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AN ACT relating to preschool education grants and making an appropriation
therefor.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 157 IS CREATED TO
READ AS FOLLOWS:
(1) It is the goal of the General Assembly to make voluntary, quality preschool
available for every three (3) and four (4) year old child. To achieve the goal, it
will be necessary to incrementally increase access to programs, ensure the quality
of programs, ensure child readiness, encourage collaboration among public
schools, community-based programs, and Head Start, and engage parents and
families in the education of their children. Funds for this program shall be
appropriated by the General Assembly to the Early Childhood Development
Authority established in KRS 200.700 and shall be made available to
communities to create collaborative models to provide preschool to unserved
three (3) and four (4) year-old children living at two hundred percent (200%) of
the federal poverty level or below. Grant applicants, as defined by administrative
regulation, that submit an acceptable grant proposal developed collaboratively
with the schools, community-based child-care providers, and Head Start shall
receive funds to the extent funds are available to meet the goals of this section
beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. The grant proposal shall:
(a) Describe the program designed to provide preschool to unserved three (3)
and four (4) year old children living at two hundred percent (200%) of the
federal poverty level and below;
(b) Demonstrate collaboration among eligible providers in the community that
have met quality indicators as determined by administrative regulations;
and
(c) Provide data and information as required by the authority, including a
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projected timeline for serving all unserved three (3) and four (4) year old
children living at two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level
and below.
(2) The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with
KRS Chapter 13A to establish procedures for awarding and monitoring the
grants. The administrative regulations at a minimum shall:
(a) Define the entities that shall be eligible to submit a grant proposal;
(b) Encourage flexibility for program delivery in the communities;
(c) Support blending of funds from various sources; and
(d) Require applicants to submit a copy of their current signed full utilization
agreement.
(3) The authority shall study the long-term need and projected cost of serving all
three (3) and four (4) year old children by the 2011-2012 school year and report
its findings to the Legislative Research Commission prior to January 1, 2009.
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 157 IS CREATED TO
READ AS FOLLOWS:
(1) The funds received to implement Section 1 of this Act shall be credited to the
Strong Start Kentucky restricted fund, which is hereby created in the State
Treasury. The fund shall be administered by the Early Childhood Development
Authority.
(2) Federal funds or other funds that may be made available to supplement or match
state funds for the Strong Start Kentucky restricted fund created by this section
shall be credited to the fund.
(3) Funds deposited to the credit of the Strong Start Kentucky restricted fund shall be
used to finance the collaborative preschool grants created by Section 1 of this
Act, as well as to defray administrative expenses incurred by the Early Childhood
Development Authority not to exceed five percent (5%) of the annual
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appropriation, and are hereby appropriated for these purposes.
(4) Funds unexpended at the close of a fiscal year shall not lapse but shall be carried
forward to the next fiscal year.
(5) Any interest earnings of the restricted fund shall become part of the fund and
shall not lapse to the general fund.
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