HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE NO. 1

FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 92

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Section 1703, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1703. Unit of pupils.

(n)(1) The Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC) shall have administrative responsibility for establishing a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system. The IRMC shall be composed of the following members (or their designee with full voting powers):

a. Secretary of Education, who shall be the chairperson of the IRMC; IRMC.

b. Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services; Services.

c. Secretary of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families; Families.

d. Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Budget.

e. Controller General; and General.

f.  The Chair of the IRMC Extended Learning Opportunities Subcommittee and the Chair of Early the Childhood Council as non-voting members. an ex officio member with no voting authority.

(2) An affirmative vote of a majority of all voting members shall be required to take action.

(2) (3)  The IRMC shall promote interagency collaboration in the delivery of early childhood services to young children and their families including young children with disabilities. The IRMC will work to support and coordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the State early childhood plan. To accomplish these goals, the IRMC shall do the following:

a. Allocate all funds provided by the State, obtained by it, or under its control, which are designated for children eligible for services under this subsection except for unit funding for children with disabilities as described in this title.

b. Coordinate resources, federal and state and public and private, to support family-centered services for eligible children and their families, as appropriate.

c. Seek to develop collaborative approaches with the institutions of higher education for children eligible for services under this subsection. Special emphasis shall be placed on the use of existing preschool educator training and child care provider training programs.

d. Coordinate planning, policy, program and funding to establish a comprehensive and coordinated early childhood system.

(3) (4)  The IRMC may, at its discretion, apply for and allocate grant funds. Sources of such grant funds may include, but not be limited, to the federal Childcare Block Grant, Developmental Disabilities Council, federal Child and Maternal Health Grant, federal U.S.C. Title 20, and federal Head Start, where appropriate.

(4) (5)  The IRMC shall report to the Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House on April 15 of each fiscal year. Each report shall include:

a. A summary of IRMC experience in attempting to accomplish its purposes as stated above; and

b. A recommendation of the IRMC whether and how to institutionalize its activities and functions.

(5) (6)  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Controller General are hereby authorized to transfer additional funds serving this population among the budgets of the departments represented on the IRMC if there is prior agreement by the Secretary of the department, as the case may be, to which the funds were previously allocated.

(6) (7)  For the purpose of facilitating the continuation of services, programs receiving an allocation under the provisions of this section may receive 20% of the prior year's allocation at the outset of each fiscal year. These programs are required to present program proposals to the IRMC as required by the IRMC. Upon IRMC approval, adjustments to the program allocations may be made.

(7) (8)  The IRMC shall be staffed by the Early Development and Learning Resources Office in the Department of Education. Such Office shall be composed of at least 2 Education Specialists and a clerical support position. Funding shall be provided by the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families by no later than July of each fiscal year to support the operational costs associated with 1 Educational Specialist and clerical support positions. Funds allocated in this section are to be used to support the work of the Office and to continue the interagency coordination process for Delaware's early childhood programs.

(o) Funds appropriated for the purpose of funding the units of pupils under subsections (d), (e), (f) and (k) of this section shall not be expended for any other purpose.

§ 1703A. Extended Learning Opportunities Subcommittee

(a) The IRMC Extended Learning Opportunities Subcommittee is established to oversee coordination, research, and planning statewide for before and after school and summer learning programs for school-age children and advise the General Assembly and the Governor.

(b) The duties of the IRMC Subcommittee are as follows:

(1) Research national and local trends and best practices in extended learning programs and services and recommend new public policy that aligns with that research.

(2) Develop program standards and suggest funding protocols.

(3) Establish standards for program performance and evaluation.

(4) Make regular recommendations regarding coordination of services among different stakeholders, especially with organizations and programs providing early childhood services.

(5) Submit a yearly summary of its recommendations to the IRMC to include in its annual report under § 1703(n)(5)b.

(c) The Subcommittee shall be composed of 19 members:

(1) The following members shall serve by virtue of their position and may designate a person to serve in their stead and at their pleasure:

a. The Secretary of the Department of Education, or the Secretary’s designee.

b. The Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, or the Secretary’s designee.

c. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, or the Secretary’s designee.

(2) The Delaware After School Network Director, appointed by the Governor.

(3) A representative of a non-profit afterschool program provider, appointed by the Governor.

(4) A representative of a private afterschool program provider, appointed by the Governor.

(5) A representative of a summer program provider, appointed by the Governor.

(6) A school district superintendent, appointed by the Governor.

(7) A representative for elementary school teachers, appointed by the President of the Delaware State Education Association.

(8) A representative for secondary school teachers, appointed by the President of the Delaware State Education Association.

(9) Four members of the public, who shall be appointed by the Governor

(10) A representative of the Charter School community, appointed by the Delaware Charter School Network.

(11) A representative of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Exceptional Children, appointed by the Chair of the GACEC.

(12) A representative of the Provider Advisory Board, appointed by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families

(13) Two principals – one elementary and one secondary – appointed by the Delaware Association of School Administrators.

(d) Terms of appointed members; chairperson.

(1) Each appointed member shall be appointed to serve a term of up to 2 years. Members shall be appointed for staggered terms, so that no more than half of the appointed members’ terms expire in any 1 calendar year. Appointed members are eligible for reappointment.

(2) From the members, set forth in paragraphs § 1703A(c)(2) through (13), there shall be a chairperson of the subcommittee who shall be appointed by the Governor and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The chairperson shall guide the administration of the subcommittee by supervising the preparation and distribution of meeting notices, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and reports of the subcommittee.

(e) The subcommittee shall issue an annual report to the Governor, General Assembly, and the public on the work of the subcommittee and the status of extended learning opportunities for school-aged children in the State.

(f) The Department of Education will provide administrative and staff support for the subcommittee as part of its responsibility to staff the IRMC.

(g) The IRMC Expanded Learning Opportunities Subcommittee shall follow all rules of § 10002, Title 29 (h) of the Delaware Code relating to public meetings.

(h) The subcommittee shall hold its initial organizational meeting within 90 days of the effective date of this Act, with the date, time, and place for the meeting to be set by the chairperson of the subcommittee.

(i) The subcommittee shall meet at least monthly.

SYNOPSIS

This bill creates an Expanded Learning Opportunities Subcommittee as part of the Interagency Resource Management Committee (IRMC) to provide research, recommendations, and coordination regarding before and after school programs and summer learning opportunities for school-age children. The chairperson of the subcommittee is also added to the Interagency Resource Management Committee as a non-voting member. The creation of an Expanded Learning Opportunities Subcommittee was one of the primary recommendations of the Statewide Afterschool Initiative Task Force, which was created by the 148th General Assembly. The Task Force felt that the design and delivery of services would be enhanced by a standing body tasked with tracking developments across the country and in the State, with a view towards encouraging the development of programs and funding models that maximize positive outcomes.