House Bill No. [insert number] aims to enhance early childhood care and education within the Monroe City School District by allowing the Monroe City School Board to levy an ad valorem tax on all taxable immovable property in the district. This tax is intended to fund early childhood education programs and can only be implemented after a majority of voters approve the tax rate, which cannot exceed five mills and is limited to a duration of twenty years. The proceeds from this tax will be exclusively used for childcare and educational opportunities for children who have not yet entered kindergarten.

Additionally, if the Monroe City School Board decides to contract with an outside organization to manage the early childhood care and education program, that organization must have a history of providing educational services in Ouachita Parish for at least twenty-five years and must currently offer community aid services totaling one million dollars per year. This legislation is designed to ensure that early childhood education is adequately funded and that any external partners meet specific criteria to maintain quality and accountability in the programs offered.