House Bill 6 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, to modify the enrollment criteria for local education agencies (LEAs) regarding their voluntary pre-kindergarten programs. The bill allows LEAs to enroll children who are not at-risk if the number of at-risk children seeking enrollment does not meet the maximum class size. Specifically, it permits enrollment of children who are four years old or three years old with certain qualifications, such as being part of the Tennessee Early Intervention System or coming from families that meet income eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, children of parents employed by the LEA may also be enrolled, provided they are four years old.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a provision allowing LEAs to charge tuition and fees for children enrolled under the new criteria, with the amount not exceeding the LEA's costs associated with the child's enrollment and attendance. This change is reflected in the new subsection added to Section 49-6-104 and is intended to provide LEAs with more flexibility in managing their pre-kindergarten programs while ensuring that they can cover associated costs. The act will take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-104, 49-6-107(d), 49-6-107