This bill proposes updates to the Arizona Revised Statutes regarding special education for preschool children with disabilities. It maintains the current requirement that school districts must provide educational programs for preschool children with disabilities, while allowing charter schools the option to do so. The bill removes specific conditions that defined eligibility for these programs and instead refers to the broader definition of "child with a disability" as outlined in section 15-761. Additionally, it modifies the language regarding the calculation of average daily membership to align with this new definition.

Furthermore, the bill adjusts the percentage of funds that the state board of education must distribute to school districts and charter schools for preschool programs, changing the wording from "at least ten per cent" to "at least ten percent." It also clarifies the definition of a "preschool child" by removing the specific age reference tied to the child's third birthday, allowing for more flexibility in admitting children who are within ninety days of turning three. Lastly, it updates the definition of "P-SD" to reference section 15-761 instead of the previous section 15-771.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-771, 15-901, 15-761, 15-903, 15-766, 15-767