|
House Bill 4 |
House Author: Huberty et al. |
|
Effective: 5-28-15 |
Senate Sponsor: Campbell et al. |
House Bill 4 amends the Education Code to establish a grant funding program under which funds are awarded to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to implement a high quality prekindergarten grant program provided free of tuition or fees to qualifying students who are four years old as of September 1 of the year the student begins the program. Program students are entitled to the benefits of the available school fund and the Foundation School Program (FSP), with FSP funding limited to half-day funding. Additional grant funding under the program is capped at $130 million for the 2016-2017 state fiscal biennium and at $1,500 per qualifying student in average daily attendance per school day. The program includes curriculum and teacher requirements, a family engagement plan, and the evaluation of the program in terms of student progress and the evaluation of program funding in terms of improving student learning. The bill authorizes a grant program participant to contract with an eligible private provider to provide services or equipment for the program and sets out conditions of eligibility.
House Bill 4 requires the commissioner of education to develop a prekindergarten teacher training course for school district or open-enrollment charter school teachers and requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to produce and make available to the public on TEA's website annual early education reports for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.