Date: 01/26/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1020

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 15-1020 to the Committee on ApproPASS



01:36 PM -- House Bill 15-1020

Representative Buckner, Chair, welcomed the audience and committee members. He went over the agenda for the meeting and changed the order of bills to be heard. He moved House Bill 15-1027 to second on the agenda.

Representative Wilson, sponsor, introduced House Bill 15-1020, which provides state funding for full-day kindergarten to school districts. He discussed the importance of full-day kindergarten and the fact that only 0.58 of kindergarten is actually funded by the state. He discussed the negative factor and cuts to education during the recession. He explained the bill's fiscal note and pointed out that districts are actually paying for full-day kindergarten where it exists. He pointed out that full-day kindergarten funded by the state would free up district dollars for Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) slots. He discussed districts' use of mill levy overrides to fund full-day kindergarten and the transportation challenges associated with half-day kindergarten. He urged the committee not to consider the fiscal note, as that is a question for the Appropriations committee. Representative Wilson responded to questions from the committee. He clarified that the bill would not mandate full-day kindergarten, but would fund it for districts that want it or already have it. Representative Wilson continued to respond to questions from the committee.


01:52 PM

Representative Wilson continued to respond to questions from the committee.

01:54 PM -- Robin Gooldy, Superintendent of Canon City Schools, spoke in favor of the bill. He discussed the history of kindergarten programs, focusing on the addition of academics and technology over the past 40 years. He discussed his experience in Oklahoma, which has full-day universal kindergarten. He discussed the lack of preschool experience among students in his districts. He explained that full-day kindergarten in his district detracts from his ability to fund other programs in the district. He told the committee that his district uses $440,000 of local funds for full-day kindergarten. Mr. Gooldy responded to question from the committee.

02:00 PM -- Chris Selle, representing Custer County School District, spoke in favor of the bill. He discussed the way his district funds full-day kindergarten, and the need to draw funding from other areas of his district's budget in order to pay for full-day kindergarten. Mr. Selle responded to questions from the committee.

02:06 PM -- Bill Jaeger, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, spoke in favor of the bill. He discussed the impact of full-day kindergarten on young children, the increasing demand for full-day kindergarten, and how 127 districts have 100 percent of their kindergartners enrolled full-day either by pulling funds from their operating budget or by charging parents tuition. He discussed research showing how students benefit from full-day kindergarten, especially Hispanic children and those who are not yet reading. He discussed persistent achievement gaps and how early childhood education, including full-day kindergarten, can have lasting impacts.

02:09 PM -- Denise Jack, representing herself, spoke against the bill. She discussed her observations of kindergarten and how kindergarten has harmed the children she has observed. She discussed her belief that children should start school later, and that children should learn to read later.


02:11 PM

Representative Wilson offered closing comments to the bill. He thanked the witnesses that testified. He discussed the provisions of the bill and how the bill will benefit Colorado students. He discussed the need to fund full-day kindergarten as a first step toward improving early childhood education in Colorado.
BILL:HB15-1020
TIME: 02:14:29 PM
MOVED:Wilson
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1020 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 10-1.
SECONDED:Lee
VOTE
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Garnett
Yes
Landgraf
Yes
Lee
Yes
Lundeen
Yes
Moreno
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Windholz
Yes
Pettersen
Yes
Buckner
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS