The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to enhance the planning and implementation of a state prekindergarten program. It establishes that the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education ("the department") shall maintain a high-quality prekindergarten program for children ages three and four. The department is required to annually quantify the resources needed to achieve and maintain high-quality standards and to collect and analyze data regarding the impact of the state prekindergarten program on children's school readiness and achievement.

Additionally, the bill introduces a lottery system to determine enrollment in the state prekindergarten program. The lottery will consider families' preferred programs, existing siblings in the program, and the economic demographics of the municipality.

Furthermore, the bill allows municipalities participating in the state prekindergarten program to accept students from outside their municipality, provided certain conditions are met: the program must have open slots available, the student must be otherwise eligible for the prekindergarten program, and the student must be selected through the prekindergarten lottery. The acceptance of non-resident students shall not cause a loss or reduction in state or local education aid to the program, and no student shall be excluded from a prekindergarten program based on the fact that they live in a different municipality if they have a sibling enrolled in that program.

The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is tasked with promulgating rules and regulations regarding the operation of the lottery and the enrollment at state-funded prekindergarten seats. This act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
8130: 16-87-3