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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Ponce

 

DATE TYPED:

2/17/03

 

HB

HJM 24

 

SHORT TITLE:

Align Preschool Education with Head Start

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

L. Baca

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

NFI

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Relates to:  HJM 12, Study Alignment of Early Education programs

                   HB 191, Office of Early Education

                   SJM 2, Align Early Childhood Programs

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

 

State Department of Education (SDE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Joint Memorial requests that the Legislative Education Study Committee conduct a study during the 2003 interim to determine how early care education programs could be aligned to establish a universal system of preschool education for three-and four-year old children including how the Head Start program could be placed under the auspices of the State Board of Education (SBE) and the State Department of Education  (SDE).

 

     Significant Issues

 

Head Start programs are designed to serve three- and four-year olds from low-income families. The programs are child focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children from low-income families.  During fiscal year 2002, according to the SDE, 7,618 children were served in Head Start programs, and program grantee were awarded $48,388.0 to meet the goals of Head Start programs.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

SDE, the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), the Department of Health (DOH) and other state agencies; local governments and non-profit organizations that implement Head Start programs will have to cooperate to create a universal system for preschool education.

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

Head Start programs are federally funded, and funds flow directly to the organization or government entity implementing the program.  The only way a state can administer Head Start programs is block grants are award to state by the federal government.

 

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

 

1.                  Will it be possible to get the various agencies to work together on this project?

2.                  Have these agencies been willing to cooperate on these matters in the past?

3.                  What do you see as the major obstacles to achieving the goals of the memorial?

4.                  Head Start is regarded as one of the most successful federally created programs.  How will this improve the effectiveness of all early education programs?

 

LRB/njw