Scroll to History Page
Scroll to Previous Versions Links List
Scroll to Full Text
Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format
Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.5065 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:20020410 Primary Sponsor:Edge All Sponsors:Edge and Quinn Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\gjk\20929sd02.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Ways and Means Committee 30 HWM Subject:Establishment of the Office of Early Start to administer grants for four-year-old children to attend prekindergarten programs of parents' choice; provide for amount of funding, including provisions that certain portion comes from Education Lottery Account History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20020410 Introduced, read first time, 30 HWM referred to Committee Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND TITLE 59, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO EDUCATION, BY ADDING CHAPTER 42 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF EARLY START WHICH SHALL BE A SEPARATE AGENCY OF STATE GOVERNMENT WHICH SHALL ADMINISTER A PROGRAM OF GRANTS FOR THIS STATE'S FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN TO ATTEND PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS OF THEIR PARENTS' CHOICES, AND TO PROVIDE THE AMOUNT OF THE FUNDING FOR THESE GRANTS INCLUDING A PROVISION THAT A CERTAIN PORTION SHALL BE APPROPRIATED FROM THE EDUCATION LOTTERY ACCOUNT IN THE MANNER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL PROVIDE; AND TO REPEAL CHAPTER 152 OF TITLE 59 RELATING TO FIRST STEPS TO SCHOOL READINESS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-42-110. The Office of Early Start is created as a separate agency and department of state government, and the office shall have the duties, responsibilities, functions, powers, and authority set forth in this chapter and otherwise provided by law. The Office of Early Start shall be assigned for administrative purposes only to the Department of Education.
Section 59-42-120. As used in this chapter, the term:
(1) 'Director' means the director of the Office of Early Start.
(2) 'Office' means the Office of Early Start.
Section 59-42-130. (A)(1) The governing board of the Office of Early Start consists of nine members, three to be appointed by the Governor, three to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and three to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. Members shall serve for terms of four years each and until their successors are appointed and qualify except that of those first appointed, one member appointed by the Governor, one by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and one by the Speaker of the House shall be appointed for terms of two years each. Members of the board shall be paid the usual mileage, subsistence, and per diem paid to members of the state boards, commissions, and committees.
(2) The board shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, and such other officers as it deems necessary for terms of two years each in these capacities. The board shall meet at least quarterly and at such other times as may be designated by the chairman. A quorum for the conduct of business shall consist of five members.
(B) The chief administrative and executive officer of the office shall be the director, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governing board of the office. The director shall be responsible for the performance and exercise of the duties, responsibilities, functions, powers, and authority imposed upon the director and the office by law.
(C) The director shall have the authority to employ all personnel of the office, subject to the provisions of this chapter and all applicable provisions of other laws governing public employment.
(D) The office, pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, shall promulgate regulations and establish procedures to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Section 59-42-140. The Office of Early Start shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) to administer the programs and services as may be necessary for the operation and management of voluntary prekindergarten programs established by this chapter;
(2) to act as the agent of the federal government in conformity with this chapter and the administration of any federal funds granted to the State to aid in the furtherance of any functions of the office; and
(3) to assist local units of government in the State, including school districts, so as to assure the proliferation of services under this chapter.
Section 59-42-150. The Office of Early Start shall receive such funding as may be provided by the General Assembly in the annual general appropriations act and from appropriations from the South Carolina Education Lottery Account. Expenses of the office and the grants for prekindergarten programs it provides shall be paid from these funds.
Section 59-42-310. The South Carolina Prekindergarten Program is established to provide South Carolina's four-year-old children with high-quality preschool experiences. This program shall provide South Carolina's four-year-olds with the learning experiences they need in order to prepare for kindergarten. This prekindergarten program shall also prepare children for school by providing an opportunity for them to develop school start skills in an environment that encourages children to have fun while learning.
Section 59-42-320. The school start goals of the South Carolina Prekindergarten Program are to provide a developmentally appropriate preschool program emphasizing growth in language and literacy, math concepts, science, arts, physical development, and personal and social competence. Activities for children participating in the South Carolina Prekindergarten Program are as follows:
(1) Language and Literacy:
(a) understand and tell stories;
(b) recognize pictures, words, and stories;
(c) recognize ABCs;
(d) understand that writing is communication.
(2) Math Concepts:
(a) count and sort objects into groups;
(b) recognize shapes;
(c) make comparisons of size, shape, length, and weight.
(3) Science:
(a) explore the natural environment;
(b) observe seasonal changes;
(c) communicate observations;
(d) use tools to measure.
(4) Arts:
(a) express ideas and thoughts in creative ways;
(b) paint, draw, and sculpt;
(c) listen to music and sing songs;
(d) recognize colors.
(5) Physical Development:
(a) move with balance and coordination;
(b) participate in indoor and outdoor physical activity;
(c) use writing tools, puzzles, scissors, blocks, clay, and computers.
(6) Social Competence:
(a) play and work cooperatively;
(b) follow classroom rules;
(c) interact positively with other children.
(7) Goals for Parents:
(a) actively participate in your child's education;
(b) understand the correlation between home environment and school success;
(c) be aware of available community resources.
Section 59-42-330. Children four years of age on September first of the then current school year, whose parents are South Carolina residents, are eligible to participate in the prekindergarten program during that school year. The program is voluntary for families, schools, and communities.
Section 59-42-340. (A) Parents shall contact their local public schools or private preschool providers to learn where prekindergarten programs are offered in their community and how they can enroll their children.
(B) Prekindergarten programs shall operate on the regular school system calendar. Programs may be offered at local public schools or through private providers of preschool services.
(C) Provide preschool providers must be licensed by the Department of Social Services as a daycare facility and in addition, must be certified by the Office of Early Start as having the facilities, faculty, and resources capable of providing the prekindergarten programs established by this chapter.
Section 59-42-350. Parents after investigating the prekindergarten programs in their community meeting the requirements of this chapter may then enroll their eligible children in one of these public, private, or religious programs. The Office of Early Start, based on procedures and criteria it establishes, shall then provide a three thousand six hundred dollar grant directly to the program on behalf of that child; provided, that the amount of the grant may not exceed the amount of regular tuition or fees charged by that program to any child it enrolls for that year. These grants may be paid in monthly or annual amounts as determined by the Office of Early Start.
Section 59-42-360. If a parent chooses to transfer a child from one qualified program to another during a particular year, the program from which the child is leaving shall forward any unpaid grant funds to the new program.
Section 59-42-370. If parents choose to enroll their child in a four-year-old prekindergarten program of a public school, the school in addition to the three thousand six hundred dollar grant per child is also entitled to receive any other state or local funding for that child's attendance to which it may be entitled.
Section 59-42-510. This chapter is effective for the 2003-2004 school year. Any funds received by the Office of Early Start before or after this date may be carried forward and expended for the purposes of this chapter."
SECTION 2. Chapter 152 of Title 59 of the 1976 Code relating to First Steps to School Readiness is repealed.
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise stated, this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 11:38 A.M.