15-249.11. Rural STEM program fund; definition

A. The rural STEM program fund is established for the purposes of supporting science, technology, engineering and math programs in rural schools. The fund consists of monies appropriated by the legislature and grants, gifts, devises and donations from any public or private source. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated for the purposes of this section. Monies in the fund are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The department of education shall administer the fund and may use not more than five percent of the monies deposited in the fund in a fiscal year for administrative purposes under this section. On notice from the department, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund. Monies in the fund are subject to state auditing procedures.

B. Subject to review and approval by the state board of education, the department of education shall establish a process for rural schools to apply for grants from the rural STEM program fund. A rural school applying for a grant shall demonstrate how the rural school plans to use monies from the fund and what outcomes the rural school plans to achieve with students. A rural school that receives funding must demonstrate that the school's STEM program meets the academic standards for science, technology, engineering and mathematics as adopted by the state board of education.

C. On or before June 30 of each year, a rural school that receives monies from the rural STEM program fund shall provide the department of education with updates on outcomes achieved with students and how monies from the fund were spent. On or before November 15 of each year, the department of education shall report to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the governor on the amount of grants made from the rural STEM program fund, outcomes achieved with students statewide and how program monies were expended.

D. For the purposes of this section, " rural school" means a charter school or a school within a school district that has a student count of three hundred or less and that meets either of the following:

1. Is located in a county with a population of less than four hundred thousand persons.

2. Is located in a census county division with less than fifty thousand persons in a county with a population of at least four hundred thousand persons.