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art.006/3/006/2/006/1

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     ARTICLE 6

RELATING TO EDUCATION

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-99-2, 16-99-3 and 16-99-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

99 entitled "Full-Day Kindergarten Accessibility Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-99-2. Legislative findings. -- The general assembly hereby finds and declares as

follows:

      (1) According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children in full-day

kindergarten classes make greater academic gains in both reading and mathematics compared to

those in half-day classes;

      (2) According to Kids Count RI, full-day kindergarten can contribute to closing

academic achievement gaps between lower and higher income children;

      (3) According to the National Center for Education Statistics, full-day kindergarten

classes are more likely than half-day classes to instruct students daily in the areas of mathematics,

social studies and science; and

      (4) According to Kids Count RI, children in full-day kindergarten are more likely to be

ready for first grade than those in half-day programs, regardless of family income, parental

education and school characteristics; and.

      (5) While this act does not mandate school districts to operate a full-day kindergarten

program, it provides limited one-time, start-up funding for school districts that move to provide

students with access to full-day kindergarten programs, distributed on a competitive basis.

     16-99-3. Full-day kindergarten. -- (a) For the purpose of this chapter, the term "full-day

kindergarten" means a kindergarten program that operates a minimum of five and one-half (5 1/2)

hours or three hundred thirty (330) minutes of actual school work, excluding lunch, recess

periods, common planning time, pre- and post-school teacher time, study halls, homeroom

periods, student passing time and any other time that is not actual instructional time.

      (b) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education has discretion to further

define and approve full-day kindergarten programs consistent with this section, through the 2015-

2016 school year.

     (c) Beginning August 2016, each school district must offer full-day kindergarten to every

eligible student to qualify for state education aid provided for in title 16. In fiscal year 2016, the

Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall provide funding to support

transition expenses for all districts that do not offer universal full-day kindergarten programs in

the 2015-2016 school year. This funding shall not exceed the amount of state aid that would

otherwise have been provided to the district for operating a universal full-day kindergarten

program and shall be based upon 2015 enrollment data and funding formula transition rates. For

purposes of the calculation under this section, a district's half-day kindergarten enrollment as of

March 2015 shall be multiplied by two.

     16-99-4. Eligible school districts; funding. -- (a) A school district shall be eligible to

request funding pursuant to § 16-99-4(b), if:

      (1) The school district is a public school district; and

      (2) The school district operates a half-day kindergarten program as of September 1,

2012, but not a full-day kindergarten, as defined herein, serving more than one-half of the

kindergarten students in the district as determined on a headcount basis.

      (b) Subject to appropriation, beginning with school year 2013-2014, and through school

year 2014-2015, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall rank and approve

eligible public school districts that voluntarily implement a full-day kindergarten program as

defined herein. The aforementioned school district shall receive funding to offset a portion of the

reasonable, one-time start-up costs including, but not limited to, desks, books, facility upgrades,

ancillary costs associated with relocation of students, costs associated with the development and

implementation of new curriculum, and any other necessary expenses associated with each

school's implementation of a full-day kindergarten program. Ranking shall be based upon criteria

established by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education to ensure the quality and

sustainability of the full-day kindergarten programs implemented.

      In ranking the school districts' proposals, the commissioner shall consider the quality and

sustainability of the program and the average number of children eligible for USDA reimbursable

school meals served by the respective district's elementary schools with priority given to school

districts with enrollment greater than eight thousand (8,000).

      If no school district has enrollment greater than eight thousand (8,000), then priority

shall be given to school districts with enrollment greater than four thousand (4,000).

      (c) The commissioner shall fully fund all eligible expenditures of each district in rank

order. If a district's proposal cannot be fully funded, the district may either accept the available

funding for the project or refuse funding. If funding is refused, the commissioner shall fund the

next eligible school district's request based on the aforementioned ranking.

      (d) School districts receiving funds pursuant to this chapter must operate only a full-day

program, no half-day programs. The full-day kindergarten program must continue to operate for

five (5) years.

      (e) All funding provided under this section is subject to appropriation.

      (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d), school districts that request funding

pursuant to this chapter may be allowed to phase-in the implementation of a full-day kindergarten

program, provided that the district provides the department of elementary and secondary

education with a schedule and plan as to the implementation of such program.

     SECTION 2. This article shall take effect upon passage.