Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 2 to 4 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§8, as amended by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. K, §§3 and 7, is further amended to read:
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA c. 203, sub-c. 3 is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 3
PUBLIC PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN 4 YEARS OF AGE
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §4501, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §6, is further amended to read:
In accordance with the policy expressed in section 2, every school administrative unit shall raise annually sufficient funds to maintain or support elementary and secondary schools to provide free education for its resident students at all grade levels. These schools shall meet the requirements of basic school approval. School units that choose to To the extent the State provides adequate start-up funding, a school administrative unit may offer an opportunity for every child 4 years of age residing in the school administrative unit to attend a public preschool program must meet , or a program affiliated with the school administrative unit, meeting the requirements of basic school approval. It is the goal of the State to provide adequate start-up funding to ensure that public preschool programs for children 4 years of age are offered by all school administrative units by the 2018-2019 school year.
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the first paragraph in the 2nd line (page 4, line 33 in amendment) by inserting after the following: " adequate" the following: ' start-up'
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the first paragraph in the 4th line (page 4, line 35 in amendment) by striking out the following: " shall" and inserting the following: ' may'
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the last paragraph in the first line (page 5, line 1 in amendment) by striking out the following: " shall provide grants" and inserting the following: ' may provide start-up funding'
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 6 and 7 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §15671, sub-§5-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, §5, is amended to read:
Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §15674, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §15675, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §15, is further amended to read:
A. For purposes of the additional weight under this subsection, the count of public preschool program to grade 2 students is calculated based on the number of resident pupils in the most recent calendar year. Beginning with funding for the 2015-16 school year, the pupil count for students 4 years of age and students 5 years of age attending public preschool programs must be based on the most recent October 1st count prior to the allocation year.
Sec. 9. 20-A MRSA §15681, sub-§1, ¶C, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §16, is further amended to read:
C. To receive targeted public preschool program to grade 2 funds calculated pursuant to subsection 4, the school administrative unit must be in compliance with any applicable reporting requirements for local early childhood programs. Any program must be in compliance with chapter 203, subchapter 2 or 3.
Sec. 10. 20-A MRSA §15688-A, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
Amend the amendment in section 9 in the first paragraph in the 4th line (page 6, line 1 in amendment) by striking out the following: "5" and inserting the following: '4'
Amend the amendment by striking out all of section 10 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 10. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
Initiative: Reduces funding for the bus refurbishing program.
| GENERAL FUND |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
All Other
|
$0 |
($69,877) |
|
 |
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL |
$0 |
($69,877) |
PK-20, Adult Education and Federal Programs Team Z081
Initiative: Provides funds for 80% of one Early Childhood Coordinator position and related All Other costs beginning in fiscal year 2014-15.
| GENERAL FUND |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
|
0.000 |
1.000 |
|
Personal Services
|
$0 |
$64,877 |
|
All Other
|
$0 |
$5,000 |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL |
$0 |
$69,877 |
| EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF |
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
|
|
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$0 |
$0 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS |
$0 |
$0 |
’
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
summary
This amendment amends Committee Amendment "A." The amendment differs from Committee Amendment "A" in the following ways.
1. It removes the provisions that would have required school administrative units to submit an implementation plan for operating a new or expanded public preschool program by the 2018-2019 school year and provides that, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year and for each subsequent school year, a school administrative unit may receive start-up funding if the school administrative unit submits an implementation plan for operating a new or expanded public preschool program that is approved by the Department of Education.
2. It defines "start-up funding" as a one-time, start-up grant for the operation of a new or expanded public preschool program and it provides that, to the extent the Legislature appropriates or allocates adequate start-up funding from state, federal or private funds for these grants, the Commissioner of Education may award grants to qualified school administrative units to operate a new or expanded public preschool program.
3. It provides that, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, $4,000,000 of revenues received by the Department of Education from casino slot machines or casino table games must be distributed by the department to provide annual start-up funds for approved public preschool programs for children 4 years of age.
4. It provides that, beginning with funding for the 2015-2016 school year, the count for students 4 years of age and 5 years of age attending public preschool programs must be based on the most recent October 1st pupil count prior to the year of funding.
5. It modifies the rule-making provision related to the qualifications to be included in the Department of Education rules for the approval of implementation plans and the awarding of grants to school administrative units for operating new or expanded public preschool programs. The amendment strikes the requirement that the application submitted by a school administrative unit must meet standards and best practices for public preschool programs and must be coordinated with other early childhood programs in the community and replaces these provisions with language that permits the department's rules to address these criteria.
6. It strikes the provision that would have established an adjustment to the state share of the total allocation for new or expanded public preschool programs and replaces this provision to authorize the Commissioner of Education to expend and disburse one-time, start-up funds to provide grants for expanded access to public preschool programs for children 4 years of age.
7. It adds a new appropriations and allocations section to transfer General Fund funds from the bus refurbishing program to fund the costs of an early childhood coordinator position.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)