGRAPH. Notwithstanding section 8.33,
2 22 moneys appropriated in this subsection that remain
2 23 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year
2 24 shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure
2 25 for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding
2 26 fiscal year.
2 27 Sec. 6. 2007 Iowa Acts, chapter 214, section 6, subsection
2 28 13, is amended by adding the following new unnumbered
2 29 paragraph:
2 30 NEW UNNUMBERED PARAGRAPH. Notwithstanding section 8.33,
2 31 moneys appropriated in this subsection that remain
2 32 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year
2 33 shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure
2 34 for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding
2 35 fiscal year.
3 1 Sec. 7. STATEWIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
3 2 SYSTEM. It is the intent of the general assembly that if
3 3 funding is designated or is otherwise made available for
3 4 purposes of implementing a statewide early childhood
3 5 professional development system during the fiscal year
3 6 beginning July 1, 2007, or the succeeding fiscal year, that
3 7 the system shall be implemented by the department of education
3 8 through the area education agencies and shall be designed to
3 9 support the statewide preschool program for four=year=old
3 10 children offered in accordance with chapter 256C. The
3 11 department of education shall collaborate with early childhood
3 12 Iowa and its public and private member agencies to ensure that
3 13 the system complements existing programs and resources
3 14 committed by the agencies to professional development. To the
3 15 extent possible, the system shall support professionals
3 16 engaged in other early childhood programs.
3 17 Sec. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
3 18 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
3 19 EXPLANATION
3 20 This bill relates to the statewide preschool program for
3 21 four=year=old children and funding associated with the
3 22 program.
3 23 Code section 256C.3, relating to the program requirements,
3 24 is amended to specify that a child must be age four on or
3 25 before September 15 of a school year to enroll in the program.
3 26 Code section 256C.4, relating to the general funding
3 27 provisions for the program, is amended to provide that the
3 28 receipt of funding for purposes of the program, the need for
3 29 funding for the program, or the enrollment count of eligible
3 30 students cannot be used to grant supplemental aid to or
3 31 establish modified allowable growth for a school district.
3 32 Code section 256C.5, relating to the funding formula for
3 33 the preschool program, is amended. Current law provides that
3 34 the funding for the initial year of participation is paid from
3 35 a standing limited appropriation and in subsequent years the
4 1 funding is paid from the standing appropriation for state aid
4 2 to schools. The bill provides that continuation of a school
4 3 district's participation for a second or subsequent year is
4 4 subject to the approval of the department of education.
4 5 Code section 256C.6, relating to phase=in of the program,
4 6 is amended to strike authority for monthly proration of
4 7 preschool foundation aid for school districts that are
4 8 approved to participate in the program, for each month after
4 9 September 1 that the programming begins. The bill includes
4 10 nonreversion provisions to allow carry forward of unexpended
4 11 amounts from the appropriations made for initial year
4 12 participation in the program by school districts for fiscal
4 13 year 2007=2008 in 2007 Iowa Acts, ch. 214, and for fiscal
4 14 years 2008=2009, 2009=2010, and 2010=2011 in Code section
4 15 256C.6.
4 16 The bill provides legislative intent stating that if
4 17 funding is made available for implementing a statewide early
4 18 childhood professional development system beginning in fiscal
4 19 year 2007=2008 or the succeeding fiscal year, the system will
4 20 be implemented by the department of education through area
4 21 education agencies and will support the preschool program.
4 22 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
4 23 LSB 5315SV 82
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