[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67463-67465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32455]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.287]


21st Century Community Learning Centers; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999

    Purpose of program: The 21st Century Community Learning Centers 
Program was established by Congress to award grants to rural and inner-
city public schools, or consortia of such schools, to enable them to 
plan, implement, or expand projects that benefit the educational, 
health, social services, cultural and recreational needs of the 
community. School-based community learning centers can provide a safe, 
drug-free, supervised and cost-effective after-school, weekend or 
summer haven for children, youth and their families.
    Eligible Applicants: Only rural or inner-city public elementary or 
secondary schools, consortia of those schools, or LEAs applying on 
their behalf, are eligible to receive a grant under the 21st Century 
Community Learning Centers Program. An LEA considering serving more 
than one school is encouraged to submit a consortium application on 
their behalf. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the statutory 
program purpose as being either a ``rural'' or ``inner-city'' school or 
a consortium of such schools.
    Applications available: December 3, 1998.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 1, 1999.
    Deadline for intergovernmental review: May 1, 1999.
    Available funds: $100 million.
    Estimated range of awards: $35,000--$2,000,000, depending on the 
number of Centers included in each grant application.
    Estimated average size of awards: $375,000, for a grant that will 
support 3 Centers. The average funding for a single Center is $125,000.
    Estimated number of awards: 275--300, but the actual number will 
depend on how many awards will assist multiple Centers.
    Project period: Up to 36 months. Please note that all applicants 
for multi-year awards are required to provide detailed budget 
information for the total grant period requested. The Department will 
negotiate at the time of the initial award the funding levels for each 
year of the grant award.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Applicable regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 85, and 86, and (b) the regulations in 34 CFR part 299.

Priorities

    The Absolute Priority and Competitive Priority 1 in the notice of 
final priorities for this program published in the Federal Register on 
December 2, 1997 (62 FR 63773) and repeated below, apply to this 
competition. In addition, the Secretary gives preference to 
applications that

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meet Competitive Priority 2 (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii) and 34 CFR 
299.3(a)). The Secretary selects an application that meets Competitive 
Priority 2 over an application of comparable merit that does not meet 
this competitive priority.

Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the absolute priority in the next 
paragraph. The Secretary funds under this competition only applications 
that meet this absolute priority.
Activities To Expand Learning Opportunities
    The Secretary funds only those applications for 21st Century 
Community Learning Centers grants that include, among the array of 
services required and authorized by the statute, activities that offer 
significant expanded learning opportunities for children and youth in 
the community and that contribute to reduced drug use and violence.

Competitive Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Secretary gives preference to 
applications that meet one or both of the two competitive priorities in 
the next two paragraphs.
    Competitive Priority 1--Projects designed to assist students to 
meet or exceed State and local standards in core academic subjects such 
as reading, mathematics or science, as appropriate to the needs of the 
participating children. The Secretary awards up to five (5) points for 
projects that address this priority. These points are in addition to 
the 100 points an application may earn under the selection criteria 
that will be included in the application package.
    Competitive Priority 2--Projects that will use a significant 
portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an 
Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an 
Enterprise Community designated by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development or the United States Department of 
Agriculture.

    Note: A list of areas that have been designated as Empowerment 
Zones and Enterprise Communities is published as an appendix to this 
notice.

