DOA:......Kretschmann, BB0160 - Grant for IT Education
For 2025-2027 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
EDUCATION
Primary and secondary education
Grants for information technology education
This bill makes several changes to the information technology education grant program. Under current law, DPI must develop a competitive request-for-proposal process to award a grant to an entity to provide information technology education opportunities to public school pupils in grades 6 to 12, technical college district students, and patrons of public libraries. Currently, to be eligible for the grant, an entity must 1) demonstrate that it has successfully offered an information technology instructional program in schools in Wisconsin; 2) develop an instructional program that includes eight different components specified under current law; and 3) ensure that the instructional program will be operated in 225 sites, including 16 public libraries. In addition, under current law, DPI must give preference in awarding the grant to an entity that demonstrates that it has successfully provided high-quality information technology instructional programming and educational opportunities to pupils enrolled in or attending schools in Wisconsin.
The bill provides that DPI may award the information technology education grants to multiple entities. Under the bill, grants do not need to be awarded through a request-for-proposal process, and the grants are for the provision of certification opportunities in addition to information technology education. The bill modifies the eligibility criteria for the grants to require grant recipients to develop an instructional program that includes at least one of the eight components specified under current law and to maximize the number of sites at which the instructional program will be operated. In addition to the current law preference requirements, the bill requires DPI to give preference in awarding grants to entities that will develop an instructional program that includes more than one of the eight components specified under current law.
For further information see the state 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:
Section 1. 20.255 (2) (eb) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.255 (2) (eb) Grant Grants for information technology education. The amounts in the schedule for the grant grants for information technology under s. 115.455.
****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
Section 2. 115.455 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.455 (title) Grant Grants for information technology education.
Section 3. 115.455 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.455 (1) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:
115.455 (1) (a) (intro.) The department shall develop a competitive request-for-proposal process for the grant program to award of a grant to an entity grants to one or more entities to provide information technology education and certification opportunities to public any of the following:
1. Public school pupils in grades 6 to 12, technical.
2. Technical college district students, and patrons.
3. Patrons of public libraries.
Section 4. 115.455 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.455 (1) (b) The department shall accept applications from entities responding to the request-for-proposal that apply for grants under par. (a) and shall may, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (eb), award a grant only to an entity entities that, subject to sub. (3), satisfies satisfy the requirements under sub. (2).
Section 5. 115.455 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.455 (2) (intro.) To be eligible for a grant under this section, the an entity shall demonstrate that it has successfully offered an information technology instructional program in schools in this state and shall develop an instructional program that includes all at least one of the following components, and shall ensure maximize the number of sites at which that the instructional program will be operated in 225 sites, including 16 public libraries:
Section 6. 115.455 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.455 (3) In awarding the grant grants under sub. (1), the department shall give preference to an entity that demonstrates that it has entities that demonstrate they have successfully provided high-quality information technology instructional programming and educational opportunities to pupils enrolled in or attending schools in this state and will develop an instructional program that includes multiple components under sub. (2) (a) to (h).
Section 9334. Initial applicability; Public Instruction.
(1) Grants for information technology. The treatment of s. 115.455 (title), (1) (a) and (b), (2) (intro.), and (3) first applies to a grant awarded under s. 115.455 on the effective date of this subsection.
(end)
