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FISCAL NOTE
Senate Bill 76
Committee: Education Policy Sponsor: Senator Donnie Chesteen
Analyst: John Friedenreich Date: 02/19/2024
Senate Bill 76 as introduced would, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, (1) allow a child
who is five years old before September 1 to be admitted to kindergarten; (2) allow local boards
of education to admit underage children to kindergarten under certain circumstances; (3) allow a
child who completes kindergarten to be admitted to the first grade; and (4) allow a child who
has not completed kindergarten but who is six years old by December 31, and demonstrates
first-grade entry readiness, to be admitted to first grade in local public schools.
The provisions of this bill could increase the average daily membership (ADM) for public
kindergarten by an estimated maximum of 1,400 students annually, beginning in the 2024-2025
school year. This increase in kindergarten ADM would result in an estimated maximum annual
increase of $10.5 million in Foundation Program funding, beginning in Fiscal Year 2025, using
divisors, average calculated state teacher unit salary, and classroom instructional support
allowances for fiscal year 2024. This amount would be reduced by an undetermined amount
dependent upon the number of students attending non-public kindergarten or demonstrating first
grade readiness, as provided in this bill.
In addition, this bill requires the Department of Education to create a first grade readiness
assessment, to be approved by the State Board of Education and publish essential first grade
readiness skills information on the Department's website, which could increase the obligations
of the Department by an undetermined amount.