PREFILED    JAN 03 2017

REFERENCE TITLE: appropriation; grants; reading-intensive programs

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-third Legislature First Regular Session 2017

HB 2005

Introduced by Representative Cardenas

 

AN ACT

 

APPROPRIATIng monies TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Continuous appropriation; department of education; grants for reading-intensive programs; requirement

A.  Monies in the technology-based language development and literacy intervention fund established by section 15-217, Arizona Revised Statutes, are continuously appropriated to the department of education to provide grants to school districts and charter schools to fund reading-intensive programs.

B.  The amount of each grant awarded to a school district or charter school is at the discretion of the department of education with the goal of maximizing the number of pupils who meet or exceed the reading standards adopted by the state board of education for third grade pupils.  In determining the amount of each grant, the department of education may consider, for that school district or charter school, the number of pupils who are classified as English language learners, the percentage of pupils who are eligible for free and reduced‑price lunch programs and the average number of pupils who fell below the reading standard for third grade pupils over the previous three years.

C.  In order to be eligible for a grant awarded pursuant to this section, a school district or charter school must have received monies in fiscal year 2016‑2017 generated by the K-3 reading support level prescribed in section 15-943, Arizona Revised Statutes.