§2020 Tribal Departments or Divisions of Education

Summary

Provides grants and technical help, when money is available, so tribes can set up and run tribal departments or divisions of education to plan and coordinate all tribal education programs. A tribe’s governing body must apply to the Secretary at the times and in the way the Secretary asks. Grants are awarded to encourage geographic and population diversity. Grant funds must be used to give tribes control over education for Indian children on reservations (and former reservations in Oklahoma); to build coordinated education programs from preschool through higher or vocational school that work across tribal, Federal, State, and private funding; and to create and enforce tribal education rules and standards for curriculum, staff, students, buildings, and support services. Applications get priority if the tribe serves three or more separate Bureau-funded schools and will coordinate and help all those schools, will monitor and audit funded education programs through the tribal education office, and has a plan to take over education-related assets and functions of the Bureau office tied to the tribe and end that Bureau office over the grant term (the timing can be changed later by agreement). Grants last 3 years and can be renewed for more 3-year terms if performance is satisfactory. Tribes must follow the grant rules in effect on their application date. No other conditions may be added. Up to $2,000,000 is authorized to carry out these grants.