The Republican-controlled House Education Committee voted 15 to 4 today to offer state support for full-day kindergarten in New Hampshire for the first time.
Under the current state education funding system, kindergartners are counted at half the rate as other grades, so districts get just half the money to educate kindergartners as they do for students in other grades.
This bill would change that so districts offering full-day kindergarten would receive state funds at the full rate. The plan is estimated to cost about $14 million.
The bill would not require districts to offer full-day kindergarten. Roughly sixty percent of school districts currently do.
The bill is supported by a bipartisan group of legislators and Governor Chris Sununu. It now heads to the House Finance Committee.