The online versions of legislation provided on this website are not official. Enrolled bills are the final version passed by the Ohio General Assembly and presented to the Governor for signature. The official version of acts signed by the Governor are available from the Secretary of State's Office in the Continental Plaza, 180 East Broad St., Columbus.
|
Sub. H. B. No. 342 As Passed by the SenateAs Passed by the Senate
130th General Assembly | Regular Session | 2013-2014 |
| |
Representatives Brenner, Driehaus
Cosponsors:
Representatives Bishoff, Adams, R., Amstutz, Anielski, Antonio, Ashford, Baker, Barborak, Beck, Blair, Blessing, Boyce, Brown, Buchy, Budish, Burkley, Carney, Celebrezze, Derickson, Dovilla, Duffey, Fedor, Green, Grossman, Hackett, Hall, Hayes, Henne, Kunze, Letson, Mallory, McGregor, Milkovich, O'Brien, Patterson, Pillich, Scherer, Sears, Sheehy, Slaby, Smith, Sprague, Stebelton, Stinziano, Strahorn, Wachtmann, Winburn Speaker Batchelder
Senators Balderson, Brown, Coley, Eklund, Hite, Hughes, Kearney, Lehner, Obhof, Oelslager, Peterson, Sawyer, Smith, Tavares, Turner, Uecker
A BILL
To amend Section 263.325 of Am. Sub. H.B. 59 of the
130th General Assembly to permit an educational
service center to be a partner or the lead
applicant of an education consortium seeking a
grant under the Straight A Program, to modify the
goals of projects supported by the program, to
make other changes regarding the operation of the
program, and to declare an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That Section 263.325 of Am. Sub. H.B. 59 of the
130th General Assembly be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 263.325. (A) The Straight A Program is hereby created
for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 to provide grants to city, local,
exempted village, and joint vocational school districts,
educational service centers, community schools established under
Chapter 3314., STEM schools established under Chapter 3326.,
college-preparatory boarding schools established under Chapter
3328. of the Revised Code, individual school buildings, education
consortia (which may represent a partnership among school
districts, school buildings, community schools, or STEM schools or
educational service centers or county boards of developmental
disabilities that provide special education and related services
to children with disabilities), institutions of higher education,
and private entities partnering with one or more of the
educational entities identified in this division for projects that
aim to achieve significant advancement in one or more of the
following goals:
(1) Student Increased student achievement or, in the case of
an educational service center, increased student achievement in
the educational service center's client school districts or other
schools or school districts that are members of the consortium;
(2) Spending reduction in the five-year fiscal forecast
required under section 5705.391 of the Revised Code or positive
performance on other fiscal measures established by the governing
board created under division (B)(1) of this section;
(3) Utilization of a greater share of resources in the
classroom classrooms operated by the educational entity or by an
educational service center's client school districts or other
schools or school districts that are members of the consortium;
(4) Use of a shared services delivery model that demonstrates
increased efficiency and effectiveness, long-term sustainability,
and scalability.
(B)(1) Grants shall be awarded by a nine-member governing
board consisting of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or
the Superintendent's designee, four members appointed by the
Governor, two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and two members appointed by the President of the
Senate. The Department of Education shall provide administrative
support to the board. No member shall be compensated for the
member's service on the board.
(2) The board shall select grant advisors with fiscal
expertise and education expertise. These advisors shall evaluate
proposals from grant applicants and advise the staff administering
the program. No advisor shall be compensated for this service.
(3) The board shall issue an annual report to the Governor,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the
Senate, and the chairpersons of the House and Senate committees
that primarily deal with education regarding the types of grants
awarded, the grant recipients, and the effectiveness of the grant
program.
(4) The board shall create a grant application and publish on
the Department's web site the application and timeline for the
submission, review, notification, and awarding of grant proposals.
(5) With the approval of the board, the Department shall
establish a system for evaluating and scoring the grant
applications received under this section.
(6) When determining whether to award grants from among two
or more applicants of similar score, as determined by the board,
the board shall award grants to applicants that demonstrate cost
savings, as reflected in the goal described in division (A)(2) of
this section, over applicants that do not demonstrate cost
savings.
(C) Each grant applicant shall submit a proposal that
includes all of the following:
(1) A description of the project for which the applicant is
seeking a grant, including a description of how the project will
have substantial value and lasting impact;
(2) An explanation of how the project will be
self-sustaining. If the project will result in increased ongoing
spending, the applicant shall show how the spending will be offset
by verifiable, credible, permanent spending reductions.
(3) A description of quantifiable results of the project that
can be benchmarked.
If an education consortia consortium described in division
(A) of this section applies for a grant, the lead applicant shall
be the school district, school building, community school, or STEM
school, or educational service center that is a member of the
consortia consortium and shall so indicate on the grant
application. In order for an educational service center to be the
lead applicant on a grant application, at least one of the
educational service center's client school districts shall also be
included on the grant application as a member of the consortium.
(D)(1) Within seventy-five ninety days after receiving a
grant application, the board shall issue a decision on the
application of "yes," "no," "hold," or "edit." In making its
decision, the board shall consider whether the project has the
capability of being replicated in other school districts and
schools or creates something that can be used in other districts
and schools. A grant awarded under this section to a school
district, educational service center, community school, STEM
school, college-preparatory boarding school, individual school
building, institution of higher education, or private entity
partnering with one or more of the educational entities identified
in division (A) of this section shall not exceed $5,000,000
$1,000,000 in each fiscal year. A grant awarded to an education
consortia consortium shall not exceed $15,000,000 in each fiscal
year. The Superintendent of Public Instruction may make
recommendations to the Controlling Board that these maximum
amounts be exceeded. Upon Controlling Board approval, grants may
be awarded in excess of these amounts.
(2) If the board issues a "hold" or "edit" decision for an
application, it shall, upon returning the application to the
applicant, specify the process for reconsideration of the
application. An applicant may work with the grant advisors and
staff to modify or improve a grant application.
(E) Upon deciding to award a grant to an applicant, the board
shall enter into a grant agreement with the applicant that
includes all of the following:
(1) The content of the applicant's proposal as outlined under
division (C) of this section;
(2) The project's deliverables and a timetable for their
completion;
(3) Conditions for receiving grant funding;
(4) Conditions for receiving funding in future years if the
contract is a multi-year contract;
(5) A provision specifying that funding will be returned to
the board if the applicant fails to implement the agreement, as
determined by the Auditor of State.
(6) A provision specifying that the agreement may be amended
by mutual agreement between the board and the applicant.
(F) An advisory committee for the Straight A Program is
hereby established. The committee shall consist of not more than
eleven members appointed by the Governor that represent all areas
of the state and different interests. The committee shall annually
review the Straight A Program and provide strategic advice to the
governing board and the Director of the Governor's Office of 21st
Century Education.
(G) Each grant awarded under this section shall be subject to
approval by the Controlling Board prior to execution of the grant
agreement.
(H) As used in this section, "client school district" has the
same meaning as in section 3311.0510 of the Revised Code.
Section 2. That existing Section 263.325 of Am. Sub. H.B. 59
of the 130th General Assembly is hereby repealed.
Section 3. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency
measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is to
timely authorize educational service centers to fully participate
in, and serve as lead applicants for, fiscal year 2015 grants
under the Straight A Program. Therefore, this act shall go into
immediate effect.
|
|