    Supplementary Information: The 21st Century Community Learning 
Centers Program is authorized under Title X, Part I (20 U.S.C. 8241) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Grantees under this program 
are required to carry out at least four of the activities listed in 
section 10905 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
8245), as listed below:
    (1) Literacy education programs;
    (2) Senior citizen programs;
    (3) Children's day care services;
    (4) Integrated education, health, social service, recreational, or 
cultural programs;
    (5) Summer and weekend school programs in conjunction with 
recreation programs;
    (6) Nutrition and health programs;
    (7) Expanded library service hours to serve community needs;
    (8) Telecommunications and technology education programs for 
individuals of all ages;
    (9) Parenting skills education programs;
    (10) Support and training for child day care providers;
    (11) Employment counseling, training, and placement;
    (12) Services for individuals who leave school before graduating 
from secondary school, regardless of the age of such individual; and
    (13) Services for individuals with disabilities.
    Applicants should propose an array of inclusive and supervised 
services that include extended learning opportunities (such as 
instructional enrichment programs, tutoring, or homework assistance) 
but may also include recreational, musical and artistic activities; 
opportunities to use advanced technology, particularly for those 
children who do not have access to computers or telecommunications at 
home, or safety and substance-abuse prevention programs. Grants awarded 
under this program may be used to plan, implement, or expand community 
learning centers.
    Geographic distribution: In awarding grants, the Secretary assures 
an equitable distribution of assistance among the States, among urban 
and rural areas of a State, and among urban and rural areas of the 
United States.
    To Obtain an Application Package: Written requests should be mailed 
to: Adria White, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational 
Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20208-5644, Attn: 21st Century Center Learning Centers. Requests may 
also be e-mailed to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 219-2198. 
Applications may also be requested by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
    For Further Information Contact: Amanda Clyburn (202-219-2180) or 
Steve Balkcom (202-219-2089), U. S. Department of Education, Office of 
Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., 
Washington D.C. 20208-5644. E-mail inquiries should be sent to: 
[email protected]. Faxed inquiries should be sent to: (202) 219-2198.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact persons identified in this notice.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) via Internet at either of the following 
sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 8241-8246.

    Dated: December 2, 1998.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.

Appendix--Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities

Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State)

California: Oakland
Georgia: Atlanta
Illinois: Chicago
Kansas: Kansas City
Kentucky: Kentucky Highlands Area (Clinton, Jackson, and Wayne 
Counties)

[[Page 67465]]

Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Boston
Michigan: Detroit
Mississippi: Mid-Delta Area (Bolivar, Holmes, Humphreys, and LeFlore 
Counties)
Missouri: Kansas City
New Jersey: Camden
New York: Harlem, Bronx
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
Texas: Houston, Rio Grande Valley Area (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and 
Willacy Counties)

Supplemental Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State)

California: Los Angeles
Ohio: Cleveland

Enterprise Communities (Listed Alphabetically by State)

Alabama: Birmingham, Chambers County, Greene County, Sumter County
Arizona: Arizona Border Area, (Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma 
Counties), Phoenix
Arkansas: East Central Area (Cross, Lee, Monroe, and St. Francis 
Counties), Mississippi County, Pulaski County
California: Imperial County, Los Angeles (Huntington Park), San 
Diego,
San Francisco (Hayview, Hunter's Pointer), Watsonville
Colorado: Denver
Connecticut: Bridgeport, New Haven
Delaware: Wilmington
District of Columbia: Washington
Florida: Jackson County
Georgia: Central Savannah River Area (Burke, Hancock, Jefferson, 
McDuffie, Tallaferro, and Warrent Counties), Crisp County, Dooley 
County
Illinois: East St. Louis, Springfield
Indiana: Indianapolis
Iowa: Des Moines
Kentucky: Louisville, McCreary County
Louisiana: Macon Ridge Area (Catahouis, Concordia, Franklin, 
Morehouse, and Tensas Parishes), New Orleans, Northeast Delta Area 
(Madison Parish), Quachita Parish
Massachusetts: Lowell, Springfield
Michigan: Five Cap, Flint, Muskegon
Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul
Mississippi: Jackson, North Delta Area (Panola, Quitman, and 
Tallahatchie Counties)
Missouri: East Prairie, St. Louis
Nebraska: Omaha
Nevada: Clarke County, Las Vegas
New Hampshire: Manchester
New Jersey: Newark
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Moro County, Rio Arriba County, Taos County
New York: Albany, Buffalo, Kingston, Newburgh, Rochester, 
Schenectady, Troy
North Carolina: Charlotte, Edgecombe County, Halifax County, Robeson 
County, Wilson County
Ohio: Akron, Columbus, Greater Portsmouth Area (Scioto County)
Oklahoma: Choctaw County, McCurtain County, Oklahoma City
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, Lock Haven, Pittsburgh
Rhode Island: Providence
South Carolina: Charleston, Williamsburg County
South Dakota: Beadle County, Spink County
Tennessee: Fayette County, Haywood County, Memphis, Nashville, Scott 
County
Texas: Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Waco
Utah: Ogden
Vermont: Accomack County, Norfolk
Washington: Lower Yakima County, Seattle, Tacoma
West Virginia: Huntington, McDowell County, West Central Areas 
(Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Nichols, and Roane Counties)
Wisconsin: Milwaukee

[FR Doc. 98-32455 Filed 12-3-98; 10:56 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P