House Bill 168 seeks to amend school funding laws to include 3-year-old and 4-year-old children with disabilities in the Average Number Belonging (ANB) calculations for school districts. This change is significant as it allows preschool-aged children participating in special education programs to be counted as pupils, which can lead to increased funding for districts serving these children. The bill also permits school trustees to admit preschool-aged children with disabilities beyond the typical age range of 5 to 19 under exceptional circumstances, thereby expanding access to education for this demographic.

Furthermore, the bill revises the definition of "exceptional circumstances" to explicitly encompass children with disabilities admitted into special education programs. It clarifies that preschool children with disabilities receiving special education services can be included in ANB calculations based on the total hours of pupil instruction. Additionally, for K-12 districts that have been operational for three years or more, the bill mandates that the maximum general fund budget and BASE budget for the upcoming school fiscal year be calculated separately for elementary and high school programs before being combined. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to enrollment counts and ANB calculations for school fiscal years starting on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 20-9-311
HB0168_1(1): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(10): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(11): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(12): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(13): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(2): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(3): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(4): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(5): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(6): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(7): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(8): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(9): 20-9-311
HB0168_1: 20-9-311
HB0168_2(1): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(10): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(11): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(2): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(3): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(4): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(5): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(6): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(7): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(8): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(9): 20-9-311
HB0168_2: 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(1): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(10): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(11): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(2): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(3): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(4): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(5): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(6): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(7): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(8): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(9): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X: 20-5-101, 20-9-311