HB 631-FN-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED
2011 SESSION
04/05
HOUSE BILL 631-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT repealing the requirement that all school districts offer public kindergarten.
SPONSORS: Rep. Maltz, Hills 27
This bill repeals the requirement that all school districts offer public kindergarten, and exempts those school districts that implemented a public kindergarten program pursuant to 2008; 384:3 from the kindergarten construction grant program repayment penalty.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
11-0806
04/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven
AN ACT repealing the requirement that all school districts offer public kindergarten.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Repeal. 2008, 384:3, relative to the kindergarten implementation plan, is repealed.
2 Kindergarten Construction Grant Program Repayment Penalty; Applicability. The kindergarten construction grant program repayment penalty set forth in RSA 198:15-t shall not apply to a school district which implemented a public kindergarten program pursuant to the requirements of 2008; 384:3.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
11-0806
01/07/11
HB 631-FN-LOCAL - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT repealing the requirement that all school districts offer public kindergarten.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Education states this bill will reduce state education trust fund and local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2012 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenues or county expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
This bill repeals the requirement that all school districts offer public kindergarten, and exempts those school districts that implemented a public kindergarten program pursuant to Ch 384:3, L’ 2008 from the kindergarten construction grant repayment penalty.
The Department of Education states the fiscal impact of the proposed legislation can not be determined because it is not possible to determine which districts may choose to eliminate kindergarten programs and planned construction. The Department states there would be a reduction in state education trust fund expenditures based on a reduction in state costs for per pupil kindergarten payments and education adequacy payments under RSA 198:42. The Department also notes there would be a reduction in the costs associated with construction of new kindergarten classrooms.
The Department also notes that a total of six school districts have implemented a public kindergarten program pursuant to Ch. 384:3 L’ 2008. The Department states that $2,044,520 has been paid to date to these six districts with another $2,078,300 having been requested for FY 2012 and $12,000,000 in FY 2013. Consequently, exempting these six districts from the grant repayment penalty would preclude the State’s ability to recuperate these monies in the event that any of the six districts choose to eliminate their public kindergarten programs as a result of the proposed legislation.