S 1219 General Bill, By Senate Education
 A Bill to amend Section 59-35-10, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to the establishment of five-year-old kindergarten programs by shcool
 districts, so as to provide that beginning with school year 1996-97, the board
 of trustees of a district shall implement full-day as well as half-day five
 year old kindergarten programs, to provide that parents of children who are
 eligible to attend five-year-old kindergarten may elect at their option either
 the full-day or half-day program to provide certain prior notice to the
 district, and to provide for the manner in which children attending these
 programs shall be counted for purposes of computing average daily membership;
 and to amend the 1976 Code by adding Section 59-35-20 so as to provide
 procedures for school districts and schools to obtain waivers from the above
 requirements that full-day and half-day five-year-old kindergarten programs be
 established.

   03/05/96  Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference SJ-7
   04/23/96  Senate Read second time SJ-45
   04/24/96  Senate Amended SJ-54
   04/24/96  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-54
   04/25/96  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-92
   04/25/96  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-93
   05/21/96  House  Recalled from Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-138
   05/23/96  House  Debate adjourned HJ-25
   05/23/96  House  Debate adjourned until Tuesday, May 28, 1996 HJ-72
   05/28/96  House  Debate adjourned until Wednesday, May 29, 1996 HJ-43
   05/29/96  House  Debate adjourned until Thursday, May 30, 1996 HJ-74
   05/30/96  House  Debate adjourned until Wednesday, June 5, 1996 HJ-20

RECALLED

May 21, 1996

S. 1219

S. Printed 5/21/96--H.

Read the first time April 25, 1996.

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 59-35-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH SCHOOL YEAR 1996-97, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF A DISTRICT SHALL IMPLEMENT FULL-DAY AS WELL AS HALF-DAY FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS, TO PROVIDE THAT PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN MAY ELECT AT THEIR OPTION EITHER THE FULL-DAY OR HALF-DAY PROGRAM FOR THEIR CHILDREN, TO REQUIRE CERTAIN NOTICES FOR PURPOSES OF THESE KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH CHILDREN ATTENDING THESE PROGRAMS SHALL BE COUNTED FOR PURPOSES OF COMPUTING AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP; AND TO AMEND THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING SECTION 59-35-20 SO AS TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS TO OBTAIN WAIVERS FROM THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS THAT FULL-DAY AND HALF-DAY FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS BE ESTABLISHED.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 59-35-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-35-10. The board of trustees of each school district shall establish and provide kindergartens for children within its jurisdiction. All children in the five-year-old kindergarten program must be counted in the average daily membership of any pubic school district when public school funds are to be apportioned to the several school districts. State aid for the five-year-old kindergarten program must be distributed through the formula provided for in the `Education Finance Act' (Act 163 of 1977).

Beginning with school year 1996-97, school districts which choose to offer an extended-day five-year-old kindergarten program shall be eligible for funding for the extended day equal to the EFA weight for a child attending a half-day five-year-old kindergarten program as funds are made available from the General Assembly. No local match is required for the extended-day funding. Local boards of trustees shall establish policies regarding priority of service in the extended-day program.

Parents of children who are eligible to attend the extended-day five-year-old program must notify the district by January thirty-first of the year of the anticipated enrollment date, except that such notice for the 1996-97 school year only must be provided by July 15, 1996. Parents moving into the district after the notification date may apply for full-day kindergarten on a space available basis."