FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENDEAVOR SCHOOLS GRANT PROGRAM.

SEC. 30402. FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENDEAVOR SCHOOLS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Short Title.— This section may be cited as the “Family and Community Endeavor Schools Act”. (b) Purpose.— It is the purpose of this section to improve the overall development of at-risk children who reside in eligible communities as defined in subsection (1)(3). (c) Program Authority.— The Secretary may award grants on a competitive basis to eligible local entities to pay for the Federal share of assisting eligible communities to develop and carry out programs in accordance with this section. No local entity shall receive a grant of less than $250,000 in a fiscal year. Amounts made available through such grants shall remain available until expended. (d) Program Requirements.— (1) Improvement programs.— A local entity that receives funds under this section shall develop or expand programs that are designed to improve academic and social development by instituting a collaborative structure that trains and coordinates the efforts of teachers, administrators, social workers, guidance counselors, parents, and school volunteers to provide concurrent social services for at-risk students at selected public schools in eligible communities. (2) Optional activities.— A local entity that receives funds under this section may develop a variety of programs to serve the comprehensive needs of students, including— 108 STAT. 1853 (A) homework assistance and after-school programs, including educational, social, and athletic activities; (B) nutrition services; (C) mentoring programs; (D) family counseling; and (E) parental training programs. (e) Eligible Community Identification.— The Secretary through regulation shall define the criteria necessary to qualify as an eligible community as defined in subsection (1)(3). (f) Grant Eligibility.— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a local entity shall— (1) identify an eligible community to be assisted; (2) develop a community planning process that includes— (A) parents and family members; (B) local school officials; (C) teachers employed at schools within the eligible community; (D) public housing resident organization members, where applicable; and (E) public and private nonprofit organizations that provide education, child protective services, or other human services to low-income, at-risk children and their families; and (3) develop a concentrated strategy for implementation of the community planning process developed under paragraph (2) that targets clusters of at-risk children in the eligible community. (g) Applications.— (1) Application required.— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a local entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information, as the Secretary may reasonably require, and obtain approval of such application. (2) Contents of application.— Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall— (A) contain a comprehensive plan for the program that is designed to improve the academic and social development of at-risk children in schools in the eligible community; (B) provide evidence of support for accomplishing the objectives of such plan from— (i) community leaders; (ii) a school district; (iii) local officials; and (iv) other organizations that the local entity determines to be appropriate; (C) provide an assurance that the local entity will use grant funds received under this subsection to implement the program requirements listed in subsection (d); (D) include an estimate of the number of children in the eligible community expected to be served under the program; (E) provide an assurance that the local entity will comply with any evaluation requested under subsection (k), any research effort authorized under Federal law, and any investigation by the Secretary; 108 STAT. 1854 (F) provide an assurance that the local entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an annual report regarding any program conducted under this section; (G) provide an assurance that funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal funds that would otherwise be available for activities funded under this section; and (H) provide an assurance that the local entity will maintain separate accounting records for the program. (3) Priority.— In awarding grants to carry out programs under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to local entities which submit applications that demonstrate the greatest effort in generating local support for the programs. (h) Peer Review Panel.— (1) Establishment.— The Secretary shall establish a peer review panel not to exceed 8 members that shall be comprised of individuals with demonstrated experience in designing and implementing programs to improve the academic and social development of at-risk children. (2) Functions.— Such panel shall make recommendations to the Secretary regarding— (A) an illustrative model that effectively achieves the program requirements indicated in subsection (d) and a process whereby local entities can request such model; and (B) a design for the evaluation of programs assisted under this section. (i) Investigations and Inspections.— The Secretary may conduct such investigations and inspections as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section. (j) Federal Share.— (1) Payments.— The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, pay to each local entity having an application approved under subsection (g) the Federal share of the costs of developing and carrying out programs referred to in subsection (d). (2) Federal share.— The Federal share of such costs shall be 70 percent. (3) Non-federal share.— (A) In general.— The non-Federal share of such costs may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including personnel, plant, equipment, and services. (B) Special rule.— Not less than 15 percent of the non-Federal share of such costs shall be provided from private or nonprofit sources. (k) Evaluation.— The Secretary shall require a thorough evaluation of the programs assisted under this section, which shall include an assessment of the academic and social achievement of children assisted with funds provided under this section. (l) Definitions.— For purposes of this section— (1) the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Department of Education; (2) the term “local entity” means— (A) a local educational agency, or (B) a community-based organization as defined in section 1471(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 108 STAT. 1855 (3) the term “eligible community” means an area which meets criteria with respect to significant poverty and significant violent crime, and such additional criteria, as the Secretary may by regulation require; and (4) the term “public school” means an elementary school (as defined in section 1471(8) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2891(8))) and a secondary school (as defined in section 1471(21) of that Act).