[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2912 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                 S. 2912

To award grants for the support of full-service community schools, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 7, 2004

 Mr. Nelson of Nebraska introduced the following bill; which was read 
 twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award grants for the support of full-service community schools, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Full-Service Community Schools Act 
of 2004''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

     The purposes of this Act are the following:
            (1) Providing support for the planning, implementation, and 
        operation of full-service community schools.
            (2) Improving the coordination, availability, and 
        effectiveness of services for children and families.
            (3) Enabling principals and teachers to complement and 
        enrich efforts to help all children reach proficiency in 
        reading and mathematics by 2014.
            (4) Ensuring that children come to school ready to learn 
        every day.
            (5) Enabling families to participate in the education of 
        their children.
            (6) Enabling the more efficient use of Federal, State, 
        local, and private sector resources that serve children and 
        families.
            (7) Facilitating the coordination of programs operated by 
        nonprofit organizations and State, local, and tribal 
        governments.

SEC. 3. FULL-SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``full-service community school'' means a 
public elementary school or secondary school that--
            (1) participates in a community-based effort to coordinate 
        educational, developmental, family, health, and other 
        comprehensive services through community-based organizations 
        and public and private partnerships; and
            (2) provides access to such services to students, families, 
        and the community served by the school.

SEC. 4. LOCAL PROGRAMS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education (referred to in 
        this Act as the ``Secretary'') may award grants to eligible 
        entities for the purpose of enabling the eligible entities to 
        assist public elementary schools or secondary schools in 
        functioning as full-service community schools.
            (2) Grant period.--Each grant awarded under this section 
        shall be for a period of 5 years.
            (3) Minimum amount.--To the extent funds are available, 
        each grant award under this section shall be in an amount that 
        is not less than $75,000 for each year of the 5-year grant 
        period.
    (b) Application.--An eligible entity that desires a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall 
require that each such application include the following:
            (1) A description of the eligible entity.
            (2) A list of partner entities that will assist the 
        eligible entity in providing or coordinating qualified 
        services.
            (3) A memorandum of understanding between the eligible 
        entity and each partner entity describing the role the partner 
        entity will assume.
            (4) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity to 
        provide and coordinate qualified services at a full-service 
        community school.
            (5) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the 
        following:
                    (A) The student, family, and school community to be 
                served, including information about the number of 
                students, families, and community residents to be 
                served and the frequency of qualified services.
                    (B) Existing qualified services available at each 
                school to be served and in the community in which the 
                school is located.
                    (C) Qualified services to be provided or 
                coordinated by the eligible entity and its partner 
                entities.
                    (D) Coordination, management, and oversight of 
                qualified services at each school to be served, 
                including the roles of the school principal, the full-
                service community school coordinator, parents, and 
                members of the community in which the school is 
                located.
                    (E) Funding sources for qualified services at each 
                school to be served, whether such funding is derived 
                from grants under this section or from other Federal, 
                State, local, or private sources.
                    (F) Plans for professional development for managing 
                personnel, or for coordinating or delivering qualified 
                services, at the schools to be served.
                    (G) Plans for joint utilization and maintenance of 
                school facilities by the eligible entity and its 
                partner entities.
            (6) Identification of principles of effectiveness that are 
        based on--
                    (A) an assessment of objective data regarding the 
                need--
                            (i) for the establishment of a full-service 
                        community school; and
                            (ii) for qualified services at each school 
                        to be served and in the community in which the 
                        school is located;
                    (B) an established set of performance measures 
                aimed at ensuring the availability of high-quality 
                qualified services; and
                    (C) if appropriate, scientifically based research 
                that provides evidence that the qualified services 
                involved will help students meet State and local 
                student academic achievement standards.
            (7) A strategy for developing a plan for sustainability.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to eligible entities that--
            (1) will serve not less than 1 school eligible for a 
        schoolwide program under section 1114 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6314);
            (2) demonstrate a record of effectiveness in integrating 
        not less than 3 qualified services; and
            (3) will serve more than 1 full-service community school as 
        part of a communitywide or districtwide strategy.
    (d) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
to provide or coordinate not less than 3 qualified services at not less 
than 1 public elementary or secondary school.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        consortium comprised of a local educational agency and not less 
        than 1 of the following:
                    (A) Community-based organization.
                    (B) Nonprofit organization.
                    (C) Other public or private entity.
            (2) Qualified services.--The term ``qualified services'' 
        means any of the following:
                    (A) Early childhood education.
                    (B) Remedial education activities and academic 
                enrichment activities.
                    (C) Programs under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
                9831 et seq.), including Early Head Start programs.
                    (D) Programs that promote parental involvement and 
                family literacy, including the Reading First, Early 
                Reading First, and William F. Goodling Even Start 
                Family Literacy programs authorized in part B of title 
                I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 6361 et seq.).
                    (E) Youth development programs.
                    (F) Parent leadership development activities.
                    (G) Parenting education activities.
                    (H) Childcare services.
                    (I) Community service and service learning 
                opportunities.
                    (J) Programs that provide assistance to students 
                who have been truant, suspended, or expelled.
                    (K) Job training and career counseling services.
                    (L) Nutrition services.
                    (M) Primary health and dental care.
                    (N) Mental health prevention and treatment 
                services.
                    (O) Adult education, including instruction in 
                English as a second language.

