Before-school, after-school, before-and-after school, or summer school programs; federally funded grants to eligible entities; Michigan Afterschool Partnership advisory committee.

Sec. 32n. (1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2026-2027 only an amount not to exceed $50,000,000.00, and from the state school aid pupil support reserve fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2026-2027 only an amount not to exceed $85,000,000.00 to Clinton County RESA to collaborate with the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, for the purposes of this section. It is the intent of the legislature that, for 2027-2028, the allocation from the state school aid pupil support reserve fund money appropriated in section 11 for the purposes described in this section will be $100,000,000.00. (2) The funds allocated in subsection (1) must be used for a grant program for eligible applicants to expand access to quality, affordable programming before and after the school day or during the summer for young people. Not more than 40% of the total allocation under subsection (1) may be allocated to statewide or regional grant applications. The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall establish competitive grant criteria for the program described in this subsection. To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, the applicant must meet, at a minimum, all of the following criteria: (a) Serve children in any of grades K to 12. (b) Be a community-based organization that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 501, an institution of higher education, a public library, a city or municipality, or an intermediate district. (c) Provide before-school, after-school, before-and-after-school, or summer school programming to children described in subdivision (a). These programs must be used to support expanded learning opportunities, including, but not limited to, mentoring, leadership, community engagement, agriculture, visual and performing arts, literacy, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health and wellness, recreation, financial literacy, physical fitness, career and college exploration, youth voice, 21st century skills, conflict resolution, and social engagement programming. (d) Address academic outcomes and not fewer than 2 additional measurable goals, including, but not limited to, improved school attendance, improved attitudes toward school, improved positive behaviors, skill development and retention, higher education aspirations, and improved family engagement and include activities linked to research or quality practices. (e) Be 1 of the following: (i) A licensed child care organization. (ii) An entity that has an active application to be a licensed child care organization. (iii) An exempt entity. (f) For entities meeting eligibility requirements under subdivision (e)(ii) and (iii), demonstrate in a form and manner determined by the department that all of the following are in place for staff working with youth: (i) Background checks through the Central Registry Clearance and the Internet Criminal History Access Tool. (ii) First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. (iii) Health and Safety Training Courses for Child Care Providers, Modules A, B, and C. (3) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall establish a competitive grant process for awarding funding under subsection (2). The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall develop the form and manner for applying for the grants. The application must include a request for information on the applicant's outreach to children, youth, and families who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act, 42 USC 1751 to 1769j. The application must be open for not less than 30 calendar days. At least 30 days before the application is opened, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential must publish on its public website the criteria that will be used in evaluating the application that must include, but are not limited to, priorities under subsection (5). (4) Subject to subsection (8), in determining award amounts under subsection (2), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that eligible entities in all geographic regions of this state are represented in the distribution of grant funding under subsection (2). (5) Subject to subsection (8), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall prioritize the distribution of grant funding under subsection (2) based on, at a minimum, the following: (a) An applicant's demonstrated need. (b) The percentage of low-income families in the geographic area being served. Prioritization must be determined by the average percentage of pupils in the district who are eligible for free and reduced-priced meals as determined under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act, 42 USC 1751 to 1769j, where eligible entities will provide before-and-after-school or summer school programs. (c) Whether the application provides services for the full school year. (d) The applicant's track record for providing quality, affordable before-and-after-school or summer school services. (e) Whether an applicant serving children in any of grades K to 8 is a licensed child care organization, is an entity that has an active application to be a licensed child care organization, or has implemented the Michigan Out-of-School Time Standards of Quality if the applicant is an exempt entity and, beginning in 2025-2026, serves at least 15 school-age youth at a single location in grades K to 12. (6) An eligible entity that receives grant funding under subsection (2) shall use the funding only to provide before-school, after-school, before-and-after-school, or summer school programming to children described in subsection (2)(a). The programming offered under subsection (2) must meet all of the following: (a) For programming that is offered by a licensed child care organization, be provided to children and youth in a manner in which the children are physically present at the building or location for which the licensed child care organization received its license under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128, or, for programming that is offered by an exempt entity serving grades K to 12, be provided to children and youth in a manner in which the children and youth are physically present at a building or location designated by the exempt entity. (b) Provide educational programming in core subject areas, including, but not limited to, mathematics, reading, and science. (c) Provide data to evaluate the program in a form and manner as prescribed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (7) All of the following apply to funding allocated under subsection (2): (a) An amount not to exceed 0.25% of the funding allocated under subsection (2) or $250,000.00, whichever is greater, may be retained by Clinton County RESA for administrative costs. (b) An amount not to exceed $500,000.00 of the funding allocated under subsection (2) must be allocated by Clinton County RESA, as directed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, and in collaboration with the center and the Michigan afterschool partnership as needed, to provide statewide evaluation activities of eligible youth served, their families, and programs funded under this section. This evaluation must allow for a comparative analysis between program youth and their peers in grades K to 12. (c) An amount not to exceed 1.5% of the funding allocated under subsection (2) must be allocated by Clinton County RESA, as directed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, and in collaboration with the Michigan afterschool partnership, to provide statewide out-of-school time activities and supports including, but not limited to, capacity building initiatives, professional development, and technical assistance to increase the likelihood for implementation of high quality, evidence-based, out-of-school time learning opportunities by eligible entities under subsections (4) and (5). (8) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall award not less than 60% of the funding under subsection (2) to community-based organizations. (9) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall make payments under this section in an amount equal to 1/2 of the grant total upon award of the grant, and the remaining 1/2 of the grant total on a schedule determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential may make payments in full to grantees demonstrating resource needs, as determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. Grantees that do not comply with reporting requirements, fail to provide the services proposed in their grant application, or close during the grant period may be required to repay the funding they received under this section to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. (10) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, in collaboration with the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, shall convene an advisory committee to review the program components listed within this section and make recommendations to the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential for changes on the program described in this section. The advisory committee shall meet at a schedule set by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential, or at least quarterly. The advisory committee shall provide for the involvement of, but not limited to, community-based organizations, regional intermediaries, district administrators, youth, parents, and representatives from the business and philanthropic communities, as appropriate. (11) Subject to subsection (2), the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall establish and implement a multi-tiered grant funding structure within its competitive grant process to account for statewide or regional grant applications, as well as midsize grants serving 6 to 14 program sites and smaller grants serving 1 to 5 program sites. (12) As used in this section: (a) "An entity that has an active application to be a licensed child care organization" means an entity that has an active application to be a licensed child care organization under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128, and will be a licensed child care organization before the entity provides services for which a child care organization is required to be licensed under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128. (b) "Child care organization" means that term as defined in section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111. (c) "Exempt entity" means an entity described in section 1(1)(i)(i) to (v) of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111. (d) "Licensed child care organization" means a child care organization that has been issued a license under 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111 to 722.128, to operate a child care organization. (e) "School-age" means a child who is eligible to attend a grade of kindergarten or higher, but is less than 13 years of age. A child is considered to be school age on the first day of the school year in which the child is eligible under section 1 of 1973 PA 116, MCL 722.111. (f) "Statewide or regional grant" means a grant to 2 or more entities, community-based organizations, statewide network affiliations, or any combination of those entities working together with the objective of serving more than 2,000 children across at least 15 program sites statewide, or to serve more than 2,000 children across at least 15 program sites within a publicly defined boundary region, and that have a demonstrated track record of success in providing or organizing a statewide or regional system of out-of-school time programs. If an applicant applies for a statewide or regional grant, the applicant and the program sites included on their application may not appear on any other grant application submitted for funding under subsection (2).