[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 112 (Monday, June 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31248-31249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14605]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Education Facilities Replacement Construction

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Call for applications and notice of revised instructions and 
ranking criteria.

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SUMMARY: This Notice is the official call for applications for Bureau-
funded education facilities replacement construction. It also explains 
how to obtain copies of the publication, ``Instructions and Application 
for Replacement School Construction 2001,'' which describes the process 
the Bureau is using in 2001 to rate and rank applications submitted for 
education facilities replacement construction projects. Applications 
for construction of Bureau-funded replacement education facilities may 
be submitted in accordance with the 2001 instructions.

DATES: New applications and requests to reevaluate applications from 
the previous application process, conducted in 1999, must be received 
on or before August 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the instructions and ranking criteria are 
available upon request from the BIA Office of Indian Education Programs 
at 1849 C Street NW., MS-3512 MIB, Washington, DC 20240 or from 201 
Third St. NW., Suite 510, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102. The 
instructions are also available from BIA Area and Education line 
offices and from the BIA Office of Facilities Management and 
Construction, 201 Third St. N.W., Suite 500, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 
87102.
    All applications must be submitted to the BIA Office of Indian 
Education Programs at 201 Third St., NW., Suite 510, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico, 87102.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding applications may 
be submitted to the attention of Dr. Kenneth G. Ross, Special Assistant 
to the Director, Office of Indian Education Programs, 201 Third St. 
N.W., Suite 510, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102, (505) 346-6544, Fax 
(505) 346-6553 or to applicable Education Line Officers whose addresses 
and phone numbers are available in Appendix A of the application 
document.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice is the official call for 
applications for construction of Bureau-funded replacement education 
facilities. The 2001 application evaluation and ranking process was 
developed in consultation with Tribal organizations and incorporates 
revisions to the 1999 application instructions.
    In August 1999, we used a process described in ``Instructions and 
Application for Replacement School Construction 1999 Revision 6--2/26/
99'' to evaluate, rate, and rank applications for education facilities 
replacement construction projects. As a result of that process, we 
published a notice in the Federal Register on January 31, 2000 (65 FR 
4623), establishing the Education Facilities Replacement Construction 
Priority List as of FY 2000 (List). On January 9, 2001, we published a 
notice in the Federal Register (66 FR 1689), expanding the FY 2000 List 
by adding seven more schools. These seven schools received the next 
highest rankings after the 10 educational facilities that were 
identified in the 1999 application process that established the FY 2000 
Priority List.
    We sent copies of the Draft 2001 Instructions and Application for 
Replacement School Construction 2001, in March 2001 to all BIA schools 
and to schools that receive BIA funds under contract or grant (Catalog 
of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number: 15.062 ``Replacement and 
Repair of Indian Schools.'') and conducted tribal consultation on the 
draft document in May 2001. We have considered all verbal comments and 
have reviewed all written comments received, and we have incorporated 
some of the comments in the revised instructions referred to in this 
notice. The revised instructions entitled, ``Instructions and 
Application for Replacement School Construction 2001, May 2001'' is 
available at the address provided in the ADDRESSES section. We will 
send copies of the revised instructions to all BIA schools and schools 
that receive BIA funds under contract or grant.
    Applications for construction of Bureau-funded replacement 
education facilities may be submitted in accordance with the 2001 
revised instructions. In lieu of submitting a new application for an 
education facility replacement school construction project, a tribe may 
revise and update the application it submitted in the 1999 process.
    The process will not provide for new school starts, grade level 
expansions, charter schools, nor satellite extensions. The procedures 
will continue to provide continuity, objectivity and accountability in 
the priority rankings for construction of replacement education 
facilities; address the handling of emergency needs; and accommodate 
Federal/Tribal financial partnerships for education construction 
projects. As in the 1999 application

[[Page 31249]]

evaluation process, a Tribal organization may indicate to what extent 
it will share in the construction costs of its educational facilities 
replacement construction project through the use of non-Federal 
resources. To participate in the FY 2001 cost sharing program, a Tribe 
is required to contribute a tribal share equal to 50% of the total 
replacement school construction costs [(Pub. L. 106-291, Sec. 
153(b)(3)(B)]. Congress identified Conehatta Elementary School of the 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians as the first education facility to 
cost share in a Tribal school construction demonstration program 
[Senate Report 106-312, pg. 53; House Report 106-914, pg.147; Public 
Law 106-291, Sec. 153].
    The BIA will evaluate and rank applications for education 
facilities replacement construction projects through the use of 
narrative submitted by applicants, from data in the BIA's national 
Facilities Management Information System (FMIS), and from other BIA 
information sources.
    BIA's Office of Indian Education Programs' Line Officers will 
receive training on the 2001 instructions and ranking criteria for all 
schools under their administrative jurisdictions and will provide 
technical assistance to the schools under their administrative 
jurisdictions. In addition to technical assistance available from the 
Bureau, applicants may use commercial service providers to prepare 
their applications. The Bureau can provide referrals, upon request, 
which the applicants may choose to contact independently.
    The BIA will provide Bureau-funded schools with instructions and 
application forms. We will send all potential applicants the 
application forms and instructions by certified mail. Tribes and BIA-
funded school boards will receive advance, written notice from 
Education Line Officers of replacement school construction application 
training session dates, times, and locations for Tribes and schools 
under their respective jurisdictions. The Education Line Officers will 
conduct training for applicants on how to complete their applications. 
Applications will be accepted beginning August 1, 2001, until August 
21, 2001. We will use the criteria in the 2001 instructions to review 
and evaluate all applications that we receive on or before the 
deadline.
    This Notice is published under authority delegated by the Secretary 
of the Interior to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in the 
Departmental Manual at 209 DM 8. 25 U.S.C. 2005(c) directed BIA to 
publish, in the Federal Register, the system used to determine 
priorities for school construction projects and to submit a current 
priority ranking for school construction projects at the time any 
budget request is presented to Congress. The Conference Report for the 
FY 1992 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, House Report 
No. 256, 102d Cong., 1st Sess. 46 (1991), indicated that Congress 
wanted the Department to revise the priority ranking process for new 
school construction. The Conference Report said that BIA should 
emphasize tribal consultation and improve the objectivity of the 
ranking process, provide continuity to the priority ranking list, and 
provide procedures for handling emergency needs.

    Dated: May 25, 2001.
James H. McDivitt,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs (Management).
[FR Doc. 01-14605 Filed 6-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P