Req. No. 1015 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) SENATE BILL 671 By: Pederson AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1-114, which relates to f ree attendance of public schools; updating language regarding student transfers pursuant to certain act; exempting from certain tuition fee requirement school districts that enroll certain students, do not receive certain funds, and have certain per -pupil expenditure; prohibiting certain students from bein g eligible for State Aid; prohibiting allocation or transfer of certain local funding; providing an e ffective date; and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1 -114, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-114. A. All children between the ages of five (5) years on or before September 1, and twenty -one (21) years on or before September 1, shall be entitled to attend school free of charge in the district in which they reside. B. All children who are at least four (4) years of age but not more than five (5) years of age on or before September 1 and wh o have not attended a publ ic school kindergarten shall be entitled to Req. No. 1015 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 attend half-day or full-day early childhood programs at any public school in the state where such programs are offered; provided, no child shall be required to attend any early childhood education program. The following paragraphs shall govern early childhood programs: 1. Children who are at least four (4) years of age but not more than five (5) years of age on or before September 1 shall be entitled to attend either half -day or full-day early childhood programs in their district of residence free of charge as long as the district has the physical facilities and teaching personnel to accommodate the child. For purposes of calculation of State Aid, children in an early childhood educatio n program shall be include d in the average daily membership of the district providing th e program; 2. A child who has not reached the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 and who resides in a district which does not offer an early childhood prog ram shall be eligible for transfer to a district where an early childhood program is off ered if the district that offers the early childhood program agrees to the transfer has the capacity to accept the child as provided for in the Education Open Transfer Act. A district offering early child hood programs may refuse to accept a nonresident ch ild if the district does n ot have the physical facilities or teaching personnel the capacity to accommodate the child in an early childhood education class , as Req. No. 1015 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 provided for in the Education Open Transfer A ct. If the child requesting the transfer has not r eached the age of four (4) years on or before September 1, the district may refuse to accep t the nonresident child if the district determines the child is not ready for an early childhood program. Childre n who are accepted in a program outside their distr ict of residence as provided in this paragraph shall be included in the average daily membe rship of the district providing the program for State Aid funding subject to the State Aid formula weight limitati ons set forth in paragraph 1 of this subsection; and 3. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules that create exemptions relating t o the maximum age at which a child may attend half-day or full-day early childhood programs. C. No child shall be enrolled in kindergarten unless he or she will have reached the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 of the school year. No child shall be enrolled in the first grade unless he or she will have reached the a ge of six (6) years on or before September 1 of the school year. D. 1. No nonresident and nontransferred pupil shall be allowed to attend school in any school district unless a tuit ion fee equal to the per capita cost of education for a similar period in such district during the preceding y ear has been paid to the receiving district in advance yearly or by semester as determined by the district board of education of the receiving dis trict. If the State Req. No. 1015 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Board of Education discovers that such the attendance has been allowed without prior paym ent of the tuition fee in advance as required, no further payment of any State Aid Funds funds shall be made to the district until such the district has shown t o the satisfaction of the State Board of Education that all such tuition fees have been paid or that such tuition the pupil will no longer be allowed to attend school until the required tuition fee has been paid. 2. The provisions of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not apply to a school district that enrolls nonresident students from a contiguous, out-of-state school district if the district: a. does not receive payment of any State Aid funds, and b. has a per-pupil expenditure, as defined by Section 1- 124 of this title, that is above the state average per-pupil expenditure. A nonresident student whose resident district, as determined by Section 1-113 of this title, is not within this state shall not be eligible for State Aid. No local funding associated with the nonresident student’s out-of-state resident district shall be allocated or transfer red to the receiving school district. E. Any parent, guardian, person, or institution having care and custody of a child who pays ad valorem tax on real property in any other school district other than that in which tha t person resides may, with the approval of the receiving board school district, Req. No. 1015 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 enroll the child in any school district in which ad valore m tax is paid and receive a credit on the nonresident tuition fee equal to the amount of the ad valorem tax paid for s chool district purposes in the school district in which the child is enrolled. Provide d, the credit shall not exceed the total amount req uired for the tuition payment. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. 59-1-1015 EB 1/18/2023 12:03:53 PM