An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1530
Committee Amendment CA_B_S509 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §405, 20-A MRSA §1001, 20-A MRSA §4501, 20-A MRSA §15689, 20-A MRSA §15689-F

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "6 " to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530, Bill, "An Act To 
Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary Prekindergarten 
Education" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary 
Public Preschool Programs for Children 4 Years of Age' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §405, sub-§3, fT, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 395, Pt. J, §4, 
is amended to read: 
T. 
Establish and maintain a 5-year plan for education that includes goals and 
policies for the education of children who are 4 years of age in public preschool 
programs and children in kindergarten and grades one to 12 and that promotes 
services for public preschool children. The plan must incorporate and build upon the 
work of the Task Force on Learning Results, established in Public Law 1993, chapter 
and the federal GOALS 2000: Educate America Act; 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§8, as amended by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. K, §§3 
and 7, is further amended to read: 
8. Operate public preschool programs, kindergarten and grades one to 12. They 
shall either operate programs in kindergarten and grades -1- one to 12 or otherwise provide 
for students to participate in those grades as authorized elsewhere in this Title. To the 
extent the State provides adequate funding, they may operate public preschool programs 
or may provide for students to participate in such programs in accordance with the 
requirements of this Title. A school administrative unit is not required to expend local 
revenues to operate public preschool programs or to provide for students to participate in 
such programs, but any public preschool program a school board operates or provides for 
students to participate in must comply with the requirements of this Title. They shall 
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determine which students shalt attend each school, classify them and transfer them from 
school to school where more than one school is maintained at the same time. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA c. 203, sub-c. 3 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 3 
PUBLIC PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN 4 YEARS OF AGE 
§4271. State funding for public preschool programs 
1. 
State funding. 
To the extent the State provides adequate funding, school 
administrative units may operate public preschool programs or may provide for students 
to participate in such programs in accordance with the requirements of this Title. A 
school administrative unit is not required to expend local revenues to operate public 
preschool programs or to provide for students to participate in such programs, but any 
public preschool program must comply with the requirements of this Title. 
2. 
Allowable costs. 
Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and for each 
subsequent school year, the State shall provide grant funding for the allowable costs to 
operate public preschool programs for children 4 years of age under this subchapter. The 
grant funds provided for the allowable costs of operating public preschool programs must 
be added to the adjustments to the state share of the total allocation received by qualified 
school administrative units pursuant to section 15689. The amount of the adjustment for 
operating public preschool programs that is added to the state share of the total allocation 
under this subchapter may not be included in the calculation of the local share amount of 
the qualified school administrative unit. 
3. Targeted funds for public preschool program students. Beginning with the 
2015-2016 school year and for each subsequent school year, in addition to the grant funds 
awarded under this section, a school administrative unit that operates a public preschool 
program must receive an additional weight for the count of public preschool program 
students under section 15675, subsection 3 and must receive targeted funds for public 
preschool to grade 2 students pursuant to section 15681, subsection 4. 
4. Grant funds. Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and for each subsequent 
school year, the commissioner shall provide grant funding to qualified school 
administrative units to operate public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. 
Grants provided for allowable costs for approved public preschool programs may be 
provided from state, federal or private funds appropriated, allocated or authorized by the 
Legislature for that purpose, and may include revenues distributed from general purpose 
aid for local schools that the department receives from casino slot machines or casino 
table games pursuant to section 15671, subsection 5-A. 
5. 
Qualifications; rules. 
To qualify for a grant under this section, a school 
administrative unit must submit an implementation plan to the department for the 
operation of a new or expanded public preschool program that meets standards and best 
practices for public preschool programs and demonstrates coordination with other early 
childhood programs in the community to maximize resources and provide comprehensive 
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services to meet the needs of children 4 years of age in accordance with this subchapter 
and rules adopted by the commissioner. 
A. In awarding grants under this section for the 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-
2018 school years, the commissioner shall give priority to a qualified school 
administrative unit that has a greater percentage of economically disadvantaged 
students as determined pursuant to section 15675, subsection 2 than other qualified 
school administrative units under this subsection and in accordance with the 
following provisions: 
(1) 
The first priority must be to award grant funds to a qualified school 
administrative unit that does not operate a public preschool program and that 
submits a plan for the development and operation of a new public preschool 
program; and 
(2) 
The 2nd priority must be to award grant funds to a qualified school 
administrative unit that operates a public preschool program and that submits a 
plan for the development and operation of an expanded public preschool 
program. 
B. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, the commissioner shall award grant 
funds under this section to a qualified school administrative unit that operates a 
public preschool program and that submits a plan for the development and operation 
of an expanded public preschool program. 