SEC. 5. STATE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants to State 
        collaboratives to support the development of full-service 
        community school programs in accordance with this section.
            (2) Grant period.--Each grant awarded under this section 
        shall be for a period of 5 years.
            (3) Minimum amount.--To the extent funds are available, 
        each grant award under this section shall be in an amount that 
        is not less than $500,000 for each year of the 5-year grant 
        period.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
only for the following:
            (1) Planning, coordinating, and expanding the development 
        of full-service community schools in the State.
            (2) Providing technical assistance and training at full-
        service community schools, including professional development 
        for personnel and creation of data collection and evaluation 
        systems.
            (3) Collecting, evaluating, and reporting data about the 
        progress of full-service community schools.
            (4) Evaluating the impact of State policies and guidelines 
        in the integration of Federal and State programs at full-
        service community schools.
    (c) Application.--A State collaborative that desires a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall 
require that each such application include the following:
            (1) A list of all governmental agencies and nonprofit 
        organizations that will participate as members of the State 
        collaborative.
            (2) A description of the expertise of each member of the 
        State collaborative--
                    (A) in coordinating Federal and State programs 
                across multiple agencies; and
                    (B) in working with and developing the capacity of 
                full-service community schools.
            (3) A comprehensive plan describing how the grant will be 
        used to plan, coordinate, and expand the delivery of qualified 
        services at full-service community schools.
            (4) An explanation of how the State will provide technical 
        assistance and training, including professional development, at 
        full-service community schools.
            (5) An explanation of how the State will collect and 
        evaluate information on full-service community schools.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
        American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and any 
        other territory or possession of the United States.
            (2) State collaborative.--The term ``State collaborative'' 
        means a collaborative comprised of a State educational agency 
        (as such term is defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) and not less 
        than 2 other governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations 
        that provide services to children and families.

SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an advisory committee to 
be known as the ``Full-Service Community Schools Advisory Committee'' 
(referred to in this section as the ``Advisory Committee'').
    (b) Members.--The Advisory Committee shall consist of 4 members as 
follows:
            (1) The Attorney General (or the delegate of the Attorney 
        General).
            (2) The Secretary of Agriculture (or the delegate of the 
        Secretary of Agriculture).
            (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or the 
        delegate of the Secretary of Health and Human Services).
            (4) The Secretary of Labor (or the delegate of the 
        Secretary of Labor).
    (c) Duties.--Subject to subsection (d), the Advisory Committee 
shall--
            (1) consult with the Secretary on the development and 
        implementation of programs under this Act;
            (2) identify strategies to improve the coordination of 
        Federal programs in support of full-service community schools; 
        and
            (3) issue an annual report to Congress on efforts under 
        this Act.
    (d) Consultation.--In carrying out its duties under this section, 
the Advisory Committee shall consult annually with eligible entities 
awarded grants under section 4, State collaboratives awarded grants 
under section 5, and other entities with expertise in operating full-
service community schools.

SEC. 7. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, directly or through 
grants, shall provide such technical assistance as may be appropriate 
to accomplish the purposes of this Act.
    (b) Evaluations by Secretary.--The Secretary shall conduct 
evaluations on the effectiveness of grants awarded under sections 4 and 
5 in achieving the purposes of this Act.
    (c) Evaluations by Grantees.--The Secretary shall require each 
recipient of a grant under this Act--
            (1) to conduct periodic evaluations of the progress 
        achieved with the grant toward carrying out the purposes of 
        this Act;
            (2) to use such evaluations to refine and improve the 
        activities conducted under the grant and the performance 
        measures for such activities; and
            (3) to make the results of such evaluations publicly 
        available and to provide public notice of such availability.
    (d) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available to a grant 
recipient under this Act shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
any other Federal, State, or local funds that would otherwise be 
available to carry out the activities assisted under this Act.
    (e) Matching Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary 
        shall require each recipient of a grant under this Act to 
        provide matching funds from non-Federal sources in an amount 
        determined under paragraph (2).
            (2) Determination of amount of match.--
                    (A) Sliding scale.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                the Secretary shall determine the amount of matching 
                funds to be required under this subsection of a grant 
                recipient under this Act based on a sliding fee scale 
                that takes into account--
                            (i) the relative poverty of the population 
                        to be targeted by the grant recipient; and
                            (ii) the ability of the grant recipient to 
                        obtain such matching funds.
                    (B) Maximum amount.--The Secretary shall not 
                require a recipient of a grant under this Act to 
                provide matching funds in an amount that exceeds the 
                amount of the grant funds awarded to the grant 
                recipient.
            (3) In-kind contributions.--The Secretary shall permit a 
        grant recipient under this Act to match funds in whole or in 
        part with in-kind contributions.
            (4) Consideration.--Notwithstanding this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall not consider an applicant's ability to match 
        funds when determining which applicants will receive grants 
        under this Act.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.
    (b) Allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated to carry out this Act 
for each fiscal year--
            (1) 75 percent shall be available to carry out section 4;
            (2) 20 percent shall be available to carry out section 5; 
        and
            (3) of the remaining 5 percent, not less than $500,000 
        shall be for technical assistance under section 7(a).
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