House Bill 632

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO MAKE AVAILABLE A FULL-DAY VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM BY 2007 FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN HEAD START, LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BEGINNING WITH COUNTIES THAT REFLECT A NEED AS REPORTED BY POPULATIONS ELIGIBLE FOR PREKINDERGARTEN FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS; TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO MAKE AVAILABLE A VOLUNTARY FULL-DAY PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM BY 2009 FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN HEAD START, LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BEGINNING WITH COUNTIES THAT REFLECT A NEED AS REPORTED BY POPULATIONS ELIGIBLE FOR PREKINDERGARTEN FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE STATUS OF THE PROGRAMS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Four-year-old” means any child age four (4) on or before September 1.

(b) “Three-year-old” means any child age three (3) on or before September 1.

(2) To ensure that all four-year-olds and three-year-olds have access to quality educational services, the Legislature finds and declares that:

(a) Parents have the primary duty to educate their young preschool children.

(b) The State of Mississippi may assist parents in their role as the primary caregivers and educators by providing services for a full-day prekindergarten program that addresses instructional, social and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children.

(3) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, shall develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for a full-day prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social, and emotional needs of four-year-old and three-year-old children, subject to the following conditions and provisions:

(a) The program shall be voluntary.

(b) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, the State Board of Health, the Mississippi Head Start Association and the public and private early childhood centers, shall jointly develop criteria for the prekindergarten program including, but not limited to, the following:

(i) The enrollment of four-year-old and three-year-old children who have predicted significant readiness deficiencies;

(ii) The qualifications of personnel employed to serve the children;

(iii) The pupil/teacher ratio;

(iv) The health and safety standards;

(v) The hours of operation of the programs; and

(vi) The transportation of the children to the programs.

(c) The core curriculum of all four-year-old and three-year-old programs shall meet or exceed the State Department of Education’s prekindergarten curriculum benchmarks.

(d) To ensure coordination, the school district shall review available educational resources, programs and services in order to avoid duplication of public services.

(e) The State Board of Education shall determine a process for interested school districts to apply for grant funds in order to participate in four-year-old programs. Beginning in fiscal year 2006, the State Board of Education shall award grants for not less than one (1) program in each Mississippi congressional district and not more than twenty-five (25) programs in all, and in later years, may award additional program grants, subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature. These programs shall be awarded to targeted school districts that are in need of an instructional program for four-year-old children who have predicted significant readiness deficiencies. The State Department of Education shall annually determine the cost-per-child rate at the same rate as the base student cost formula under Section 37-151-7. The targeted districts are responsible for blending services for children to avoid duplication in the areas of transportation, personnel, training of personnel, facilities and child nutrition. The program for four-year-olds shall be implemented not later than July 1, 2007.

(f) The State Board of Education shall determine a process for interested school districts, Head Start Centers and public and private early childhood development centers to apply for grant funds in order to participate in three-year-old programs. Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the State Board of Education shall award grants for not less than one (1) program in each Mississippi congressional district and not more than twenty-five (25) programs in all, and in later years, may award additional program grants, subject to the availability of funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature. These programs shall be awarded to targeted school districts that are in need of an instructional program for three-year-old children who have predicted significant readiness deficiencies. The State Department of Education shall annually determine a cost-per-child rate at the same rate as the base student cost formula under Section 37-151-7. The targeted districts are responsible for blending services for children to avoid duplication in the areas of transportation, personnel, training of personnel, facilities and child nutrition. The program for three-year-olds shall be implemented not later than July 1, 2009.

(4) The State Board of Education shall report to the Legislature by December 1 of each year on the status of programs.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.