                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES (§ 22.1-289.09)

A. The General Assembly finds that effective prevention programs designed to
assist children at risk of school failure and dropout are practical mechanisms
for reducing violent and criminal activity and for ensuring that
Virginia&#8217;s children will reach adulthood with the skills necessary to
succeed; to this end, the following program is hereby established. With such
funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the General Assembly hereby
establishes the Virginia Preschool Initiative as a grant program to be disbursed
by the Department of Education to schools and community-based organizations to
provide quality preschool programs for at-risk three-year-olds and
four-year-olds who are unserved by Head Start programs and for at-risk
five-year-olds who are not eligible to attend kindergarten.

B. Grants shall be used to provide at least half-day services for the length of
the school year for at-risk three-year-old and four-year-old children who are
unserved by Head Start programs and for at-risk five-year-olds who are not
eligible to attend kindergarten. The services shall include quality preschool
education; health services, including nutrition access programs; social
services; parental involvement, including activities to promote family literacy;
and transportation.

C. The guidelines for quality preschool education and criteria for preschool
education services may be differentiated according to the agency providing the
services in order to comply with various relevant federal or state requirements.

   1. Any classroom that exceeds benchmarks set by the Board shall be staffed as
   follows: (i) at least one teacher shall be provided for any classroom with 10
   students or fewer students; (ii) if the average daily membership in any
   classroom exceeds 10 students but does not exceed 20 students, at least one
   full-time teacher&#8217;s aide shall be assigned to the classroom; and (iii)
   the maximum classroom size shall be 20 students.

   2. Any classroom that does not exceed benchmarks set by the Board shall be
   staffed as follows: (i) at least one teacher shall be provided for any
   classroom with nine or fewer students; (ii) if the average daily membership in
   any classroom exceeds nine students but does not exceed 18 students, a
   full-time teacher&#8217;s aide shall be assigned to such classroom; and (iii)
   the maximum classroom size shall be 18 students.

D. School divisions and other grantees may apply for and be granted waivers from
these guidelines by the Department of Education. Grants shall be distributed,
with such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, based on an allocation
formula providing the state share of the grant per child, as specified in the
appropriation act, for at least 60 percent of the unserved at-risk
four-year-olds and five-year-olds who are not eligible to attend kindergarten in
the Commonwealth, such 60 percent to be calculated by adding services for 30
percent more of the unserved at-risk children to the 30 percent of unserved
at-risk children in each locality provided funding in the appropriation act.

E. Local school boards may elect to serve more than 60 percent of the at-risk
four-year-olds and may use federal funds or local funds for this expansion or
may seek funding through this grant program for such purposes. Grants may be
awarded, if funds are available in excess of the funding for the 60 percent
allocation, to expand services to at-risk four-year-olds beyond the 60 percent
goal.

F. In order for a locality to qualify for these grants, the local governing body
shall commit to providing the required matching funds, based on the composite
index of local ability to pay. Localities may use, for the purposes of meeting
the local match, local or other nonstate expenditures for existing qualifying
programs and shall also continue to pursue and coordinate other funding sources,
including child care subsidies. Funds received through this program shall be
used to supplement, not supplant, any local funds currently provided for
preschool programs within the locality.

HISTORY: 2020, cc. 860, 861.