HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 419        FILED ON: 1/21/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 702

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Alan Silvia

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act providing pre-k education for 4 year-old children in gateway communities.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

1/21/2021

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

2/19/2021

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

2/19/2021

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

2/26/2021

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

2/27/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 419        FILED ON: 1/21/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 702

By Mr. Silvia of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 702) of Alan Silvia and others relative to universal pre-kindergarten education in gateway municipalities.  Education.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3761 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act providing pre-k education for 4 year-old children in gateway communities.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 13 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 13 the following section:-

Section 13A. (a) The board and department shall develop a program for universal pre-kindergarten education in gateway municipalities, as defined in section 3A of chapter 23A, which shall be available to all children ages 4 and older (and may be made available to children ages 3 and older) who reside in a gateway municipality and would be eligible for free or reduced price lunch if the child attended a public school.

(b) In developing the program, the board and department shall: (i) establish a standardized pre-kindergarten curriculum for all program participants; (ii) partner with current providers of pre-kindergarten services in gateway communities; and (iii) focus on the specific cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, cultural and physical needs of the children in each gateway municipality.

(c)  Each child who qualifies for the universal pre-kindergarten program established by this section shall be counted as a student of the school district in which the child attends the pre-kindergarten program, and shall be included as such a student for the purposes of calculating that district’s funding pursuant to chapter 70.               

(d) The board shall adopt rules and regulations to implement the requirements of this section.