House File 2450 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2450 BY BLOM A BILL FOR An Act relating to the statewide preschool program by modifying 1 provisions relating to eligibility, funding, and compulsory 2 attendance and including applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md

H.F. 2450 Section 1. Section 256C.1, subsections 1 and 4, Code 2026, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 1. “Approved local program” means a school district’s 3 program for four-year-old young children approved by the 4 department of education to provide high quality preschool 5 instruction. 6 4. “Preschool program” means the statewide preschool program 7 for four-year-old young children created in accordance with 8 this chapter . 9 Sec. 2. Section 256C.2, Code 2026, is amended to read as 10 follows: 11 256C.2 Statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 12 children —— purpose. 13 1. A statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 14 children is established. The purpose of the preschool program 15 is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the 16 state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary 17 access to quality preschool curricula for all children who are 18 four years old . 19 2. The state board shall adopt rules in accordance with 20 chapter 17A as necessary to implement the preschool program as 21 provided in this chapter . 22 Sec. 3. Section 256C.3, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended 23 to read as follows: 24 1. Eligible children. 25 a. A child who is a resident of Iowa and who is four years 26 of age on or before September 15 of a school year shall be 27 eligible to enroll in the preschool program under this chapter . 28 If such a child is enrolled under this chapter , the child shall 29 be considered to be of compulsory attendance age as provided in 30 section 299.1A, subsection 3 . 31 b. A child who is a resident of Iowa and who is five years 32 of age on or after June 1 but on or before September 15 of the 33 calendar year during which the school year begins shall be 34 eligible to enroll in the preschool program under this chapter. 35 -1- LSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md 1/ 5

H.F. 2450 If such a child is enrolled under this chapter, the child shall 1 be considered to be of compulsory attendance age as provided 2 in section 299.1A, subsection 3. A child who is enrolled as a 3 four-year-old may enroll again as a five-year-old. However, 4 if insufficient space is available in a preschool program for 5 all eligible children, priority for enrollment shall be given 6 to children who are eligible under paragraph “a” . If a child 7 enrolled in the preschool program pursuant to this paragraph 8 has been counted for state funding purposes under this chapter 9 for a prior school year, the child shall not be counted for 10 state funding purposes. 11 b. c. If space and funding are available, including 12 funding from another school district account or fund from which 13 preschool program expenditures are authorized by law, a school 14 district approved to participate in the preschool program 15 may enroll and pay the cost of attendance for a younger or 16 older child in the preschool program who does not satisfy the 17 requirements under paragraph “a” or “b” ; however, the child 18 shall not be counted for state funding purposes. 19 Sec. 4. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 20 2026, is amended to read as follows: 21 b. Subject to implementation of chapter 28E agreements 22 between a school district and community-based providers of 23 services to four-year-old children and eligible five-year-old 24 children , a four-year-old child or eligible five-year-old child 25 who is enrolled in a child care center or child development 26 home licensed or registered under chapter 237A , or in an 27 existing public or private preschool program, shall be eligible 28 for services provided by the school district’s local preschool 29 program. 30 Sec. 5. Section 256C.4, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended 31 to read as follows: 32 2. Eligible student enrollment. 33 a. To be included as an eligible student in the enrollment 34 count of the preschool programming provided by a school 35 -2- LSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md 2/ 5

H.F. 2450 district approved to participate in the preschool program, a 1 child must be four years of satisfy the age by September 15 2 requirements of section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraph “a” or 3 “b” , in the base year and be attending the school district’s 4 approved local program. 5 b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not 6 include a child who is included in the enrollment count 7 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by 8 a program already receiving state or federal funds for the 9 purpose of the provision of four-year-old or five-year-old 10 preschool programming while the child is being served by the 11 program. Such preschool programming includes but is not 12 limited to child development assistance programs provided under 13 chapter 256A , special education programs provided under section 14 256B.9 , school ready children grant programs and other programs 15 provided under chapter 256I , and federal head start programs 16 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and 17 Secondary Education Act of 1965. 18 Sec. 6. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph a, 19 subparagraph (1), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: 20 (1) An approved local program under the statewide preschool 21 program for four-year-old young children under chapter 256C . 22 Sec. 7. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph c, 23 subparagraph (1), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: 24 (1) Start-up costs for an approved local program under the 25 statewide preschool program for four-year-old young children 26 under chapter 256C . 27 Sec. 8. Section 299.1A, subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended 28 to read as follows: 29 3. A child who has reached the eligible age of four by 30 September 15 under section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraph “a” 31 or “b” , and who is enrolled in the statewide preschool program 32 under chapter 256C shall be considered to be of compulsory 33 attendance age unless the parent or guardian of the child 34 submits written notice to the school district implementing the 35 -3- LSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md 3/ 5

H.F. 2450 program of the parent’s or guardian’s intent to remove the 1 child from enrollment in the preschool program. 2 Sec. 9. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 3 years beginning on or after July 1, 2027. 4 EXPLANATION 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 6 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 7 The statewide preschool program for four-year-old children 8 under Code chapter 256C provides that a child who is a resident 9 of Iowa and is four years of age on or before September 15 of 10 a school year shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool 11 program. Additionally, to be included as an eligible student 12 in the enrollment count of the preschool programming for 13 state funding purposes, a child must be four years of age 14 by September 15 in the base year and attending the school 15 district’s approved local program. 16 This bill expands the eligibility and state funding 17 provisions of the statewide preschool program for four-year-old 18 children under Code chapter 256C to also include five-year-old 19 children who reach the age of five on or after June 1 but on 20 or before September 15 of the calendar year during which the 21 school year begins. A child who is enrolled as a four-year-old 22 may enroll again as an eligible five-year-old. However, if 23 insufficient space is available in a preschool program for all 24 eligible children, priority for enrollment shall be given to 25 children who meet the four-year-old requirements. In addition, 26 if an eligible five-year-old child enrolled in the preschool 27 program has been counted for state funding purposes for a prior 28 school year, the child shall not be counted for state funding 29 purposes. 30 References to four-year-old children in the program named in 31 Code chapter 256C and in related Code provisions are changed 32 to “young children” or expanded to also refer to eligible 33 five-year-old children and Code section 299.1A relating to 34 compulsory education is also modified to reflect changes made 35 -4- LSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md 4/ 5

H.F. 2450 in the bill. 1 The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after 2 July 1, 2027. 3 -5- LSB 5474YH (3) 91 mb/md 5/ 5