HB2645- Preschool grant program; appropriations; Department of education; repeal (Cobb)

This bill requires the ADE to establish a competitive grant program that provides grants to public and private preschools to provide high quality, full-day, full-year education programs to 4 year old children and whose family income is below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Requires ADE to develop a plan to implement the program that includes a statement of the goals and how they will be measured.

Appropriates $2,000,000 from the general fund each year to the ADE to administer the program for FYs 2019-2022.

Allows ADE to retain up to 5% of the money for administration costs.

Requires up to $500,000 of appropriated money to conduct an online early learning program for children in rural areas.

States that if ADE conducts an online early learning program, they shall award a contract on a competitive basis to administer the online early learning program to a provider that is exempt from taxation and can demonstrate past success.

Automatically repealed after December 31, 2022.