An Act relative to tuition-free universal full-day kindergarten

This bill establishes a new trust fund to help Massachusetts school districts implement and maintain tuition-free, full-day kindergarten programs for all children. The fund will be financed through state appropriations, interest on those funds, and public or private donations, with unspent money staying in the fund rather than returning to the general budget. Under the bill, districts can request reimbursement from the fund to cover up to 100 percent of the costs needed to offer this program, and the state board of elementary and secondary education will oversee the fund and report annually on its financial activity. Additionally, the legislation updates legal definitions to clarify how kindergarten students are counted for state funding purposes and defines what constitutes a tuition-free universal full-day kindergarten program.