(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when
used in this section, have the following meaning, unless the context
clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Average daily attendance--The definition of this
term is assigned in the Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.005.
(2) Construction project--A project consisting of the
construction of a new free-standing building or the construction of
a new addition to an existing building.
(3) Renovation project--A project consisting of the
renovation of space that is not currently used as a science laboratory
within an existing building that does not include the addition of
any new space.
(4) High school campus--A campus that houses Grades
9-12. For purposes of this grant program, a school district that has
a separate Grade 9 campus and a separate Grades 10-12 campus, or some
similar division, must combine the campuses on the application and
submit as one campus. For purposes of this grant program, a school
district that has a campus that serves Grades 6-12, Kindergarten-Grade
12, or some similar range, must identify only the number of students
enrolled in Grades 9-12 on the application.
(5) Science laboratories--Rooms identified as combination
science laboratories/classrooms or identified as laboratories under
the applicable school facilities standards adopted under this subchapter.
To provide clarity in the exercise of the grant program governed by
this section, rooms identified as laboratories under the applicable
school facilities standards adopted under this subchapter are referred
to as "stand-alone laboratories" within this section and within the
grant application.
(6) Enrollment--The actual high school campus enrollment
for the school year before the year in which a school district submits
an application for the science laboratory grant program.
(7) Support areas--For a construction project, support
areas are limited to prep rooms, storage areas, and corridor access
space. For a renovation project, support areas are limited to prep
rooms and storage areas.
(8) School district--For the purposes of this section,
the definition of a school district includes an open-enrollment charter
school.
(b) Application process. A school district must complete
an application to request funding under the science laboratory grant
program. The application must contain at a minimum the following:
(1) a description of each individual high school campus
for which funds are being requested;
(2) the enrollment on each high school campus;
(3) the number of existing science laboratories on
each high school campus;
(4) a certification that the existing school district
science laboratories are insufficient in number to comply with the
curriculum requirements imposed for the recommended and advanced high
school programs under the TEC, §28.025(b-1)(1);
(5) the number of science laboratories to be constructed
or renovated; and
(6) a timeline for each construction or renovation
project proposed by the high school campus.
(c) Prioritization and notice of award. Upon close
of the application cycle, all eligible applications will be ranked
in order of the school district's property wealth per student in average
daily attendance. For purposes of ranking within this grant program,
a charter school's property wealth is defined as being equal to the
property wealth of the school district from which the highest percentage
of the charter school's students are drawn. Grants will be awarded
beginning with the school district with the lowest property wealth
and continue until all available funds have been used. The commissioner
of education will award the full amount of the grant to which a school
district is entitled under this section, except that the commissioner
may award less than the full amount to the last school district for
which any funds are available. By posting on the Texas Education Agency
(TEA) website, the commissioner will notify each school district of
the amount of grant awarded and its position in the rank order for
the application cycle.
(d) Data sources.
(1) For purposes of determining prioritization, the
projected average daily attendance as adopted by the legislature for
appropriations purposes will be used.
(2) For purposes of prioritization, the final property
values certified by the comptroller of public accounts for the tax
year preceding the year in which assistance is to begin will be used.
If final property values are unavailable, the most recent projection
of property values will be used.
(3) For purposes of prioritization, the commissioner
may consider, before the deadline for receipt of applications for
that fiscal year, adjustments to data values determined to be erroneous.
(e) Payments, determination of need, and eligible projects.
(1) Payment of the grant will be made as soon as practicable
after June 1 of each year. No payments will be made until all initial
submissions required by the application have been received and approved
by the TEA division responsible for state funding.
(2) For a construction project, the grant amount is
limited to not more than $200 per square foot of the science laboratory
to be constructed.
(A) For science laboratories identified as combination
science laboratories/classrooms, the grant amount will be paid on
the actual square footage plus reasonable support areas identified
on the application not to exceed 2,050 square feet for each science
laboratory/classroom.
(B) For science laboratories identified as stand-alone
laboratories, the grant amount will be paid on the actual square footage
plus reasonable support areas identified on the application not to
exceed 1,550 square feet for each stand-alone science laboratory.
(3) For a renovation project, the grant amount is limited
to not more than $100 per square foot of the science laboratory to
be renovated.
(A) For science laboratories identified as combination
science laboratories/classrooms, the grant amount will be paid on
the actual square footage plus reasonable support areas identified
on the application not to exceed 1,640 square feet for each science
laboratory/classroom.
(B) For science laboratories identified as stand-alone
laboratories, the grant amount will be paid on the actual square footage
plus reasonable support areas identified on the application not to
exceed 1,240 square feet for each stand-alone science laboratory.
(4) The maximum number of science laboratories/classrooms
eligible for funding for each campus under this grant program is determined
by subtracting the number of existing laboratories/classrooms on the
campus from the number of laboratories/classrooms needed. The number
of laboratories/classrooms needed on a campus is calculated using
the formula "E x LC" where:
(A) "E" is the campus enrollment;
(B) "LC" is the laboratories/classrooms calculation
factor, which is equal to 0.007353; and
(C) any resulting fractional number of laboratories/classrooms
needed is rounded up to the next whole number.
(5) The maximum number of science stand-alone laboratories
eligible for funding for each campus under this grant program is determined
by subtracting the number of existing stand-alone laboratories on
the campus from the number of stand-alone laboratories needed. The
number of stand-alone laboratories needed on a campus is calculated
using the formula "E x SAL" where:
(A) "E" is the campus enrollment;
(B) "SAL" is the stand-alone laboratories calculation
factor, which is equal to 0.003676; and
(C) any resulting fractional number of stand-alone
laboratories needed is rounded up to the next whole number.
(6) The following additional limitations and requirements
apply to the science laboratory grant program.
(A) For a project to be eligible for the grant program,
a contract for construction or renovation cannot have been entered
into by a school district at the time of the application deadline.
(B) Renovations to existing science laboratories/classrooms
or to existing science stand-alone laboratories are not eligible for
this grant program.
(C) Eligibility is limited to construction or renovation
projects at high school campuses.
(D) A school district that received funds under this
grant program for a campus in a prior application cycle is not eligible
to apply for additional funds under this grant program for that same
campus until three subsequent cycles have passed.
Cont'd... |