Every school district would have to offer full-day prekindergarten to four-year-olds
What it does
HB 360 would require each school district to offer prekindergarten classes to any child who is at least four years old. A district may offer classes for three-year-olds only if it finds 15 or more children who qualify, which includes children who cannot speak and understand English, are educationally disadvantaged, are homeless, are or have been in foster care or in the state's care after a court hearing, or are the children of military members, peace officers, firefighters, emergency medical first responders, and classroom teachers in that district. Classes under the bill would run a full day, districts could not charge tuition for them, and districts would not have to provide transportation. The bill would also add reporting on prekindergarten enrollment, class sizes, funding, and curriculum, and it would apply starting with the 2027-2028 school year.
What it means for your community
If you have a four-year-old, your school district would have to offer a prekindergarten class and could not charge you tuition. Three-year-olds would keep priority in the districts that offer them, and a district could ask the education commissioner for an exemption if it would have to build new classrooms. Your district would not have to bus children to prekindergarten, though buses it does provide would count as part of its regular transportation funding. Districts could still charge tuition for prekindergarten classes for children who do not qualify under the new rules.
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