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California Educational Data Processing Association
The DataBus - Vol. 37, No. 2
February-March, 1997

New Technology Dollars For Schools

Funding: Education Technology Grant Program of 1996 provides $35 Million for Public Schools.

Jeff Bowser, BAE-Network

On October 23, 1996 the State Allocation Board (SAB) adopted a procedure to distribute $35,000,000 for technology grants under the Education Technology Grant Program of 1996. Bills AB 1302 and AB 1519 were signed into law and authorize the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to allocate funds for the purpose of telecommunications development in public schools. This grant may be used for purchase or lease of computer hardware, software and staff development training.

"We have tried to make this grant process as simple as the legislation will allow. This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to obtain technology grant dollars in a non-competitive fashion," said Kathie Bovard, Associate Management Auditor of the Office of Public School Construction.

These grants will be a boon to small school districts. Each district must designate a single site to benefit from the grant. Unified school districts must choose between seeking funds for a K-8 school or a 9-12 school. After completing a qualifying application each school will receive a $21,500 matching grant. These grants are non-competitive. Each district that submits a qualifying application will receive funding. Each grant will be accompanied by a $4,000 staff development grant to be used at that site.

Please note that the district match may include in-kind services, such as teacher labor, the fair market value of donated equipment raised from local sources, or other services outlined in the plan. Financial hardship waivers for the matching requirement can be approved by the State Department of Education. Matching funds are not required for the $4,000 staff development grants.

The remaining balance of funds, $6,717,500, will be distributed among qualified applicants based on student enrollment. Unified districts may only use their enrollment for the grade range they choose to apply. For example, a unified school district with a K-12 enrollment of 10,000 students has a K-8 enrollment of 9,000 and has applied for a K-8 school site grant may only use their K-8 enrollment of 9,000 students for their additional funding calculation.

Application packets were mailed the school district superintendents on November 8, 1996. A web site for this program may be found at http://www.dgs.ca.gov/opsc. This site contains the application forms and information need to qualify for the funds.

  Percent
of Funds		 Allocation
K - 8 schools 50% $ 17,500,000
9 - 12 34% $ 11,900,000
Administrative Costs 1% $ 350,000
Staff Development Grant
funds to CDE		 15% $ 5,250,000
Total 100% $ 35,000,000

Applications are due in the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 28, 1997. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Kathie Bovard at (916) 322-0317 (e-mail address: [email protected]) or Michael Willis at (916) 322-9448 (e-mail address: [email protected]).

Much of this article was contributed by online resources of the FCC, CPUC and the California Department of Education. Sources are quoted in the text of the article.

Additional Information Regarding Grant Process

AB 1519 requires that there will be a minimum base funding per schoolsite and additional funding based on the number of pupils enrolled at each schoolsite.

The grant guidelines are as follows: a minimum of 90 percent of the grant amount will be used for wiring classrooms, school libraries, and conference rooms, or the purchase of hardware and software necessary for telecommunications and information services for instructional purposes. Further, AB 1519 requires each applicant school districts and county offices of education to match at least 50 percent of the cost of the technology implementation plan submitted to the State Allocation Board. Matching may consist of in-kind services, such as teacher labor, the fair market value of donated equipment raised from local sources, or other services outlined in the plan. Financial hardship waivers for the matching requirement can be approved by the State Department of Education.

Funding Formula

The grants will be distributed in two forms. The first process allocates minimum base funding that facilitates funding for qualifying applicant districts and county offices of education. The second process provides additional funding based on student enrollment. Grant amounts shall be expended for wiring of and between classrooms, school auditoriums, school libraries, and conference rooms at a schoolsite, or for the purchase of hardware and software necessary to utilize telecommunications and information services for instructional purposes.

Minimum Base Funding

Each qualifying applicant school district and applicant county office of education that operates community schools is entitled to receive one minimum base funding technology implementation grant of $21,500. The grant amount is based on one complete instructional setting. The technology implementation grant will be automatically accompanied by a staff development grant of $4,000 for staff training for the same schoolsite receiving a technology implementation grant.
Jeffrey A. Bowser is the Director of Bay Area Educational Network (BAE-Network), an Internet Service Provider for schools and government throughout California. He is former teacher, school site administrator, and district technology coordinator. He may be reached at 510-670-4294 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Alameda County Office of Education Technology Newsletter and is reprinted by permission.

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