Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §15612, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. K, §§6 and 7, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

8.__Early childhood programs adjustment.__School administrative units that offer full-day kindergarten, preschool classes and other in-school early childhood programs and services that did not offer those programs and services in school year 1998-99 must receive an adjustment as provided in this subsection.__The amount of the adjustment is equal to 1/2 of the elementary foundation per pupil operating rate in the year of allocation multiplied by the average annual student count of kindergarten students in the school administrative unit for the calendar year prior to the year of allocation.__The adjustment is available for 2 consecutive fiscal years only and school administrative units may report the costs of operating full-day kindergarten, preschool classes and other in-school early childhood programs and services for subsidy allocations under this chapter.__A school administrative unit may deposit adjustment funds received under this subsection in a capital reserve account for up to 2 years to be used for the purpose of constructing new school facilities or enlarging existing school facilities for use for full-day kindergarten, preschool classes or other early childhood programs and services.__The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this subsection, including but not limited to establishing the definition of the types of preschool classes and early childhood programs and services covered by the adjustment.__Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.__Each school administrative unit that receives an adjustment under this subsection shall submit to the commissioner an operational plan to establish full-day kindergarten and preschool classes for all children who are 4 years of age and children who are 5 years of age by the 2001-02 school year and to maintain those full-day kindergarten and preschool classes thereafter.

SUMMARY

This bill provides an adjustment under the school funding formula as an incentive for public schools that do not currently offer such programs and services to provide full-day kindergarten, preschool classes and certain other in-school early childhood programs and services.