SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP:  ENTRANCE AGE & DATE

Senate Bill 1234

Sponsor:  Sen. Darwin Booher

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education

Complete to 11-28-12

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 1234 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 9-27-12

 

The bill is described as a technical correction to reinstate the provisions of Public Act 199 of 2012 (SB 316), which were inadvertently overwritten by the passage of the FY 2013 School Aid Budget, Public Act 201 of 2012 (HB 5372).

Senate Bill 1234 would amend the State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1606) to specify that to be counted in membership a child must meet the minimum age requirement to be eligible to attend school under Section 1147 of the Revised School Code, or be enrolled under subsection (3) of that section.  This replaces the condition that a child be at least five years of age by December 1 of the school year in order to be counted toward pupil membership.

The State School Aid Act prescribes a number of conditions that apply in the calculation of membership for the purposes of determining the foundation allowance for a pupil, including the minimum school age requirement. 

[Note:  Section 1147 of the Revised School Code establishes the minimum age for a child to enroll in kindergarten.  Currently, a child must be at least five years old on December 1 of the school year in order to enroll.  Public Act 198 of 2012 amended Section 1147 to phase in a requirement that a child must be at least five on September 1 for the 2015-2016 school year;  on October 1 for the 2014-2015 school year; and on November 1 for the 2013-2014 school year.  Subsection (3) of Section 1147 of the Revised School Code allows a parent or legal guardian to enroll a child in kindergarten who does not meet the revised minimum age requirement, as long as the child is at least five on December 1 of the school year.]

 FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill is a technical fix to reinstate the provision of 2012 PA 1999 (SB 316), which was overwritten by the FY 2013 School Aid Budget, 2012 PA 201.  For a review of the fiscal impact of SB 315, see the HFA analysis at:  http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2011-2012/billanalysis/House/pdf/2011-HLA-0315-5.pdf. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                   Fiscal Analyst:   Bethany Wicksall

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.