The commissioner shall adopt rules that establish criteria for the approval of 
implementation plans and for the awarding of funds for the allowable costs of operating 
public preschool programs. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
6. Application for federal public preschool funds. The department may apply for 
assistance from the Federal Government for the development of public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age on behalf of school administrative units in the State. 
The department shall administer any federal funds received for the benefit of public 
preschool programs in the State. As the designated state agency authorized to administer 
federal funds, the departmentshall develop a state plan and application for funding public 
preschool programs and shall disburse federal funds as authorized and required by 
applicable federal law. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, the department shall provide 
any federal funds received to qualified school administrative units as part of the grant 
funding provided for the development and operation of public preschool programs under 
this section. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §4501, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §6, is further 
amended to read: 
§4501. Duty of school units 
In accordance with the policy expressed in section 2, every school administrative unit 
shall raise annually sufficient funds to maintain or support elementary and secondary 
schools to provide free education for its resident students at all grade levels. These 
schools shall meet the requirements of basic school approval. School units that choose to 
To the extent the State provides adequate funding, a school administrative unit may offer 
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a an opportunity for every child 4 years of age residing in the school administrative unit 
to attend a public preschool program must meet, or a program affiliated with the school 
administrative unit, meeting the requirements of basic school approval. It is the goal of 
the State to provide adequate funding so that public preschool programs for children 4 
years of age may be offered by all school administrative units by the 2018-2019 school 
year and to ensure that adequate funding is provided for the operation of public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age during each subsequent school year. A school 
administrative unit is not required to expend local revenues to operate public preschool 
programs or to provide for students to participate in such programs, but every public 
preschool program must comply with the requirements of this Title. 
1. 
Assessment. 
The commissioner shall by rule establish a uniform common 
statewide assessment program for kindergarten, which must be used by all school 
administrative units in addition to other quality assessments school administrative units 
determine to be necessary beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. The assessments 
must be designed to measure student comprehension of academic content and mastery of 
related skills and cover such areas as physical health and motor development; social and 
emotional development; learning styles; language and literacy; and general cognition. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
2. Grant funds. During the 2015-2016 to 2017-2018 transition period to develop 
public preschool programs for children 4 years of age by the 2018-2019 school year in 
accordance with this section, the department, if funds are available, shall award grants 
pursuant to section 4271 to each qualified school administrative unit equal to the school 
administrative unit's allowable costs to implement the approved plan to develop and 
operate a new or expanded public preschool program. Grant funds must be used to fund 
the allowable costs of the implementation plan not otherwise subsidized by the State, and, 
during each subsequent school year following the 2018-2019 school year, grant funds 
must be used to fund the allowable costs of operating public preschool programs not 
otherwise subsidized by the State. 
Sec. 5. 20-A MRS A §4502, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 141, §11, is 
amended to read: 
9. Public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. Aay To the extent the 
State provides adequate funding for a public preschool program for children 4 years of 
~ 
school administrative unit that 'wishes to does not have a public preschool program 
for children 4 years of age may develop an early ehildhood program a public preschool 
program implementation plan for children 4 years of age must s\:lbmit a proposal for 
submission to and approval te .Qy the department. 
Evaluation and approval of the 
proposal must include consideration of at least the following factors: 
A. 
Demonstrated coordination with other early childhood programs in the 
community to maximize resources; 
B. Consideration of the extended child care needs of working parents; and 
c.' Provision of public notice regarding the proposal to the community being served, 
including the extent to which public notice has been disseminated broadly to other 
early childhood programs in the community. 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "g ,. to S.P. 577, LD. 1530 
Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the commissioner shall provide grants as set 
forth in section 4271 to school administrative units to implement or expand public 
preschool programs for children 4 years of age as permitted under this subsection. 
Sec. 6. 20-A MRS A §15671, sub-§5-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, §5, 
is amended to read: 
5-A. Funds from casino slot machines or table games. Revenues received by the 
department from casino slot machines or casino table games pursuant to Title 8, section 
1036, subsection 2-A, paragraph A or Title 8, section 1036, subsection 2-B, paragraph A 
must be distributed until the end of fiscal year 2014-15 as general purpose aid for local 
schools, and each school administrative unit shall make its own determination as to how 
to allocate these resources. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, any additional revenues that 
exceed the amount of revenues allocated during the previous fiscal year may be 
distributed by the department to fund approved public preschool programs for children 4 
years of age in accordance with chapter 203, subchapter 3. Neither the Governor nor the 
Legislature may divert the revenues payable to the department to any other fund or for 
any other use. Any proposal to enact or amend a law to allow distribution of the revenues 
paid to the department from casino slot machines or casino table games for another 
purpose must be submitted to the Legislative Council and to the joint standing committee 
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters at least 30 days prior to any 
vote or public hearing on the proposal. 
Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §15689, sub-§14 is enacted to read: 
14. Adjustment for new or expanded public preschool programs for children 4 
years of age. 
Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 and in each subsequent year, the 
commissioner may increase the state share of the total allocation to a qualifying school 
administrative unit to fund the allowable costs to operate a public preschool program for 
children 4 years of age pursuant to chapter 203, subchapter 3 in accordance with section 
4502, subsection 9. 
The amount of the adjustment for operating public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age that is added to the state share of the total allocation 
under this subsection may not be included in the calculation of the local share amount of 
the qualified school administrative unit. A school administrative unit that receives an 
adjustment to the state share of the total allocation under this subsection may not use 
those funds for purposes other than for the operation of a public preschool program for 
children 4 years of age. 
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §15689-F, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, 
§20, is amended to read: 
3. Casino revenues. If the annual funding for public education frem for children in 
public preschool programs and for children in kindergarten and grades one to gmde 12 is 
supported by casino revenues credited to the department pursuant to Title 8, section 1036, 
the department shall journal expenditures from the General Purpose Aid for Local 
Schools, General Fund account to the K-12 Essential Programs and Services, Other 
Special Revenue Funds account to meet financial obligations and for purposes of cash 
flow. 
Sec. 9. 
Implementation of universal availability of public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age; rules. Prior to beginning the process of 
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adopting rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4271, 
subsection 5 related to the Department of Education's recommended standards and best 
practices for public preschool programs for children 4 years of age, the Commissioner of 
Education shall invite stakeholders to provide their feedback and perspectives on the 
department's recommendations for school administrative units to phase in their 
implementation plans for the universal availability of public preschool programs for 
children 4 years of age by the 2018-2019 school year and the department's current 
partnership with other states and research partners in a consortium to establish a state-of-
the-art system for assessing young children's learning from kindergarten entry to grade 3. 
1. 
Members. 
The commissioner shall invite the involvement of at least the 
following persons to participate in the department's planning and research initiatives as 
members of the stakeholder group: 
A. A senior policy analyst with the Maine Children's Alliance; 
B. 
A youth development coordinator with the University of Southern Maine, 
Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, Maine Roads to Quality; 
C, A representative of a private early childhood education program; 
D. A private provider of an early childhood program; 
E. A state-level Head Start collaboration coordinator; 
F. A director of a Head Start program; 
G. An early literacy provider from the staff of a Head Start regional program; 
H. A case manager from a regional site of the Child Development Services System; 
I. Two public prekindergarten teachers; 
J. A family literacy provider; 
K. A superintendent of schools; 
L. An elementary school principal; 
M. The executive director of the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with 
Disabilities; 
N. The early childhood consultant in the Department of Education; 
O. 
A community collaboration coach for public preschool programs in the 
Department of Education; 
P. The state director of the Child Development Services System in the Department of 
Education; 
Q. The literacy specialist in the Department of Education; 
R. The federal liaison in the Department of Education; 
S. The child care consultant in the Department of Health and Human Services; and 
T. The state grants compliance coordinator in the Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
2. Report. The commissioner shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 3, 2014 containing a summary of the 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "g "to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
2. Report. The commissioner shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 3, 2014 containing a summary of the 
work of the consortium partners and stakeholders, as well as an outline of the rules 
proposed by the department so that the universal availability of public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age may be offered by the 2018-2019 school year. 
Sec. 10. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
PK-20, Adult Education and Federal Programs Team Z081 
Initiative: Provides funds for 80% of one Early Childhood Coordinator position and 
related All Other costs beginning in fiscal year 2014-15. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2013-14 
2014-15 
0.000 
1.000 
$0 
$64,877 
$0 
$5,000 
$0 
$69,877 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs, strikes and replaces the bill to provide that the 
implementation of universal voluntary public preschool programs by the 2018-2019 
school year is subject to the extent that the State provides school administrative units with 
adequate funding to operate public preschool programs or provide for students to 
participate in such programs. The amendment makes the following changes to the bill. 
1. 
It strikes the term "prekindergarten" and inserts in its place the term "public 
preschool program," which currently is defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 
section 1, subsection 23-A as a program offered by a public school that provides 
instruction to children who are 4 years of age. 
2. It strikes the provisions in the bill that propose to change the compulsory age for 
school attendance from 7 years of age to 5 years of age. 
