Funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Edmonds ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Campbell ; Tendrich
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and died in committee, so it has no effective date or further legislative action.

Funding for Florida's Voluntary Pre-K Program

This bill revises how funding is calculated and provided to the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in Florida.

What This Bill Does

Revises the calculation of base student allocation for pre-k students based on past spending, but not more than a 5% increase each year.
Requires the Division of Early Learning to publish and provide information about funding to early learning coalitions by May 1st every year.
Authorizes the Legislature to provide additional funding beyond what is calculated.

Who It Names or Affects

Pre-k students in Florida
Schools and providers that offer pre-k programs

Terms To Know

base student allocation: The amount of money given to each pre-k student for their education.
early learning coalitions: Groups that work together to support early childhood education in Florida.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass all stages and died in the PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee.
It is unclear how much additional funding, if any, will be provided by the Legislature.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2025-11-12 House
• Referred to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee • Referred to Budget Committee • Now in PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
2025-11-05 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Funding for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program; Revises calculation of base student allocation for VPK; requires Division of Early Learning to annually publish & provide to early learning coalitions specified information;& authorizes Legislature to provide additional funding for program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 345 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb345-00
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to funding for the Voluntary 2
Prekindergarten Education Program; amending s. 3
1002.71, F.S.; revising the calculation of the base 4
student allocation for the Voluntary Prekindergarten 5
Education Program; requiring the Division of Early 6
Learning to annually publish and provide to early 7
learning coalitions specified information; authorizing 8
the Legislature to provide additional funding for the 9
program; providing an effective date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 14
1002.71, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 15
1002.71 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.— 16
(3)(a) Each private prekindergarten provider and public 17
school delivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education 18
Program shall be paid a separate base student allocation per 19
full-time equivalent student as in the Voluntary Prekindergarten 20
Education Program shall be provided in the General 21
Appropriations Act. 22
1. Beginning with the 2026-2027 program year, the base 23
student allocation for a school-year prekindergarten program and 24
for a summer prekindergarten program may not be less than the 25

HB 345 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb345-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

amount appropriated for the previous program year, adjusted 26
annually on July 1 by the percentage change in the Consumer 27
Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the most recent calendar 28
year, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United 29
States Department of Labor, not to exceed 5 percent each year. 30
The base student allocation for a school-year program shall be 31
equal for each student, regardless of whether the student is 32
enrolled in a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a 33
public school or a private prekindergarten provider. The base 34
student allocation for a summer prekindergarten program shall be 35
equal for each student, regardless of whether the student is 36
enrolled in a summer prekindergarten program delivered by a 37
public school or private prekindergarten provider. 38
2. The Division of Early Learning shall annually publish 39
on its website the adjusted base student allocation and provide 40
the amount of the allocation to each early learning coalition no 41
later than May 1 for use in the following program year. 42
3. The Legislature may provide a greater base student 43
allocation than calculated under subparagraph 1. or additional 44
supplements for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program 45
in the General Appropriations Act. 46
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 47