Grants to assist alliance districts in paying for general improvements to school buildings.

(b) Eligibility for grants pursuant to this section shall be determined for a five-year period based on a school district's designation as an alliance district in the initial year of designation as an alliance district. Grant awards shall be made annually contingent upon the filing of an application and a satisfactory annual evaluation. Priority shall be given to an alliance district that includes a life-cycle stewardship plan with such alliance district's application. The life-cycle stewardship plan shall describe the investments and other efforts that have been and will be made by the alliance district to extend the life cycle of its facilities and equipment. Alliance districts shall apply for grants pursuant to this section at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. Grant awards made to an alliance district that is one of the alliance districts with the five largest populations, based on the 2010 federal census, shall be in an amount equal to or greater than two million dollars. (c) No funds received by an alliance district pursuant to this section shall be used to supplant local matching requirements for federal or state funding otherwise received by such alliance district for improvements to school buildings. (d) Each alliance district that receives funds pursuant to this section shall file expenditure reports with the Department of Administrative Services as requested by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. Each alliance district shall refund (1) any unexpended amounts at the close of the project for which the grants are awarded and (2) any amounts not expended in accordance with the approved grant application. (e) General improvements for which grants are awarded in any year shall be completed by the end of the succeeding fiscal year.