State Fiscal Highlights
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STATE FUND |
FY 2010 – FUTURE YEARS |
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Department of Agriculture Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Fund |
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Revenues |
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Expenditures |
Potential substantial increase if all public
kindergartens and community schools |
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Note: The state fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. For example, FY 2010 is July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010. |
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· The bill creates the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program, administered by the Department of Agriculture in consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Health. Individual grants to schools cannot exceed 75% of the cost of the program for each individual kindergarten program, and are capped at $15,000.
· The program would be supported by the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Fund; however, no revenue source is specified.
· If all 1,690 schools with a kindergarten program and approximately 162 community schools with kindergarten programs received grants, and if the state program were fully funded, the total annual state cost would be $25.3 million. Because not all schools would apply for funding, and not all schools would request the full available grant amount, the actual dollar amount is likely to be smaller.
Local Fiscal Highlights
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
FY 2010 – FUTURE YEARS |
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School Districts and Community Schools |
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Revenues |
Potential gain in state grants, up to $15,000 per eligible kindergarten |
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Expenditures |
Potential increase corresponding to grant funding
received of up to |
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Note: For most local governments, the fiscal year is the calendar year. The school district fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. |
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· Any eligible kindergarten schools that wished to receive the full $15,000 grant would have to spend a minimum of $3,750 to equal the 25% matching requirement in the bill.
· There are 1,690 public school and 162 community school kindergartens statewide.
Detailed Fiscal Analysis
Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program
The bill creates the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program to provide grants to public and private schools that have kindergarten programs. Schools operated by school districts, community (charter) schools, and private schools that meet the minimum standards of the State Board of Education are eligible. The purpose of the program is to educate kindergarten students and their families about the importance of choosing healthy, locally grown or produced foods, and to increase awareness of agriculture in Ohio. The Director of Agriculture must administer the program and consult with the Department of Education and the Department of Health in establishing it. The program allows grants to be issued for the following purposes:
(1) To provide kindergarteners with nutrition education integrated into regular subjects in the curriculum and focused on healthy food choices using agricultural products that are grown and produced in Ohio;
(2) To train teachers and other educational staff on nutrition education and agricultural education;
(3) To support field trips to Ohio farms and other direct agricultural educational experiences that teach children about food sources, nutrition, and Ohio agriculture; and
(4) To purchase Ohio agricultural products.
Grant applications would be evaluated on nine criteria specified in the bill, with preference to schools where a significant percentage of students is eligible for the free lunch program.
Cost of grant funding
The bill specifies that Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools grants may fund only up to 75% of the estimated total cost of the proposed program for which the grant is sought, and that the applicant must provide at least 25% of the estimated total cost. A school may not receive a grant in excess of $15,000 in any given school year.
Overall, there are 1,690 public schools with a kindergarten program in Ohio. As of the end of the 2008 school year (June 2008), there were 162 community schools with kindergarten programs, although this number can fluctuate from year to year. Assuming that each school district and all qualifying community schools receive the full $15,000 award, the state program cost in each fiscal year would be $25.3 million. In order to receive the maximum state award, each entity would be required to match 25% of that amount, or $3,750. However, total state awards and local matching amounts are likely to be far smaller. This is because public kindergartens with fewer children, as well as community school programs which tend to have smaller kindergarten programs, would not necessarily apply for the maximum state grant amount, or may not apply at all. Grants for the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program would be made from the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Fund created in the bill, for which there is no designated source of revenue.
