BILL NUMBER:S3504A

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the provision of
child care services by the Portville central school district

PURPOSE:

Authorizes the Portville central school district to provide child care
services to 3 and 4 year olds.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends section 414-1(i) of the education law by adding a
provision that Portville Central School District may provide child
care services during school hours for children ages 3 and 4 if there
is additional space available after providing child care services to
the children of pupils attending the school and the children of
employees of the district.

Section 2. Provides that the act shall take effect on the first day of
July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.

JUSTIFICATION:

              

Existing law authorizes the use of school grounds for the provision of
child care services during both school hours and non-school hours for
the children of pupils attending the schools of the district and, if
space is still available, for the children of employees of the
district. Those who are not the children of the school's students or
staff may only be provided child care services on school grounds
during non-school hours, with the exception of
Cobleskill-Richmondville School District, where child day care
services may be offered on school grounds during school hours for
those who are not the children of the school's students or staff.

In Portville, many parents have opted not to enroll their children in
the school's existing half-day Pre-K program because their children
are in need of full-day supervision and care.

By granting to Portville Central School District the same authority
granted to Cobleskill-Richmondville to host child day care services on
school grounds during the school day, parents will be able to utilize
the half-day pre-K program and also have a half-day child day care
program for their children to participate in for the remainder of the
day.

In Portville's half-day child day care program, noncognitive skill
development would be focused on. Studies have revealed that
noncognitive skill building; including qualities such as persistence,
self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence;
are even more important to a child's development than academic and
intellectual preparedness.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, the Perry Preschool Project traced the
progress and development of children admitted to a high-quality


preschool program and those children who were not Years later, the
study revealed that the long-term results were that Perry students
were more likely to graduate from high school and experience career
success, and less likely to have been arrested or spent time on public
assistance.

At Portville Central School, a cost-effective half-day child day care
program will complement the half-day Pre-K program, giving children a
better opportunity to develop their non-cognitive skills in addition
to academic skills The school district will also experience savings in
staff expenditures and transportation costs.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state or school district. Existing law requires that the
costs shall not be a school district charge and must be paid by the
person responsible for the support of the child.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the first day of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become law.