Sec. 35g.
(1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $1,000,000.00 for 2021-2022 for competitive grants to eligible districts that have established innovative community libraries.
(2) A district that has established an innovative community library that meets all of the following is an eligible district under this section:
(a) The library provides for the engagement and connection of readers.
(b) The library provides for resources that are used to further reading skills.
(c) The library provides for the involvement of community volunteers and donations.
(3) An eligible district may partner with an existing library to provide an innovative community library described in subsection (2).
(4) For the purpose of this section, an innovative community library described in subsection (2) does not need to be in a physical building.
(5) To receive funding under this section, an eligible district must apply for the funding to the department's innovation council, in a form and manner prescribed by the department's innovation council, by not later than March 15, 2022. The department's innovation council must develop an application process for the submission of applications for funding under this section by not later than December 15, 2021. The department's innovation council must score applications and award up to 20 grants under this section based on the following criteria by not later than July 15, 2022:
(a) How the innovative community library has addressed early childhood literacy gaps.
(b) How community partners of the innovative community library have engaged in addressing literacy gaps.
(c) How the innovative community library has connected different readers together.
(d) How the innovative community library will promote its approach to other districts or communities in addressing early literacy gaps.
(6) The grant awards under subsection (5) must be ranked in a manner in which there are 2 first-place grant awards, 2 second-place grant awards, 2 third-place grant awards, 2 fourth-place grant awards, 2 fifth-place grant awards, 2 sixth-place grant awards, 2 seventh-place grant awards, 2 eighth-place grant awards, 2 ninth-place grant awards, and 2 tenth-place grant awards. The first-place grant awards described in this subsection must receive the highest award of funding under this section and the amount of funding awarded under this section must decline sequentially with each numerical-place award described in this subsection, with the lowest award of funding under this section going to the tenth-place grant award recipients.
(7) Notwithstanding section 17b, subject to subsection (5), the department shall make payments to eligible districts under this section on a schedule determined by the department.
History: Add. 2021, Act 48, Eff. Oct. 1, 2021