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126th MAINE LEGISLATURE |
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LD 1530 |
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LR 171(02) |
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An Act To
Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary
Prekindergarten Education |
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Fiscal Note for
Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " " |
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Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs |
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Fiscal Note Required: Yes |
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| Fiscal Note |
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FY 2013-14 |
FY 2014-15 |
Projections FY 2015-16 |
Projections FY 2016-17 |
| Net Cost
(Savings) |
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General Fund |
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$0 |
$69,877 |
$69,667 |
$320,576 |
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| Appropriations/Allocations |
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General Fund |
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$0 |
$69,877 |
$69,667 |
$320,576 |
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| Fiscal Detail
and Notes |
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This bill
includes a General Fund appropriation of $69,877 to the PK-20, Adult
Education and Federal Programs Team program within the Department of
Education for 80% of the cost of one Early Childhood Coordinator position and
related all other beginning in fiscal year 2014-15. The requirement that a uniform common
statewide assessment program be established for kindergarten which must be
used by all local school administrative units (SAU's) beginning with the
2016-2017 school year will result in a one-time General Fund cost to the
Department of Education of approximately $248,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 for
professional development for teachers, principals and central office
representatives, including the cost for teacher stipends, travel
reimbursement and other related expenses.
According to the Department of Education, it is part of a multistate
consortium that will be working on developing a kindergarten assessment over
the next 3 and a half years as part of a federal grant. This fiscal note assumes that the
assessment tool will be provided to SAU's at no cost and will be administered
to students during normal school hours. |
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This legislation
requires SAU's to operate or otherwise provide for the availability of a
public preschool program if adequate funding is provided from State, federal
and/or private funding sources, including slot machine and table game revenue
from the Oxford Casino distributed to SAU's by the Department of Education
pursuant to current law. This
legislation also provides that SAU's are not required to expend any local
revenues to implement and operate a public preschool program. |
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Public Law 2013,
Chapter 368, Part C, section 5 required funds from casino slot machines and
casino table games distributed by the Department of Education pursuant to
Title 8, section 1036, subsection 2-A, paragraph A or Title 8, section 1036,
subsection 2-B, paragraph A to SAU's as general purpose aid for local schools
with each SAU making its own determination as to how to allocate the
funds. This legislation diverts those
funds by requiring that, beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, slot machine and
table games revenue from the Oxford Casino be used to fund an approved plan
for the development or expansion of a public preschool program. Current estimates of slot machine and table
game revenue to be distributed to SAU's for K-12 public education for fiscal
year 2015-16 and fiscal year 2016-17 are projected to be $19.3 million and
$19.5 million respectively. |
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The total cost
for SAU's to provide a public preschool program will depend on the number of
students that participate in the program each year. Had this requirement been in place during
the 2013-2014 school year the cost to the State associated with funding 100%
of the total cost of the public preschool program is estimated to have been
between $42.3 million and $102.2 million depending on the number of 4 year
olds enrolled. After adjusting for
state funding currently being provided to those SAU's that are offering
public preschool programs in the 2013-2014 school year, the additional cost
to the State would have been between $26.1 million and $85.9 million. These
estimates are based on the following: |
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10/1/2013 Kindergarten Count |
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13,365 |
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10/1/2013 4 year olds plus Pre-K 5 year olds
Counts |
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4,887
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Estimated additional public preschool program
students |
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8,478
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FY14 State Elem EPS Rate |
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$ 6,415 |
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FY14 State Elem EPS Rate @ 10% for PreK-2
Targeted Funds |
$ 642 |
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Total estimate per student |
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$ 7,057 |
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Total FY 14 cost - additional public preschool
students |
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$ 59,825,007 |
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Total FY 14 cost -existing public preschool
students |
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$ 34,485,116 |
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Estimated FY 2014 cost for public preschool
program |
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$ 94,310,123 |
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Classroom cost |
63 classrooms @ $125,000 |
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$ 7,875,000 |
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Assume 100% eligible student participation: |
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Estimated FY 2014 cost for public preschool
program |
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$ 94,310,123 |
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Classroom cost |
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$ 7,875,000 |
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Cost to fund 100% of public preschool program |
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$ 102,185,123 |
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less: FY 14 Estimated state
funding provided for pre-k programs |
$ 16,308,011 |
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Estimated additional state funding needed (100%
student participation) |
$ 85,877,111 |
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Assume only currently participating students
continue to participate: |
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Estimated FY 2014 cost for public preschool
program |
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$ 34,485,116 |
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Classroom cost |
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$ 7,875,000 |
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Total cost |
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$ 42,360,116 |
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Cost to fund 100% of public preschool program |
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$ 42,360,116 |
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less: FY 14 Estimated state
funding provided for pre-k programs |
$ 16,308,011 |
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Estimated additional state funding needed (no
new student participation) |
$ 26,052,104 |
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Additional costs
to the Department of Education associated with gathering the required
feedback and submitting the required report can be absorbed within existing
budgeted resources. |
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