SB 175
AN ACT relating to providing free prekindergarten for certain children.
89th Regular Session
Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended
Awaiting Committee Assignment
Bill filed, pending referral to Senate committee
Committee
Not yet assigned
Fiscal Note
Not available
What This Bill Does
relating to providing free prekindergarten for certain children.
Subject Areas
Bill Text
relating to providing free prekindergarten for certain children. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 28.02124(a), Education Code, is amended (a) Subject to Subsection (c), a parent or guardian may (2) enroll in prekindergarten, if the student would have been eligible to enroll in prekindergarten during the previous school year under Section 29.153 [29.153(b)] and the student has not yet enrolled in kindergarten; (4) enroll in kindergarten, if the student would have been eligible to enroll in kindergarten in the previous school year and has not yet enrolled in first grade; or (5) for grades one through eight, repeat the grade in which the student was enrolled during the previous school year. SECTION 2. Section 29.153(a-1), Education Code, is amended (a-1) A district shall offer prekindergarten classes to any child [if the district identifies 15 or more children] who is [are eligible under Subsection (b) and are] at least four years of age. A school district may offer prekindergarten classes to any child [if the district identifies 15 or more eligible children] who is [are] at least three years of age. A district may not charge tuition for a prekindergarten class offered under this section. SECTION 3. Section 29.1543, Education Code, is amended to Sec. 29.1543. EARLY EDUCATION REPORTS. The agency shall produce and make available to the public on the agency's Internet website annual district and campus-level reports containing information from the previous school year on early education in school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. A report under this section must contain: (1) the information required by Section 29.1532(c) to be reported through the Public Education Information Management (2) a description of the diagnostic reading instruments administered in accordance with Section 28.006(c) or (3) the number of students who were administered a diagnostic reading instrument administered in accordance with (4) the number of students whose scores from a diagnostic reading instrument administered in accordance with Section 28.006(c) or (c-2) indicate reading proficiency; (5) the number of kindergarten students who were enrolled in a prekindergarten program in the previous school year in the same district or school as the district or school in which the student attends kindergarten; (6) the number and percentage of students who perform satisfactorily on the third grade reading or mathematics assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023[, disaggregated by whether the student was eligible for free prekindergarten under (7) the number of students described by Subdivision (6) who attended kindergarten in the district, disaggregated by: (A) whether the student met the kindergarten readiness standard on the reading instrument adopted under Section (B) whether the student attended prekindergarten (C) the type of prekindergarten the student (8) the information described by Subdivisions (6) and (7) disaggregated by whether the student is educationally SECTION 4. Sections 48.005(a) and (i), Education Code, are (a) In this chapter, average daily attendance is: (1) the quotient of the sum of attendance for each day of the minimum number of days of instruction as described under Section 25.081(a) divided by the minimum number of days of (2) for a district that operates under a flexible year program under Section 29.0821, the quotient of the sum of attendance for each actual day of instruction as permitted by Section 29.0821(b)(1) divided by the number of actual days of instruction as permitted by Section 29.0821(b)(1); (3) for a district that operates under a flexible school day program under Section 29.0822, the average daily attendance as calculated by the commissioner in accordance with Sections 29.0822(d) and (d-1); or (4) for a district that operates a prekindergarten [half-day program or a full-day] program under Section 29.153(c): (A) for a half-day program, one-half of the average daily attendance calculated under Subdivision (1); or (B) for a full-day program, the average daily attendance calculated under Subdivision (1). (i) A district or a charter school operating under Chapter 12 that operates a half-day prekindergarten program is eligible to receive one-half of average daily attendance under Subsection (a) if the district's or charter school's prekindergarten program provides at least 32,400 minutes of instructional time to students. SECTION 5. Sections 29.153(b), (e-1), and (f), Education SECTION 6. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Bill History
Bill filed: AN ACT relating to providing free prekindergarten for certain children.
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