§7273 Program authorized

Summary

At least 95 percent of the money from section 7251(b)(2)(B) must be given out as competitive grants to eligible groups. The grants pay for two main things: building a full set of coordinated services in very needy neighborhoods (places with lots of low-income people and other signs of distress, and schools getting extra support) and helping public elementary and secondary schools become full-service community schools. Grants must be big enough to do the work. Each grant can last up to 5 years and can be extended for up to 2 more years. After the third year, continued funding depends on meeting the performance measures named in sections 7274(h) (for one type of grant) and 7275(a)(4)(C) (for the other type). Grants for the 7274 activities must be matched at least dollar-for-dollar from federal, state, local, or private sources, and some of that match must be private (in-kind is allowed). The Secretary can lower or waive the match for one year at a time for applicants with big financial hardship or adjust the rule for high-need, rural, or tribal applicants. Grants for the 7275 activities need non-Federal matching funds (in-kind allowed), and the Bureau of Indian Education may use other Federal funds to meet that match. No grantee can be asked to match more than the grant amount, and ability to match cannot be used to decide who wins a grant. At least 15 percent of the funds must go to rural-area projects unless there are not enough good applications. Each year, if money and applications allow, the Secretary must make at least 3 grants for the 7274 activities and at least 10 grants for the 7275 activities.