First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. 99-0478.01 Jennifer Gilroy HOUSE BILL 99-1170
STATE OF COLORADO
BY REPRESENTATIVE Tapia
EDUCATION
A BILL FOR AN ACT
101 CONCERNING THE COLORADO PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, AND, IN CONNECTION
102 THEREWITH, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO MAY BE
103 SERVED THROUGH FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
adopted.)
Increases the number of children who may participate in the
Colorado preschool program for the 1999-2000 budget year, the 2000-01
budget year, and subsequent budget years. Raises the cap on the number
of students for whom preschool moneys may be shifted and applied to
full-day kindergarten programs from not more than 500 students to not
more than 1,500 students.
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. 22-28-104 (2) (d), Colorado Revised Statutes, is
3 amended, and the said 22-28-104 (2) is further amended BY THE
4 ADDITION OF THE FOLLOWING NEW PARAGRAPHS, to read:
5 22-28-104. Establishment of public preschool programs.
6 (2) In recognition of the fact that there are thousands of children in
7 Colorado not presently being served who would benefit from the state
8 preschool program, the number of children that may participate in the
[ ] denotes HOUSE amendment. { } denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate material to be deleted from existing statute.
Page 2
1 state preschool program shall be increased:
2 (d) (I) To not more than 8,850 in the 1998-99 budget year. and
3 budget years thereafter.
4 (II) For the 1998-99 budget year, through the 2000-01 budget
5 year, the department shall allow school districts to apply to the
6 department for authorization to serve no more than five hundred eligible
7 children through a full-day kindergarten component of the district's
8 preschool program. The department, using established criteria, shall
9 select school districts to participate in such full-day kindergarten
10 programs until the total number of full-day kindergarten positions applied
11 for has been filled or the limitation of five-hundred children has been
12 reached, whichever event occurs first.
13 (e) (I) TO NOT MORE THAN 10,850 IN THE 1999-2000 BUDGET
14 YEAR.
15 (II) FOR THE 1999-2000 BUDGET YEAR THROUGH THE 2000-01
16 BUDGET YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALLOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO
17 APPLY TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR AUTHORIZATION TO SERVE NO MORE THAN
18 ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED ELIGIBLE CHILDREN THROUGH A FULL-DAY
19 KINDERGARTEN COMPONENT OF THE DISTRICT'S PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.
20 THE DEPARTMENT, USING ESTABLISHED CRITERIA, SHALL SELECT SCHOOL
21 DISTRICTS TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS
22 UNTIL THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN POSITIONS
23 APPLIED FOR HAS BEEN FILLED OR THE LIMITATION OF ONE THOUSAND FIVE
24 HUNDRED CHILDREN HAS BEEN REACHED, WHICHEVER EVENT OCCURS
25 FIRST.
26 (f) (I) TO NOT MORE THAN 11,850 IN THE 2000-01 BUDGET YEAR
Page 3
1 AND BUDGET YEARS THEREAFTER.
2 (II) FOR THE 2000-01 BUDGET YEAR THROUGH THE 2001-03
3 BUDGET YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALLOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO
4 APPLY TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR AUTHORIZATION TO SERVE NO MORE THAN
5 ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED ELIGIBLE CHILDREN THROUGH A FULL-DAY
6 KINDERGARTEN COMPONENT OF THE DISTRICT'S PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.
7 THE DEPARTMENT, USING ESTABLISHED CRITERIA, SHALL SELECT SCHOOL
8 DISTRICTS TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS
9 UNTIL THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN POSITIONS
10 APPLIED FOR HAS BEEN FILLED OR THE LIMITATION OF ONE THOUSAND FIVE
11 HUNDRED CHILDREN HAS BEEN REACHED, WHICHEVER EVENT OCCURS
12 FIRST.
13 SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
14 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
15 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.