HLS 16RS-339 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 1061
BY REPRESENTATIVE GARY CARTER
EDUCATION: Provides for the establishment of a pilot program in Orleans Parish for
providing early childhood education
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:24.10, relative to early childhood education; to provide for the
3 establishment of a pilot program in Orleans Parish for providing early childhood
4 education; to provide for student eligibility for participation in the program; to
5 provide for program administration, implementation, and funding; to provide for
6 program evaluation, monitoring, and reporting; and to provide for related matters.
7 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published
8 as provided by Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of
9 Louisiana.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.10 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
12 ยง24.10. Early childhood education; three-year-old children; pilot program in
13 Orleans Parish
14 A. The state Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board
15 of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall establish and provide for the
16 implementation of a pilot program which shall be a community-based program for
17 providing early childhood education to certain children in Orleans Parish. The
18 purposes of the pilot program are to study and determine the following:
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HB NO. 1061
1 (1) The educational and other elements necessary for three-year-old children
2 to achieve and for providing high quality care and education programs for such
3 children.
4 (2) The components of care and education programs that are important to
5 parents of three-year-old children.
6 (3) The importance and feasibility of expanding access to care and education
7 programs for three-year-old children.
8 B. To be eligible to participate in the program, a child shall meet all of the
9 following criteria:
10 (1) Is three years old or will be eligible to enroll in kindergarten in two
11 school years pursuant to R.S. 17:151.3.
12 (2) Resides in Orleans Parish.
13 (3) Is a member of a family with a total income that does not exceed two
14 hundred fifty percent of the current federal poverty guidelines as established by the
15 federal office of management and budget.
16 (4) Is not enrolled in a publicly funded early childhood program as provided
17 pursuant to R.S. 17:407, et seq.
18 C. The program shall be administered by the Algiers Development
19 Corporation, which is a nonprofit corporation associated with the Algiers
20 Development District as provided in R.S. 33:2740.27. The program shall be
21 administered in accordance with the standards and criteria developed by the state
22 Department of Education and rules adopted by the State Board of Elementary and
23 Secondary Education for early childhood education programs pursuant to R.S.
24 17:407, et seq. Each early childhood education provider choosing to participate in
25 the program shall meet the criteria established by the department pursuant to R.S.
26 17:407, et seq.
27 D. The state Department of Education shall monitor and evaluate the
28 program and shall submit a written report of such evaluation results, including but
29 not limited to the performance and progress of each child participating in the
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HB NO. 1061
1 program, and all funding information for the program, including any unexpended
2 funds, to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
3 Education by not later than May first of each year of the program. The final report
4 submitted by the department shall include recommendations by the department as to
5 whether the program should continue in the pilot program parish only or be
6 implemented statewide.
7 E. The pilot program as provided in this Section shall be implemented for
8 the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years. Such implementation shall be subject
9 to the appropriation of funds for this purpose.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 1061 Original 2016 Regular Session Gary Carter
Abstract: Provides for the establishment of a two-year, community-based pilot program for
providing early childhood education to certain three-year-old children in Orleans
Parish. Provides for program administration by the Algiers Development Corp. in
accordance with standards and criteria developed by the state Dept. of Education for
early childhood education programs.
Proposed law requires the state Dept. of Education, with the approval of the State Bd. of
Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), to establish and provide for the
implementation of a community-based pilot program for providing early childhood
education to certain children in Orleans Parish. Provides for program implementation in the
2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years subject to the appropriation of funds.
Provides for student eligibility criteria as follows:
(1)Is three years old or will be eligible to enroll in kindergarten in two school years
pursuant to present law (relative to kindergarten entrance age requirements).
(2)Resides in Orleans Parish.
(3)Is a member of a family with a total income that does not exceed 250% of the current
federal poverty guidelines.
(4)Is not enrolled in a publicly funded early childhood program.
Provides that the pilot program shall be administered by the Algiers Development Corp. (the
nonprofit corporation associated with the Algiers Development District) in accordance with
the standards and criteria developed by the state Dept. of Education and rules adopted by
BESE for early childhood education programs. Requires that early childhood education
providers choosing to participate in the pilot program meet the criteria established by the
department pursuant to present law.
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Requires the state Dept. of Education to monitor and evaluate the program and submit a
written report of evaluation results including but not limited to the performance and progress
of each child participating in the program and all funding information for the program
including any unexpended funds. Requires such report to be submitted to the House and
Senate education committees by May 1, 2017, and May 1, 2018. Requires that the final
report include recommendations by the department as to whether the program should
continue in the pilot program parish only or be implemented statewide.
(Adds R.S. 17:24.10)
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