SB10-131: Full-Day Kindergarten Funding Incentives

• School districts implementing full-day kindergarten programs meeting specified quality criteria receive 1.3 times the district's per pupil revenue for each enrolled student, starting in the 2010-11 budget year.

• Qualifying programs must be free and available to all kindergarten-age children whose parents choose enrollment, include no more than 15 children per teacher with instructional assistants, and employ teachers with early childhood education endorsements.

• Full-day kindergarten programs must include developmentally appropriate activities with focus on social skill development and play-based curriculum, with sufficient flexibility to address individual learning needs.

• Districts receiving the enhanced 1.3 per pupil funding are exempt from hold-harmless funding provisions and restrictions on use of full-day kindergarten funding under existing law.

• The Colorado General Assembly shall conduct a post-enactment review two years after enactment to determine whether the incentive funding achieves intended results in school readiness and academic achievement.