S 1495: Relates to application of certain school aid funds towards transportation of children attending a universal pre-kindergarten program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1495 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. FAHY, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to universal pre-kinder- garten school bus transportation The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph g of subdivision 1 of section 3635 of the educa- 2 tion law, as added by chapter 244 of the laws of 2012, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 g. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the 5 trustees or board of education of any school district may, in its 6 discretion, provide transportation for students attending a universal 7 pre-kindergarten program in addition to transportation funded by such 8 program or transportation for students attending another district spon- 9 sored or district-run pre-kindergarten program, within mileage limits 10 established by the school district; if provided such transportation 11 shall be offered equally to all children in like circumstances residing 12 in the district. The cost of providing such transportation shall be a 13 charge upon the district [and]; provided that for purposes of subdivi- 14 sion seven of section thirty-six hundred two of this [chapter] article, 15 such pupils shall be considered [non] allowable pupils and the costs of 16 their transportation shall [not] be aidable. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the 18 2027--2028 school year and all school years commencing thereafter. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03510-01-5