House Sponsors: SCULLY-OSTERMAN-CURRY,JULIE-GARRETT-FOWLER, GASH AND DAVIS,MONIQUE. Short description: VOL PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish the Department of School Readiness and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program, to be administered by the Department. Provides that the Program shall be offered free statewide to all children who are residents of this State and who are 4 years of age on or before September 1 of the school year. Provides that the Department shall enter into partnership agreements with licensed child care facilities and public and private schools to provide prekindergarten classes under the Program. Provides for additional services to children at-risk. Includes provisions concerning requirements that a provider must comply with, curricula, funding, resource coordinators, mandatory training, and local coordinating councils. Effective immediately. FISCAL NOTE (State Board of Education) The fiscal impact of HB 4325 is difficult to determine because the number of children who may attend a voluntary program is unclear, the level of services and cost per child for this type of program vary across similar programs, and the interaction with existing Illinois programs and the federal Head Start Pro- gram are unclear. ISBE assumes that at least 75% of the approx- imate 180,000 children (135,000) that are 4 years of age will attend and that the annual cost per child will be approximately $6,000. Thus, the total cost of HB 4325 will be approximately $810 million. STATE MANDATES NOTE (State Board of Education) Same as SBE fiscal note. Last action on Bill: SESSION SINE DIE Last action date: 01-01-09 Location: House Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 0 SENATE - 0 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status