Sec. 325. Low-income prekindergarten grants

609 words·~3 min read·/bill/114/s/473/is/section-325

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

From amounts made available to carry out this section and not reserved under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall award grants, through allotments described in subsection (b), to States to enable the States to provide subgrants to local educational agencies to offer free or reduced-price high-quality prekindergarten programs to low-income children. For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 1 percent of the amount made available to carry out this section for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out activities consistent with this section for the families of Indian children.

For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot, to each State that submits an approved application, an amount that bears the same relation to the amount available to carry out this section and not reserved under subsection (a)(2) for such fiscal year, as the number of children aged 3 or 4 in the State from families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty line bears to the total number of such children in all States submitting approved applications. A State that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

Such application shall include an assurance that the State shall provide matching funds toward the costs of the grant as provided under subsection (e). A State receiving an allotment under this section shall use not less than 98 percent of such allotment to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies for the purpose of providing free or reduced-price high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. A local educational agency that desires a subgrant under subparagraph

(A)shall submit an application to the State at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State may reasonably require. In awarding subgrants under this subsection, a State shall give priority to a local educational agency that works in partnership with a nonprofit community-based organization of prekindergarten program providers. A State receiving an allotment under this section may use not more than a total of 2 percent of such allotment for the administrative costs of carrying out this part and for State activities related to the purposes of improving access to prekindergarten programs for low-income children. In the case of a State that receives an allotment under this part and a grant under section 324, the State may use the allotment to meet the goals of the grant under section 324 with respect to low-income children. A State receiving an allotment under this section shall provide toward the cost of the activities carried out under the grant an amount equal to the amount of the allotment. The matching funds may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated. Not later than 60 days after the end of the grant period for a grant under this section, each local educational agency receiving a subgrant under subsection

(d)shall provide to the State the information determined necessary by the State for the report described in paragraph (2). Not later than 45 days after the receipt of the report described in paragraph (1), the State receiving the grant shall prepare and submit a report to the Secretary regarding the progress made under the grant. Not later than 60 days after the receipt of the report described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report regarding the grant program under this section. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.