CHAPTER 657
S.P. 751 - L.D. 1954
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 318 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 318
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
§8901. After-school Program Fund; standards; approval
The After-school Program Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the program fund," is established to encourage the facilitation of high-quality after-school programs in school administrative units throughout the State. The commissioner shall administer the program fund within the department. Standards and approval for the allocation and use of program fund money are as follows.
1. Standards. The commissioner shall establish standards consistent with the basic school approval requirements for after-school programs offered at elementary or secondary schools in the State. In establishing standards for after-school programs, the commissioner may also consider the requirements of the 21st Century Communities Learning Centers program authorized under Title IV, Part B of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 United States Code, Chapter 70.
2. Approval. An after-school program may be offered by a school administrative unit with the approval of the commissioner. The commissioner may inspect an after-school program, after which the commissioner shall approve and grant a certificate to a school that maintains approval standards. The expense of inspection must be paid by the department.
§8902. Program fund grants; eligibility; calculation
1. Eligibility. To receive program fund money calculated pursuant to subsection 2, the school administrative unit must be in compliance with any applicable standards and program requirements for after-school programs established by the commissioner pursuant to section 8901.
2. Program fund grants; calculation. The commissioner shall calculate one amount of the program fund money that may be made available as a grant to the elementary school level and middle school level and another amount of program fund money that may be made available as a grant to the high school level in accordance with the following.
A. For fiscal year 2006-07, the commissioner shall establish a per-pupil amount for program fund grants.
B. For fiscal year 2007-08 and each subsequent year, the commissioner shall recalculate the per-pupil amount by using the amount calculated under paragraph A as a base and adjusting for appropriate trends in the Consumer Price Index or other comparable index.
3. Budget recommendation. Beginning in fiscal year 2006-07 and prior to December 15th of each year, the commissioner shall recommend to the Governor and to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of the Budget the funding levels for the program fund for payment in the next fiscal year. The commissioner shall include these funding levels in the department's request to the Legislature for appropriations from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
4. Appropriations. The commissioner shall allocate funds appropriated by the Legislature to carry out the purposes of this chapter as grants to eligible school administrative units.
The department shall report by June 30, 2007 and annually thereafter to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs on the number of school administrative units participating in an after-school program, the nature of the after-school programs receiving money, the amount of money distributed and the number of children participating in an after-school program.
The commissioner shall adopt rules for the standards, approval and administration of the program fund, including the establishment of program fund requirements and specifications and procedures for the application and distribution of available funds, and to otherwise carry out the purpose of this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
After-school Program Fund NEW
Initiative: Provides funds for the establishment of an after-school program fund to provide grants to eligible school administrative units.
GENERAL FUND 2005-06 2006-07
All Other $0 $25,000
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $25,000
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2005-06 2006-07
GENERAL FUND $0 $25,000
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS $0 $25,000
Effective August 23, 2006.
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