Relating to statewide voluntary preschool program students whose household income is below a certain amount, minimum hours required to be offered, and funding calculations

This bill relates to statewide voluntary preschool program (SVPP) students whose household income is below a certain amount, minimum hours required to be offered, and funding calculations. The bill allows each school district to choose at the beginning of each school year between the currently required minimum 10 hours of instruction per week for an enrolled child, or a heightened required amount of hours for enrolled children whose household family income is below 185 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a required 10 hours per week of instruction for all other children. For FY 2026-2027, the heightened requirement is a minimum of 15 hours per week of instruction, and for FY 2027-2028, and each succeeding school year, the heightened requirement is a minimum of 20 hours per week of instruction. The bill requires school districts to allow families of children whose household income is below 185 percent of the FPL applicable to the family’s size to choose between 10 hours of instruction per week or the minimum hours of instruction established for children of families with income below 185 percent of the FPL applicable to the family’s size for the child. A school district with an approved SVPP is funded in part by preschool foundation aid payments. _____ aid is calculated by multiplying the regular program state cost per pupil by the school district’s preschool budget enrollment. Currently, the preschool budget enrollment for a given year is calculated by multiplying the number of eligible students enrolled in the preschool program by 50 percent. The bill changes the calculation for preschool budget enrollment for school districts that choose to follow the heightened hours of instruction requirement for children whose household income is below 185 percent of the FPL to the sum of the following number of eligible students: (1) for the school year beginning July 1, 2026, 75 percent of eligible students who receive 15 hours per week of instruction and whose household income is less than 185 percent of the FPL plus 50 percent of all other eligible students; and (2) for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027, the actual number of eligible students who receive 20 hours per week of instruction and whose household income is less than 185 percent of the FPL plus 50 percent of all other eligible students. Calculations for preschool budget enrollment for school districts that continue to follow currently required minimum hours of instruction remain unchanged.