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 for each program year is not less than the previous year's amount, adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index, with a cap of 5 percent increase per year. 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 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program as deemed necessary. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
S 512 Filed: 1002.71