15-1251

15-1251. State block grant for early childhood
education; evaluation

A. The state block grant for early childhood education program is established in
the state board of education. The purpose of the program is to promote improved pupil
achievement by providing flexible supplemental funding for early childhood programs,
including preschool programs for economically disadvantaged children, and programs that
serve all public school pupils statewide who are in kindergarten programs and grades one,
two and three.

B. Funding for the program for each fiscal year shall be allocated based on the
number of pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three in each charter
school or school district who were eligible for free lunches during the prior fiscal year
under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts (42 United States Code sections
1751 through 1785). Any charter school or school district that did not determine for the
prior fiscal year if its pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three
were eligible for free lunches under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts
shall receive funding for the program in the current fiscal year based on the number of
its pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three who would have been
eligible for free lunches in the prior fiscal year according to the statewide
kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three eligibility average for all school
districts and charter schools collectively for the prior fiscal year. Notwithstanding
this section, a school district or charter school with an average daily membership of
more than six hundred pupils in kindergarten programs and grades one, two and three in
the prior fiscal year shall have participated in the national school lunch and child
nutrition acts free lunches program in the prior fiscal year to be eligible for program
funding in the current fiscal year.

C. A school district or charter school that devotes part or all of its program
funding to preschool programs shall comply with all of the following requirements:

1. Restrict the preschool program only to preschool children eligible for free or
reduced price lunches under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts.

2. Allow participating pupils to receive preschool services only from a public,
federally funded or private child care provider, each of which shall be licensed by the
department of health services and each of which, beginning in fiscal year 1999-2000, also
shall be accredited by a state board of education approved organization that provides
accreditation for preschool programs.

3. Provide all federally funded or private child care providers located within the
school district or within ten miles of the charter school with information necessary for
them to participate in the program, including names and addresses of children selected
for participation and of their parents or guardians.

4. Provide all parents or guardians of children selected for the program with a
list of licensed federally funded or private child care providers located within the
school district or within ten miles of the charter school and explain to parents or
guardians that they may choose to have their child receive services under the program
from any provider on the list if that provider agrees to participate.

5. Allow at least fifty per cent of pupils selected for the program to receive
preschool services from a federally funded or private child care provider of their
parent's or guardian's own choosing.

6. Allow any eligible child care provider located within the school district or
within ten miles of the charter school to participate in the program if it is willing to
provide services at a unit cost similar to that paid to other providers in the area under
the program.

7. Limit the use of contracts with federally funded and private child care
providers to financial agreements pertaining to numbers of children to be served, hours
of service to be provided per child, payment rates and other financial aspects of the
program.

8. Limit to five per cent the amount of block grant monies that may be used locally
for program administration.

9. Pay participating federally funded and private child care providers in a timely
manner.

D. The legislative council shall conduct a programmatic evaluation of the state
block grant for early childhood education program every three years. For this evaluation,
the staff of legislative council shall develop outcome measures to indicate the
effectiveness of the early childhood education program. The department of education shall
assist the staff of legislative council in collecting any information necessary to
complete the evaluation.