No. SB 512
Filed under Education.
Funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; Revising the calculation of the base student allocation for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; requiring the Division of Early Learning to annually publish and provide to early learning coalitions specified information, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDThe bill creates a mandatory floor for prekindergarten funding. The base student allocation cannot drop below the previous year's amount, adjusted for inflation up to 5 percent annually.
It mandates equal per-student funding. Public schools and private providers must receive the same base allocation for both school-year and summer prekindergarten programs.
The Division of Early Learning must publish the adjusted allocation and send it to local coalitions by May 1 each year.
The Legislature retains the power to appropriate a higher base allocation or add extra supplements in the General Appropriations Act.
AICreates a statutory minimum funding level that automatically increases each year, preventing the legislature from cutting per-student prekindergarten funding below the prior year's adjusted amount.
AILimits the automatic annual funding increase to a maximum of 5 percent, capping the growth of the base student allocation even if inflation exceeds that rate.
AIRequires that the per-student funding amount be identical for public school and private prekindergarten providers, eliminating any funding disparity between the two delivery models.
AIRequires the Division of Early Learning to publish the adjusted funding amount and send it to local coalitions by May 1, creating a fixed deadline for budget planning.
AIPreserves the legislature's power to appropriate more than the calculated minimum or add supplemental funding, ensuring the new floor does not restrict future budget increases.