This legislative bill, H.F. No., aims to modify the eligibility criteria for Minnesota’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program, specifically detailed in Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 142D.08, subdivision 4.

In simple terms, the bill outlines who qualifies to be an eligible child for the program, expanding or clarifying the criteria as follows:

1. Age Requirement: The child must be 4 years old by September 1 of the school year they are enrolling in.

2. Expanded Criteria:

   • Qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals.
   • Is measured under a specific income rate.
   • Is an English language learner.
   • Is American Indian.
   • Has experienced homelessness within the last 24 months.
   • Has been identified with learning risk factors through health and developmental screening.
   • Is in foster care, kinship care, or needing child protective services.
   • Has a parent who is a migrant or seasonal agricultural laborer.
   • Has an incarcerated parent.
   • Is defined as at-risk by their school district.

Additionally, the bill states: - School districts and charter schools must use state funding to support eligible children. - If state funding is unavailable, or if a child does not meet these criteria, the program can still enroll children on a fee-for-service basis with a sliding fee scale based on family income. Fees can be waived for families unable to pay. - Eligible children must complete a health and developmental screening within 90 days of enrollment and meet immunization requirements. - Children with an individualized education program (IEP) must not be excluded if they meet all other criteria and can participate with reasonable accommodations.

This bill intends to ensure that more children, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds, have access to pre-kindergarten education, supporting early learning and development for a broader range of children.