SB1829 Summary

• State Board of Education administers grant program for voluntary preschool educational programs serving children ages 3-5, with grants to public school districts and eligible entities that must include parent education components.

• Preschool teachers must hold a Professional Educator License with early childhood education endorsement; from 2018-2019 through 2023-2024, alternative qualifications are permitted including ECE Credential Level 5 or Educator License with Stipulations and early childhood coursework.

• Funding prioritizes programs serving at-risk children first and children with family income below 4 times federal poverty level second; grantees must enter memoranda of understanding with local Head Start agencies addressing collaboration on educational activities, staff training, and services.

• Early childhood programs receiving state funds are prohibited from expulsions; programs must document intervention steps for challenging behaviors, utilize community resources and mental health consultants with parental consent, and may only transition children to other programs after exhausting available supports.

• Programs must annually report data on children served, planned transitions by demographic categories, temporary removals from group settings, and infant/early childhood mental health consultant hours; State Board reports to General Assembly biennially on program outcomes and funding distribution.