Creates pilot program to fund adult education programs for residents of certain communities.
Summary
S3439 establishes a five-year adult high school pilot program administered by the Commissioner of Education. The program is designed to provide State support for approved adult high school programs that offer career and technical education to adults who do not have a high school diploma. Under the bill, eligible participants are adults enrolled in approved programs who live in municipalities within school districts that were in the bottom quintile statewide for four-year adjusted cohort high school graduation rates in the 2016-2017 school year.
The bill would provide school districts with unweighted per-pupil State aid for each eligible student enrolled in an approved adult high school program. For the 2020-2021 school year, the amount is set at $1,500 per eligible pupil, with the amount increasing by the Consumer Price Index in each subsequent year of the pilot. The Commissioner of Education must also report on the program’s outcomes, including enrollment, diploma attainment, the number of districts that create approved adult education programs, and whether the pilot should be made permanent statewide.
Impact
The bill supplements existing State school aid law by creating a targeted funding stream for adult education programs in certain low-graduation-rate communities. It would affect school districts that operate or choose to develop approved adult high school programs, and it would direct State aid to adult learners who lack a diploma and live in qualifying municipalities. The measure also adds a reporting requirement for the Department of Education, which would evaluate the pilot’s effectiveness and inform whether the program should continue statewide.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and policy-oriented, with the bill framed as an effort to expand educational opportunity and workforce preparation for adults in communities with historically low graduation rates. The proposal emphasizes access, career and technical training, and measurable outcomes, suggesting a practical pilot approach rather than a broad immediate mandate.
Contention
No specific opposition or debate is reflected in the provided record, so no direct points of contention can be identified from transcripts or votes. Potential areas of concern implied by the bill’s structure include the cost of new State aid, the fairness of limiting eligibility to residents of districts in the bottom quintile of graduation rates, and whether the pilot’s results would justify making the program permanent statewide. Another possible issue is administrative complexity for districts seeking approval to operate adult high school programs and for the Department of Education in tracking outcomes.