2012 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 16 - Education
Chapter 16-99 - Full-Day Kindergarten Accessibility Act
Chapter 16-99-4 - Eligible school districts; funding.
§ 16-99-4 Eligible school districts; funding. – (a) A school district shall be eligible to receive funding pursuant to subsection 16-96-4(b), if:
(1) The school district is a public school district; and
(2) The school district operates a half-day kindergarten program as of September 1, 2011, but not a full-day kindergarten, as defined herein, serving more than one-half of the kindergarten students in the district as determined on a headcount basis.
(b) Subject to appropriation, beginning with school year 2013-2014, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall approve up to four (4) eligible public school districts per year to voluntarily implement a full-day kindergarten program as defined herein. The aforementioned schools shall receive funding to offset a portion of the reasonable one-time, start-up costs including, but not limited to, desks, books, facility upgrades and any other necessary expenses associated with each school's implementation of a full-day kindergarten program. Funds will be appropriated based upon criteria established by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education to ensure the quality and sustainability of the full-day kindergarten programs implemented.
(c) If more than four (4) eligible school districts apply in one year, or if the appropriation does not support four (4) eligible districts, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall determine which districts shall access the available funds for start-up costs. The commissioner's decision may consider the ability of the district to house the kindergarten enrollment, implement a quality full-day program and sustain the program once implemented, and the decision should maximize the number of students that can enter full-day kindergarten program for that year.
(d) School districts receiving funds pursuant to this chapter must operate only a full-day program, no half-day programs. The full-day kindergarten program must continue to operate for five (5) years.
(e) All funding provided under this section is subject to appropriation.
History of Section.
(P.L. 2012, ch. 372, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 382, § 1.)
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