BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2270
85R22018 KKA-D	By: Lucio
	Education
	4/13/2017
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The 85th Legislature, through H.B. 731, authorized a pilot program that uses money saved by school districts implementing a three-year high school diploma program to fund pre-K programs for low-income students. The pilot, which was limited to Cameron County, is fiscally neutral because it uses funds a district would otherwise receive for early graduates' senior years.

 

S.B. 2270 builds on the success of H.B. 731 by expanding the program to the entirety of Education Service Center (ESC) Region 1. By opening the opportunity to take advantage of additional pre-K funding to more districts, S.B. 2270 will continue the improvement of academic performance in Region 1 beginning with the region's youngest and neediest students.

 

As proposed, S.B. 2270 amends current law relating to expansion of a pilot program under the foundation school program for funding prekindergarten programs provided by certain school districts with early high school graduation programs.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 42.2527(a), Education Code, to require the commissioner of education to provide prekindergarten funding in accordance with this section (Adjustment for Certain Districts With Early High School Graduation Programs) to a school district located in the regional boundaries of the Region 1 education service center as a pilot program to enable the state to evaluate the benefit of providing additional funding at the prekindergarten level for low-income students. Deletes existing text relating to a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2017.