A. Each department shall publish a request for proposals or a request for applications that contains the same requested information for pre-kindergarten services.

B. Eligible providers shall submit proposals or applications for pre-kindergarten services to the appropriate department. An eligible provider's proposal or application shall include a description of the services that will be provided, including:

(1) how those services meet children, youth and families department or public education department standards;

(2) the number of four-year-old children the eligible provider can serve;

(3) site and floor plans and a description of the facilities;

(4) revenue sources and amounts other than state funding available for the pre-kindergarten program;

(5) a description of the qualifications and experience of the early childhood development staff for each site;

(6) the plan for communicating with and involving parents in the pre-kindergarten program;

(7) how those services meet the continuum of services to children; and

(8) other relevant information requested by the departments.

C. Each department shall accept and evaluate proposals or applications for funding for pre-kindergarten.

D. For funding purposes, applications and proposals shall be evaluated and priority given to programs in communities with public elementary schools that are designated as Title 1 schools and that have at least sixty-six percent of the children served living within the attendance zone of a Title 1 elementary school. Additional funding criteria include:

(1) the number of four-year-olds residing in the community and the number of four-year-olds proposed to be served;

(2) the adequacy and capacity of pre-kindergarten facilities in the community;

(3) language and literacy services in the community;

(4) the cultural, historic and linguistic responsiveness to the community;

(5) parent education services available for parents of four-year-olds in the community;

(6) the qualifications of eligible providers in the community;

(7) staff professional development plans;

(8) the capacity of local organizations and persons interested in and involved in programs and services for four-year-olds and their commitment to work together;

(9) the extent of local support for pre-kindergarten services in the community; and

(10) other relevant criteria specified by joint rule of the departments.

E. A contract or agreement with an eligible provider shall specify and ensure that funds shall not be used for any religious, sectarian or denominational purposes, instruction or material.

History: Laws 2005, ch. 170, § 6; 2011, ch. 140, § 2.

The 2011 amendment, effective June 17, 2011, made a distinction between applications and proposals and assigned responsibility for proposals for pre-kindergarten services to the children, youth and families department and applications for pre-kindergarten services to the public education department, and provided that for funding purposes, priority will be given to programs in communities that have a Title 1 school and that have two thirds of the children being served living within the Title 1 school attendance zone.