This bill mandates that school districts receiving preschool education aid establish a mixed delivery system for providing free preschool opportunities. This system requires partnerships between school districts and licensed child care providers as well as Head Start programs within the same or neighboring communities. The bill emphasizes that districts must maximize the availability of free preschool options through these partnerships and prohibits selective assignment of preschool pupils to programs based on age or other characteristics that could influence educational costs.

Additionally, the bill assigns the Department of Education the responsibility of ensuring compliance with these mixed delivery system requirements. The department is tasked with providing guidance and technical assistance to school districts, licensed child care providers, and Head Start programs to facilitate the effective implementation of this system. The new legal language includes provisions that outline the expectations for maximizing free preschool opportunities and maintaining equitable assignment practices.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7F-54