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Bill > S253

MA S253

MA S253
Relative to universal pre-kindergarten access

summary

Introduced
04/15/2015
In Committee
04/15/2015
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
07/31/2016

Introduced Session

189th General Court

Bill Summary

For legislation relative to universal pre-kindergarten access. Education.

AI Summary

This bill aims to establish universal access to full-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten education and care programs for all preschool and kindergarten-aged students in districts that can demonstrate the ability to provide high-quality programs. The legislation, driven by concerns about educational achievement gaps, the state's constitutional obligation to education, and economic needs, mandates that by December 31, 2015, all school districts must submit a plan to the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Early Education and Care outlining how they will provide this access, potentially utilizing and improving existing public and private programs. These plans must not include user fees, and the Departments will create joint regulations for their submission, review, and approval, including a five-year phased implementation starting in the 2017 Fiscal Year, prioritizing districts with lower reading proficiency or those in the bottom third of the state's accountability system. The bill also revises definitions related to "Kindergarten Enrollment" and "Pre-school enrollment" to account for full-day programs, effectively doubling their weight in calculating "Foundation enrollment" and "Low-income enrollment" for funding purposes if districts and their appropriating towns request it, and ensuring that students in approved full-day programs are counted at one hundred percent for low-income calculations.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (66)

Sonia Chang-Díaz (D)*,  Brian Ashe (D),  Ruth Balser (D),  Christine Barber (D),  Tony Cabral (D),  James Cantwell (D),  Gailanne Cariddi (D),  Evandro Carvalho (D),  Edward Coppinger (D),  Marjorie Decker (D),  Marcos Devers (D),  Geoffrey Diehl (R),  Paul Donato (D),  Eileen Donoghue (D),  Benjamin Downing (D),  Michelle DuBois (D),  James Dwyer (D),  Lori Ehrlich (D),  Jamie Eldridge (D),  Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D),  Linda Forry (D),  Gloria Fox (D),  Carmine Gentile (D),  Carlos González (D),  Ken Gordon (D),  Danielle Gregoire (D),  Robert Hedlund (R),  Paul Heroux (D),  Russell Holmes (D),  Kevin Honan (D),  Pat Jehlen (D),  Brian Joyce (D),  Jay Kaufman (D),  Mary Keefe (D),  Peter Kocot (D),  Barbara L'Italien (D),  Eric Lesser (D),  Jason Lewis (D),  Jay Livingstone (D),  Joan Lovely (D),  Elizabeth Malia (D),  Thomas McGee (D),  Rady Mom (D),  Mark Montigny (D),  Mike Moore (D),  Frank Moran (D),  Shaunna O'Connell (R),  Marc Pacheco (D),  Denise Provost (D),  Angelo Puppolo (D),  Dave Rogers (D),  Tom Sannicandro (D),  Paul Schmid (D),  Alan Silvia (D),  Frank Smizik (D),  Tom Stanley (D),  Ellen Story (D),  Benjamin Swan (D),  Walter Timilty (D),  Timothy Toomey (D),  José Tosado (D),  Paul Tucker (D),  Steve Ultrino (D),  Aaron Vega (D),  Chris Walsh (D),  Daniel Wolf (D), 

Last Action

Accompanied a study order, see H4630 (on 09/26/2016)
(15 Companion Bills)

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Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/S253
Bill https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/S253.pdf
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