Committee hears cleanup bill clarifying kindergarten counting and funding

Representative Melissa Romano opened House Bill 24, a bill carried at the recommendation of the House Education Interim Committee that clarifies how kindergarten students are counted in the A and B funding formula and removes outdated statutory language tied to earlier kindergarten transitions.

Paul Taylor of the Office of Public Instruction provided informational testimony explaining that the bill aligns state statute with current practice: parents retain the choice to enroll children half‑time or full‑time in kindergarten, but the funding mechanism should rely on aggregate attendance hours (quarter, half, three‑quarter, full) rather than outdated phrasing. Taylor said the measure is intended to "unclutter" statutory language and has no fiscal impact. He told the committee the bill does not affect the state's early literacy targeted funding or special‑education funding; those programs use separate mechanisms.

Committee members asked clarifying questions; Taylor said the language clean‑up responds to changes made about 20 years ago when funding incentives and transition rules were put in place. He described the bill as a clarification to make it easier for districts and the public to understand how kindergarten hours convert to A and B funding. The hearing closed with the bill left for committee consideration; no committee vote was recorded during this hearing.