Fifth-day School Enrichment Programs Funding

The act creates the fifth-day academic enrichment and support grant program (program) to award grants on a 3-year cycle to one or more eligible community-based nonprofit organizations (organizations) and to eligible rural school districts to provide supplemental enrichment programming to preschool through high school-aged children on the fifth day of the week for children in schools that have a 4-day school week.

To be eligible for a grant, organizations must, in part, have experience providing before- and after-school programs, serve a majority of children from low-income families, and serve students who attend a school district that operates on a 4-day week. To be eligible for a grant, a rural school district must be rural, as determined by the department of education (department), have no eligible organization operating within the rural school district's boundaries, and serve a majority of children from low-income families.

The state board of education (state board) awards program grants in a 3-year grant cycle, with an initial grant and automatic renewal of the grant for 2 years as set forth in the act. The amount of the initial and renewal grants is determined by the state board based on the number of children served in the program and other criteria specified in the act. The state board shall promulgate rules to establish the program, including the application process and deadlines.

Grants must be used for one or more of the purposes specified in the act, including to provide supplemental educational programming to support students' academic, social, and emotional development on the fifth day of a 4-day school week, to provide meals and transportation for students attending the program, and to acquire educational materials and necessary technology to provide supplemental educational programming. Grantees are required to report annually to the department on the use of the grant money, with the department reporting to certain committees of the general assembly.

The act creates the fifth-day academic enrichment and support grant program fund for program grants, consisting of money appropriated or transferred to the fund by the general assembly. The department shall not implement or administer the program unless the general assembly appropriates sufficient money to the fund for the program.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)