A. Any school district or state-chartered charter school may apply for a grant from the literacy for children at risk fund for the purpose of acquiring, equipping and staffing a learning laboratory.

B. The department shall adopt rules setting forth the criteria that a school district or state-chartered charter school shall meet in order to qualify for a grant from the literacy for children at risk fund. The criteria to qualify for a grant shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) the learning laboratory shall improve the reading, writing or math literacy levels of children at risk by at least one grade level per year, as demonstrated to the department's satisfaction;

(2) the learning laboratory shall encompass the teaching of children in kindergarten through grade twelve who are reading below grade level;

(3) the learning laboratory shall have reading diagnostic capabilities; and

(4) the learning laboratory shall have the capability to self-monitor the performance of both the learning laboratory and the children at risk using the laboratory.

C. The amount of any grant awarded under Subsections A and B of this section shall be equal to eighty percent of the total cost of acquiring, equipping and staffing a learning laboratory. Any grant awarded is contingent upon the qualifying school district or state-chartered charter school demonstrating to the department's satisfaction that it can pay for twenty percent of the total cost of the learning laboratory.

D. Any school district or state-chartered charter school that establishes a learning laboratory under this section may use the laboratory for any other reading, writing or math literacy program when it is not in use for the purposes of the Literacy For Children At Risk Act [22-13-3.3 to 22-13-3.7 NMSA 1978].

E. The department, after approving the application of a school district or state-chartered charter school to receive a grant under the Literacy For Children At Risk Act, shall authorize a disbursement of funds, in an amount equal to the grant, from the literacy for children at risk fund directly to the approved school district or charter school.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 113, § 5; 1978 Comp. § 22A-1-4, recompiled as § 22-13-3.7 by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 72; 2006, ch. 94, § 46.

Recompilations. — Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 72 recompiled former 22A-1-4 NMSA 1978 as 22-13-3.7 NMSA 1978, effective April 4, 2003.

The 2006 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, added state-chartered charter schools in Subsections A through E.