This bill amends section 1002.71 of the Florida Statutes to revise the funding structure for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. It introduces a new base student allocation for both school-year and summer prekindergarten programs, ensuring that the allocation will not be less than the amount appropriated for the previous program year, with annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, capped at 5 percent. The bill mandates that the base student allocation be equal for all students, regardless of whether they are enrolled in public or private prekindergarten programs.

Additionally, the bill requires the Division of Early Learning to publish the adjusted base student allocation on its website and provide this information to early learning coalitions by May 1 each year for the upcoming program year. It also authorizes the Legislature to allocate additional funding or supplements for the program as deemed necessary. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
S 512 Filed: 1002.71