AB268: Bill Text

KRP:cjs

2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Assembly BILL 268

June 7, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Rohrkaste, Thiesfeldt, Ballweg, Kulp, Kurtz, Magnafici, Novak, Oldenburg, Shankland, Skowronski, Snyder, Stafsholt, Steffen, Tusler and VanderMeer, cosponsored by Senators Darling, Roth, Testin and Wanggaard. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB268,1,3 An Act to create 20.255 (3) (dk) and 115.449 of the statutes; relating to: creating a grant program to support after-school and out-of-school-time programs, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates a grant program under which the Department of Public Instruction may award grants to school boards, operators of independent charter schools, governing bodies of private schools, or nonprofit organizations that meet certain criteria to support high-quality after-school programs and out-of-school-time programs. DPI must award grants in amounts of not less than $50,000 and not more than $100,000, and each grant recipient must provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the amount of the grant awarded. Among other requirements, a grant recipient must provide consistent and reliable after-school programming for at least 2.5 hours each school day. In addition, the grant recipient may provide other out-of-school-time programs, including summer programs.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB268,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB268,2 Section 2. 20.255 (3) (dk) of the statutes is created to read:

AB268,2,6 20.255 (3) (dk) After-school and out-of-school-time programs; grants. The amounts in the schedule for after-school and out-of-school-time program grants under s. 115.449.

AB268,3 Section 3. 115.449 of the statutes is created to read:

AB268,2,12 115.449 After-school and out-of-school-time programs; grants. (1) Grant program. The department shall establish and administer a program to award grants to support high-quality after-school programs and out-of-school-time programs. A recipient of a grant under this section may use the grant moneys to provide a broad range of activities to pupils, including any of the following:

AB268,2,15 (a) Educational activities in mathematics, science, arts, music, entrepreneurship, telecommunications, technology, drug and violence prevention, counseling, or character education.

AB268,2,17 (b) Activities for limited-English proficient pupils, as defined in s. 115.955 (7), that emphasize language skills and academic achievement.

AB268,2,18 (c) Remedial education or academic enrichment learning activities.

AB268,3,1 (d) Activities that promote parental involvement and family literacy.

AB268,3,3 (e) Activities to assist pupils who have been truant, suspended, or expelled to improve their academic achievement.

AB268,3,4 (f) Activities that enable pupils to be eligible for credit recovery.

AB268,3,5 (g) Tutoring and mentoring activities.

AB268,3,6 (h) Recreational activities.

AB268,3,8 (2) Eligible applicants. Any of the following may apply for a grant under this section:

AB268,3,9 (a) A school board.

AB268,3,10 (b) The operator of a charter school under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x).

AB268,3,11 (c) The governing body of a private school.

AB268,3,13 (d) A private, nonprofit organization of demonstrated effectiveness that meets all of the following criteria:

AB268,3,15 1. The organization has a local and independent board of directors representative of the community in which the organization operates.

AB268,3,17 2. The organization provides evidence-based educational services directly to school-age pupils.

AB268,3,19 3. The organization uses statewide coordination to provide the services described under subd. 2.

AB268,3,21 4. The organization has a documented capacity to raise significant independent private matching funds.

AB268,3,24 (3) Grant awards. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (3) (dk), the department annually may award grants to applicants under sub. (2) that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department all of the following:

AB268,4,3 1. The applicant will provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the amount of the grant awarded. The applicant may not use federal moneys for the matching funds.

AB268,4,5 2. The applicant is currently providing, and will continue to provide, evidenced-based services to school-age pupils.

AB268,4,9 3. The applicant will provide consistent and reliable after-school services for at least 2.5 hours each school day. The applicant shall include in its application under sub. (2) a proposed weekly schedule of activities the applicant intends to provide to pupils attending the program.

AB268,4,12 4. The applicant has experience managing public grant moneys. The applicant shall include in its application under sub. (2) a copy of the applicant's most recent financial audit.

AB268,4,15 (b) The department may not award a grant under par. (a) in an amount of less than $50,000 or more than $100,000. The department may provide that a grant awarded under par. (a) is renewable.

AB268,4,17 (c) The department may award a grant under par. (a) to an applicant under sub. (2) for each physical location at which the applicant operates.

AB268,4,24 (4) Use of grant moneys. The recipient of a grant under this section shall use the grant moneys to provide the after-school program and the activities that the recipient described in the recipient's application submitted under sub. (2) and to provide any other out-of-school-time programs and activities, including summer programs, that the recipient described in the recipient's application and for which the department awarded the grant. The recipient may use the grant moneys for transportation costs related to providing the programs.

AB268,5,2 (5) Requirements. A recipient of a grant under this section shall do all of the following:

AB268,5,4 (a) Participate in data collection and program evaluation, as required by the department.

AB268,5,7 (b) Develop goals and target outcomes related to the programs for which the department awarded the grant, including goals and outcomes related to improving pupil achievement and increasing the numbers of pupils served by the programs.

AB268,5,9 (c) Develop a plan for measuring, tracking, and reporting on the recipient's success in meeting the goals and achieving the outcomes developed under par. (b).

AB268,5,11 (d) Participate in a self-assessment process using a self-assessment tool approved by the department.

AB268,5,16 (e) By January 1 and June 30 of the school year for which the recipient receives the grant, submit to the department a report in accordance with the rules promulgated by the department under sub. (7) (c), including a description of the recipient's progress in meeting the goals and achieving the outcomes developed under par. (b).

AB268,5,18 (f) Annually, at a time determined by the department, submit to the department an accounting of how the recipient used the grant moneys.

AB268,5,21 (6) Annual Report. The department annually shall submit a report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) on the grant program under this section that includes all of the following information:

AB268,5,22 (a) A description of the department's process for selecting grant recipients.

AB268,5,25 (b) A list of all grant recipients that have been awarded grants under this section since the last report under this subsection, including each grant recipient's geographical location.

AB268,6,2 (c) The number of pupils served by programs for which the department awarded grants under this section.

AB268,6,3 (d) A description of how grant recipients used the grant moneys.

AB268,6,6 (e) A summary of the goals and target outcomes developed by grant recipients under sub. (5) (b) and the grant recipients' progress in meeting the goals and achieving the outcomes.

AB268,6,8 (7) The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section, including rules relating to all of the following:

AB268,6,9 (a) The eligibility of organizations under sub. (2) (d).

AB268,6,10 (b) The selection process for grant recipients.

AB268,6,11 (c) Reporting requirements for grant recipients.

AB268,4 Section 4. Effective date.

AB268,6,14 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2019 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

AB268,6,15 (End)