PUBLIC SCH. PARTICIPATION; KINDERGARTEN H.B. 4594 & 4790 (S-1):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bill 4594 (as reported without amendment)
House Bill 4790 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Representative Edward McBroom
CONTENT
House Bill 4594 would amend the State School Aid Act to allow the parent or legal guardian of a nonpublic- or home-schooled minor in kindergarten to enroll his or her child in a curricular offering provided by a district, public school academy (PSA), or intermediate school district (ISD).
The Act states that it does not prohibit the parent or legal guardian of a minor who is enrolled in any of grades one to 12 in a nonpublic school or who is being home-schooled from enrolling the minor in a district, PSA, or ISD in any curricular offering, whether it is available at a public school site or at a nonpublic school site, provided various requirements are met. The bill would extend this provision to a parent or legal guardian of a minor who was enrolled in kindergarten in a nonpublic school or being home-schooled.
House Bill 4790 (S-1) would amend the State School Aid Act to allow a nonpublic part-time pupil enrolled in kindergarten to be counted in a school's membership without the approval of the pupil's district of residence.
The Act defines "pupil" as a person in membership in a public school. Generally, a district must have the approval of a pupil's district of residence to count the pupil in membership. Approval is not required for certain pupils, including a nonpublic part-time pupil enrolled in grades one to 12 in accordance with Section 166b. The bill would extend this exception to a part-time pupil enrolled in kindergarten.
(Section 166b is the section that House Bill 4594 would amend.)
Both bills would take effect 90 days after their enactment. House Bill 4790 (S-1) is tie-barred to House Bill 4594.
MCL 388.1766b (H.B. 4594) Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
388.1606 (H.B. 4790)
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would increase State costs by an
indeterminate amount, likely in the neighborhood of $5.0 million annually, to
pay for the foundation allowance costs of nonpublic kindergarteners who, under
these bills, could be counted by a public district for the portion of the
school day spent on nonessential elective courses. Since kindergarten itself is
not required under Michigan law, it is likely that the entire school day could
be counted for a foundation allowance. In fiscal year 2014-15,
"shared-time" provisions in grades 1 through 4 accounted for roughly
700 full-time equated memberships (FTEs) per grade, and if that average held
true for kindergarten participation, then 700 multiplied by an average foundation allowance of roughly $7,560 would yield a State cost of $5.3 million annually. If participation exceeded 700 FTEs or if the foundation allowance increases in the future, State costs would be higher, and if participation were lower than the 700 average, State costs would be lower.
Local districts that enrolled nonpublic kindergarteners would receive State foundation allowance funding for the portion of the day that the children were counted in membership, thereby increasing district revenue, and would experience marginal costs for educating those additional children.
Date Completed: 11-13-15 Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.