House Bill No. HB 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 that serve these children. The bill also modifies existing legal language to permit school trustees to admit children outside the typical age range of 5 to 19 under exceptional circumstances, specifically to accommodate preschool-aged children with disabilities.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies the criteria for calculating ANB by allowing preschool children with disabilities receiving special education services to be counted based on their aggregate hours of instruction. It also states that enrollment in preschool programs created at the discretion of trustees will not be included in ANB calculations. For K-12 districts that have been in existence 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 beginning 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