House File 2326 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  BERRY


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the establishment of a before and after school
  2    competitive grant program and making an appropriation.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 6308HH 81
  5 kh/je/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == BEFORE AND AFTER
  1  2 SCHOOL COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.  There is appropriated from
  1  3 the general fund of the state to the department of education
  1  4 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June
  1  5 30, 2007, the following amount, or so much thereof as is
  1  6 necessary, to be used for the purpose designated:
  1  7    For a three=year before and after school competitive grant
  1  8 program as set forth in section 256.24, if enacted by this
  1  9 Act:
  1 10 .................................................. $  1,500,000
  1 11    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  256.24  BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
  1 12 COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
  1 13    1.  A before and after school competitive grant program is
  1 14 established to be administered by the department of education
  1 15 to expand the availability of community before and after
  1 16 school programs.  The goal of the program shall be to provide
  1 17 three=year grant awards to school districts and partnerships
  1 18 established by a school district and a not=for=profit
  1 19 community organization to implement before or after school
  1 20 programs which provide a safe, engaging environment combining
  1 21 academic, enrichment, cultural, and recreational activities to
  1 22 guide learning and engage children and youth in year=round,
  1 23 age=appropriate activities.  Funds appropriated to the
  1 24 department for purposes of the before and after school
  1 25 competitive grant program shall be allocated only to the
  1 26 extent that the state moneys are matched from other sources by
  1 27 the school district or partnership based on the following
  1 28 amounts:
  1 29    a.  A twenty percent local match for every dollar of grant
  1 30 assistance received under this section in the first year.
  1 31    b.  A forty percent local match for every dollar of grant
  1 32 assistance received under this section in the second year.
  1 33    c.  A sixty percent local match for every dollar of grant
  1 34 assistance received under this section in the third year.
  1 35    2.  The department shall do the following:
  2  1    a.  Establish criteria for reviewing grant applications
  2  2 that take into consideration evidence of the sustainability of
  2  3 the proposed program; best practices; community collaboration;
  2  4 innovation; activities which meet the needs of targeted
  2  5 populations, such as teenagers and younger children; and
  2  6 ongoing training for before and after school program
  2  7 personnel.  The department shall, to the extent possible,
  2  8 award grants in a manner that balances distribution of grant
  2  9 awards geographically throughout the state.
  2 10    b.  Monitor the progress of before and after school program
  2 11 grant recipients.
  2 12    c.  Assist with the development of program evaluation plans
  2 13 and data measures that account for the expenditure of program
  2 14 funds.
  2 15    d.  Review costs and benefits of before and after school
  2 16 programs receiving grant awards under this section.
  2 17    e.  Establish a clearinghouse for information on model
  2 18 before and after school programs.
  2 19    f.  Annually, by January 31, submit a report to the
  2 20 chairpersons and ranking members of the joint appropriations
  2 21 subcommittee on education summarizing, at a minimum, the
  2 22 activities, status, and expenditures of the programs receiving
  2 23 assistance under this section.
  2 24    3.  An applicant receiving assistance under this section
  2 25 shall submit a progress report to the department of education
  2 26 by December 1 annually which shall include a description of
  2 27 the activities under the program, the status of the
  2 28 implementation of the program, expenditures made for purposes
  2 29 of the program, and any other information required by the
  2 30 department.
  2 31                           EXPLANATION
  2 32    This bill appropriates $1.5 million from the general fund
  2 33 of the state to the department of education for the 2006=2007
  2 34 fiscal year for a three=year before and after school
  2 35 competitive grant program.  The goal of the program is to
  3  1 provide grant awards to school districts and partnerships
  3  2 established by a school district and a not=for=profit
  3  3 community organization to implement before or after school
  3  4 programs which provide a safe, engaging environment combining
  3  5 academic, enrichment, cultural, and recreational activities to
  3  6 guide learning and engage children and youth in year=round,
  3  7 age=appropriate activities.  State funds are to be matched by
  3  8 local dollars in the amount of 20 percent in the first year,
  3  9 40 percent in the second year, and 60 percent in the third
  3 10 year.
  3 11    The department is directed to establish grant award
  3 12 criteria, distribute grant awards in a geographically balanced
  3 13 manner, monitor the progress of grant recipients, assist with
  3 14 the development of program evaluation plans and data measures
  3 15 that account for the expenditure of program funds, review
  3 16 costs and benefits of programs, establish a clearinghouse of
  3 17 information on model programs, and annually, by January 31,
  3 18 submit a report to the chairpersons and ranking members of the
  3 19 joint appropriations subcommittee on education summarizing, at
  3 20 a minimum, the activities, status, and expenditures of the
  3 21 programs receiving assistance under the bill.
  3 22    Grant applicants are directed to submit a progress report
  3 23 to the department of education by December 1 annually.
  3 24 LSB 6308HH 81
  3 25 kh:nh/je/5