Revises provisions governing grants for certain prekindergarten programs. (BDR 34-272)

S.B. 58

- *SB58*

SENATE BILL NO. 58–COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

(ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION)

PREFILED NOVEMBER 20, 2024
____________

Referred to Committee on Finance

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing grants for certain
prekindergarten programs. (BDR 34-272)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions governing the
children who must be served by a prekindergarten
program supported by certain grants from the Department
of Education; establishing the method for determining the
amount awarded for such grant s; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law establishes a program, known as Nevada Ready! State Pre K, that 1
requires the Department of Education, to the extent money is available, to award 2
grants o f money to school districts, sponsors of charter schools and nonprofit 3
organizations to support prekindergarten programs that meet certain standards. 4
Under existing law, a prekindergarten program that is supported by such a grant is 5
required to satisfy cer tain requirements concerning the children it serves. (NRS 6
387.652) This bill increases the maximum household income level of the children 7
that must be served by a prekindergarten program supported by such a grant. This 8
bill additionally authorizes a prekindergarten program to qualify to be supported by 9
such a grant by serving children who have a household income below that level or 10
who, regardless of household income level, have: (1) an individualized education 11
program; or (2) a documented need for behavior al, social or emotional support s. 12
Finally, this bill provides that the amount of such a grant is determined by 13
multiplying certain adjusted base per pupil funding amounts by the number of 14
children served by the prekindergarten program. 15

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THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 387.652 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
387.652 1. The Department shall, to the extent money is 2
available, award grants of money to school districts, sponsors of 3
charter schools and nonprofit organizations to support 4
prekindergarten programs. Each prekindergarten program supported 5
by a grant awarded pursuant to this section must: 6
(a) Employ at least one teach er per classroom who has a 7
bachelor’s degree or higher in early childhood education and 8
compensate those teachers with pay and benefits similar to those 9
provided to licensed teachers by the school district in which the 10
prekindergarten program is located; 11
(b) Serve children who are 4 years of age at the beginning of the 12
school year and [whose] : 13
(1) Whose household has a household income which is not 14
more than [200] 250 percent of the federally designated level 15
signifying poverty; 16
(2) Who have an individualized education program; or 17
(3) Who have a documented need for behavioral, social or 18
emotional supports; 19
(c) Provide instruction in prekindergarten for at least 25 hours 20
each week for the entire school year; 21
(d) Utilize a comprehensive curriculum for prekindergarten that 22
is aligned to any standards of content and performance established 23
for prekindergarten pursuant to NRS 389.520; 24
(e) Maintain the size of each class at not more than 20 pupils 25
and a ratio of not more than 10 pupils for each adult w ith 26
supervision in the classroom; 27
(f) Participate in any evaluation of the program or the pupils 28
who participate in the program that is prescribed by the regulations 29
adopted pursuant to NRS 387.656; 30
(g) Effectively engage the parents or guardians of pupi ls and 31
participate in any evaluation of such engagement that is required by 32
the regulations adopted pursuant to NRS 387.656; 33
(h) Serve pupils with disabilities at a rate that is not less than the 34
percentage of pupils in this State or in the United States, whichever 35
is greater, who are 4 years of age at the beginning of the school year 36
who receive services funded pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1419; 37
(i) Ensure that the percentage of pupils with disabilities in each 38
class is less than 49 percent of the total number of pupils; 39
(j) Provide appropriate individualized accommodations and 40
supports for pupils with disabilities; 41

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- *SB58*
(k) Provide the comprehensive services prescribed pursuant to 1
NRS 387.656; and 2
(l) Meet the minimum standards of performance prescribed 3
pursuant to NRS 387.656. 4
2. If a school district, sponsor of a charter school or 5
nonprofit organization is awarded a grant of money pursuant to 6
this section, the Department shall determine the amount of the 7
grant by: 8
(a) For a school district or charter school, multiplying the 9
adjusted base per pupil funding amount established for that school 10
district or charter school for that school year by the number of 11
children served by the applicable prekindergarten program; or 12
(b) For a nonprofit organization, multiplying the adjusted base 13
per pupil funding amount established for a charter school in the 14
county in which the prekindergarten program provided by a 15
nonprofit organization is located by the number of children served 16
by the applicable prekindergarten program. 17
3. The board of trustees of a school district, the sponsor of a 18
charter school or a nonprofit organization that wishes to receive a 19
grant of money pursuant to this section must submit an application 20
to the Department. The application must include, without limitation: 21
(a) A detailed description of the manner in which the board of 22
trustees, sponsor of a charter school or nonprofit organization 23
proposes to: 24
(1) Ensure that the prekindergarten program supported by the 25
grant meets the requirements of subsection 1; and 26
(2) Use the grant of money; and 27
(b) Any other information required by the Department. 28
4. As used in this section, “individualized education 29
program” has the meaning ascribed to it in 20 U.S.C. § 30
1414(d)(1)(A). 31
Sec. 2. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 32

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