(a) On or before September fifteenth of each fiscal year in which payment is to be made, the State Board of Education shall authorize grant awards. Grant awards shall be authorized only after proposals for such grants have been submitted to the commissioner by the school districts described in section 10-266p, at such time and in such manner as the commissioner shall prescribe, and after the commissioner and each such school district have reached agreement regarding how such grant shall be utilized. Each proposal shall be based on a three-year project plan and include, but not be limited to, an explanation of project goals, objectives, evaluation strategies and budget which shall identify local funding and other resource contributions for the three-year period provided proposals shall give priority to the development or expansion of extended-day kindergarten programs.

(b) A priority school district grant shall be payable to the local board of education for the school districts described in section 10-266p, which shall use the funds for any of the following: (1) The creation or expansion of programs or activities related to dropout prevention, (2) alternative and transitional programs for students having difficulty succeeding in traditional educational programs, (3) academic enrichment, tutorial and recreation programs or activities in school buildings during nonschool hours and during the summer, (4) development or expansion of extended-day kindergarten programs, (5) development or expansion of early reading intervention programs, including summer and after-school programs, (6) enhancement of the use of technology to support instruction or improve parent and teacher communication, (7) initiatives to strengthen parent involvement in the education of children, and parent and other community involvement in school and school district programs, activities and educational policies, which may be in accordance with the provisions of section 10-4g, or (8) for purposes of obtaining accreditation for elementary and middle schools from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Each such board of education shall use at least twenty per cent of its grant for early reading intervention programs. Each such board of education shall use its grant to supplement existing programs or create new programs. If the State Board of Education finds that any such grant is being used for other purposes or is being used to decrease the local share of support for schools, it may require repayment of such grant to the state.

(c) Each priority school district grant shall be awarded by the State Board of Education on an annual basis. Funding in subsequent years shall be based on funds available, annual application and program evaluation.

(P.A. 84-265, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-499, S. 19, 34; P.A. 89-355, S. 12, 20; P.A. 92-262, S. 31, 42; P.A. 93-145, S. 5, 6; 93-263, S. 13, 14; P.A. 94-245, S. 1, 46; P.A. 95-226, S. 29, 30; 95-259, S. 19, 32; P.A. 96-178, S. 6, 18; P.A. 97-290, S. 22, 29; 97-318, S. 7, 12.)

History: P.A. 87-499 deleted the exceptions for the first year of the program in Subsecs. (a) to (c), inclusive, deleted provision re grant renewal in Subsec. (e), in Subsec. (f) added that set-aside be used for evaluation services and made technical changes; P.A. 89-355 in Subsec. (d) added that the funds may be used for activities related to dropout prevention and that the funds shall be used to strengthen parent and community involvement in education and added new Subsec. (g) re grants for certain dropout prevention programs; P.A. 92-262 removed provisions pertaining to designation as a priority school district and allocation of funds, including funds for administration, formerly found in Subsecs. (a), (f) and (g), relettering remaining Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 93-145 provided for the use of funds for any of the programs described in Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, and removed the requirement that a district have programs described in each Subdiv., effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-263 repealed section, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (b) to add Subdiv. (2) to allow the use of funds for academic enrichment, tutorial and recreation programs or activities in school buildings during nonschool hours and to renumber the remaining Subdivs., effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-226 repealed P.A. 93-263, S. 13 which had repealed the section, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-259 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-178 amended Subsec. (b) to insert new Subdiv. (4) re development or expansion of early childhood education or early reading intervention programs and designated existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-290 and P.A. 97-318 both amended Subsec. (b) to insert new provisions re alternative and transitional programs as Subdiv. (2), renumbering existing Subdivs., to add summer programs in Subdiv. (3), to include summer and after-school programs in Subdiv. (5), to add new Subdiv. (6) re enhancement of the use of technology and to add Subdiv. (8) re accreditation, effective July 1, 1997.

Cited. 195 C. 24; 228 C. 699.