3. It amends the provision in Title 20-A that requires school boards to operate or 
otherwise provide for the availability of kindergarten programs for students in order to: 
A. Provide that school boards may also operate or otherwise provide for the 
availability of public preschool programs for children 4 years of age to the extent that 
the State provides adequate funding to operate public preschool programs; and 
B. Clarify that a school administrative unit is not required to expend local revenues to 
operate public preschool programs or to provide for students to participate in such 
programs. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "g "to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
Commissioner of Education to provide grant funding, beginning in the 2015-2016 school 
year and for each subsequent school year, to qualified school administrative units to 
implement plans to develop and operate public preschool programs from state, federal or 
private funds appropriated, allocated or authorized by the Legislature for that purpose, 
which may include revenues distributed from general purpose aid for local schools that 
the Department of Education receives from casino slot machines or casino table games 
pursuant to Title 20-A, section 15671, subsection 5-A. 
5. 
It establishes the goal that the State provide adequate funding so that public 
preschool programs for children 4 years of age may be offered by all school 
administrative units by the 2018-2019 school year and promote the provision of adequate 
funding for the operation of public preschool programs for children 4 years of age by all 
school administrative units during each subsequent school year. 
6. It clarifies that, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and for each subsequent 
school year, in addition to the grant funds awarded under this legislation, a school 
administrative unit that operates a public preschool program must receive an additional 
weight for the count of public preschool program students under Title 20-A, section 
15675, subsection 3 and must receive targeted funds for public preschool to grade 2 
students pursuant to Title 20-A, section 15681, subsection 4. 
7. It provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, the grant funds provided for the 
costs of operating public preschool programs for children 4 years of age must be added to 
the adjustments to the state share of the total allocation received by qualified school 
administrative units pursuant to Title 20-A, section 15689 and provides that the amount 
of the adjustment for operating public preschool programs for children 4 years of age that 
is added to the state share of the total allocation under this legislation may not be included 
in the calculation of the local share amount of the qualified school administrative unit. 
8. It amends the provision in the bill that directs the Commissioner of Education to 
establish rules to implement a uniform common statewide screening and assessment 
program for kindergarten by clarifying that the rule may establish only a uniform 
common statewide assessment program for kindergarten and by specifying that school 
administrative units may also implement other quality assessment programs they 
determine to be necessary for kindergarten. 
9. It changes the proposed amount of the General Fund appropriation for the Early 
Childhood Coordinator position. 
10. 
It changes the requirement in the bill that the Commissioner of Education 
establish a stakeholder group to require that, prior to beginning the process of adopting 
the Department of Education's rules related to the quality standards of program practice 
for public preschool programs for children 4 years of age, the Commissioner of Education 
invite stakeholders to provide their feedback and perspectives on the department's plan 
for the phase-in of the universal availability of public preschool programs for children 4 
years of age beginning with the 2018-2019 school year and the recommended standards 
of program practice for public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. It also 
amends the provision that requires the commissioner to submit a report to the Legislature 
by clarifying that the report must contain a summary of the work of the stakeholders, as 
well as an outline of the rules proposed by the department to implement the goal of 
providing universal availability of public preschool programs for children 4 years of age 
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by the 2018-2019 school year, and providing that the report must be submitted to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 3, 2014. 
11, It adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
i\pproved: 03/18/14~~~ 
LD 1530 
LR 171(03) 
An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary Prekindergarten 
Education 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "8' (S-:oc:::t) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections FY 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
2015-16 
$0 
$69,877 
$69,667 
$0 
$69,877 
$69,667 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
$320,576 
$320,576 
This bill includes a General Fund appropriation of$69,877 to the PK-20, Adult Education and Federal Programs Team 
program within the Department of Education for 80% of the cost of one Early Childhood Coordinator position and 
related all other beginning in fiscal year 2014-15. The requirement that a uniform common statewide assessment 
program be established for kindergarten which must be used by all local school administrative units (Si\D's) beginning 
with the 2016-2017 school year will result in a one-time General Fund cost to the Department of Education of 
approximately $248,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 for professional development for teachers, principals and central office 
representatives, including the cost for teacher stipends, travel reimbursement and other related expenses. According to 
the Department of Education, it is part of a multi state consortium that will be working on developing a kindergarten 
assessment over the next 3 and a half years as part of a federal grant. This fiscal note assumes that the assessment tool 
will be provided to SAD's at no cost and will be administered to students during normal school hours. 
Current law already allows for SAD's to implement a public preschool program and to receive State funding to support 
the operation of the program. The provisions in this legislation will not increase the costs to the Department of 
Education or local SAD's to implement and operate a public preschool program. 
Additional costs to the Department of Education associated with gathering the required feedback and submitting the 
required report can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LRO 171 (03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1