Relating to education funding, including the amounts for the statewide preschool program and eligibility for payments under the education savings account program, and including applicability provisions

The bill modifies the percentage used to calculate “preschool budget enrollment” based on the number of hours of instruction provided. For school districts providing or more hours, but less than hours, per week of instruction, the percentage remains at percent. For school districts providing or more hours, but less than hours, per week of instruction, the percentage is percent. For school districts providing or more hours, but less than hours, per week of instruction, the percentage is percent. For school districts providing or more hours, but less than hours, per week of instruction, the percentage is percent. For school districts providing or more hours per week of instruction, the percentage is 100 percent. The bill also modifies provisions related to eligibility for payments under the education savings account program. Under current law, for school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, resident pupils eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade who attend a nonpublic school for the applicable school budget year shall be eligible to receive an education savings account payment. The bill retains this provision for only the school budget year beginning July 1, 2025, and the school budget year beginning July 1, 2026. The bill provides that for school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2027, resident pupils eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade who attend a nonpublic school for the applicable school budget year shall be eligible to receive an education savings account payment if the pupil’s household has an annual income less than or equal to 400 percent of the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services. The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.