The proposed bill would amend current statutes regarding educational programs for preschool children with disabilities. It would maintain the requirement for school districts to provide such programs while allowing charter schools the option to do so. The bill removes specific conditions that defined eligibility for these programs, replacing them with a broader definition of "child with a disability" as outlined in section 15-761. Additionally, it clarifies that for calculating average daily membership, only preschool children who meet this new definition can be counted.

Furthermore, the bill updates the percentage of funds that the state board of education must distribute to school districts and charter schools for preschool programs, changing the language from "at least ten per cent" to "at least ten percent." It also modifies the definition of a "preschool child" by removing the specific age reference of three years as of the date of the child's third birthday, while still allowing for the admission of children within ninety days of their third birthday if deemed in their best interest. Lastly, it corrects the reference for "P-SD" to align with the new definition of preschool severe delay.

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