Supplemental at-risk funding for early childhood education.

2016
State of Wyoming
16LSO-0244
Introduced
1.4

SENATE FILE

NO.

SF0024

Supplemental at-risk funding for early childhood education.

Sponsored by:
Joint Education Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to school finance; extending supplemental at-risk financial assistance to early childhood education programs; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
334(
a)(intro)
,

(ii), (d)(intro)
,
(
i
),
(f), (g)
,
(j) and (k)
is
amended to read:

21
‑
13
‑
334
.

Supplemental at
‑
risk financial assistance program for
early childhood education,
summer school and extended day intervention and remediation programs.

(a)

The supplemental at
‑
risk financial assistance program for
early childhood education,

summer school and extended day intervention and remediation programs is established to augment resources contained within the education resource block grant model for addressing the needs of
at
‑
risk pre
‑
kindergarten children and

students who are not performing at proficient levels and shall provide financial assistance to districts for the provision of
early childhood education instruction to at
‑
risk
pre
‑
kindergarten
children
and

intervention and remediation instruction to academically at
‑
risk students beyond the required school year specified by law under W.S. 21
‑
4
‑
301 and 21
‑
13
‑
307(a)(ii). Financial assistance under this section shall:

(ii)

Supplement district
early childhood education
and

intervention and remediation programs; and

(d)

To receive financial assistance under this section, a district shall apply to the department of education on or before April 15 of any school year to receive financial assistance during the immediately
succeeding summer school session or subsequent school year for
early childhood education
instruction
or

extended day instruction. Application to the department shall be in a manner and form prescribed by the department and shall include:

(
i
)

A
s applicable, a
n estimate of the number of students to be enrolled in the
early childhood education
program
or

intervention and remediation program
,
enumerated
by grade level,
for which financial assistance is requested
;
, broken down by grade level;

(f)

Maximum financial assistance under this section shall be determined for each applicant district as if the education resource block grant model contained a component equal to fifteen percent (15%) of one (1) full
‑
time equivalent teacher position for every thirty (30) at
‑
risk students within the district as determined under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
m)(v)(A), subject to a minimum per district amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of one (1) full
‑
time equivalent teacher position. Computation of full
‑
time equivalency shall be in accordance with guidelines
prescribed by rule and regulation of the department. Distributions to each district shall be equal to one hundred percent (100%) of amounts actually expended by the district for
early childhood education and

intervention and remediation programs approved under this section for the applicable summer session or school year, subject to the minimum and maximum per district amounts computed under this subsection, updated to reflect the most current at
‑
risk student count for the applicable reporting period.

(g)

Notwithstanding subsection (f) of this section,

an
distributions for

intersession
early childhood education
and

intervention and remediation

program

programs

for school districts operating schools on a year
‑
round basis for purposes of qualifying for financial assistance under this section shall be

an amount

made in
amounts

determined in accordance with criteria and guidelines prescribed by rule and regulation of the department, which shall not exceed the amounts prescribed under subsection (f) of this section.

(j)

Annually on or before December 1, the department shall report to the joint education interim committee on
early childhood education and

remediation and intervention programs receiving financial assistance under this section during the immediately preceding school
year,
evaluate program effectiveness and provide recommendations for program improvement.

(k)

School districts offering
early childhood education,

summer school or extended day programs shall be eligible for receipt of funds pursuant to this section.

Section
2
.

This
act is effective July 1,
201
6
.

(END)

1
SF0024