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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state grants for student clubs in high schools that |
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serve students at risk of dropping out of school. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.095 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.095. GRANTS FOR STUDENT CLUBS. (a) In this section, |
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"students at risk of dropping out of school" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 29.081(d). |
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(b) The commissioner shall administer a pilot program to |
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provide grants to school districts to fund student club activities |
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for students at risk of dropping out of school. From funds |
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appropriated for purposes of this subchapter, the commissioner |
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shall spend an amount not to exceed $5 million in any state fiscal |
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biennium on the program. |
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(c) The commissioner may award a grant in an amount not to |
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exceed $5,000 in a school year to a school district on behalf of a |
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student club at a district high school campus at which at least 60 |
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percent of students are identified as students at risk of dropping |
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out of school. To be eligible for a grant, the student club and the |
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club's sponsor must be sanctioned by the campus and district. A |
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grant awarded under this program must be matched by other state, |
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federal, or local funds, including donations, in an amount equal to |
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the amount of the grant. A district shall seek donations or |
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sponsorships from local businesses or community organizations to |
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raise the matching funds. The commissioner may award a grant on |
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behalf of more than one student club at a campus in the same |
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academic year. |
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(d) The commissioner shall establish application criteria |
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for receipt of a grant under this section. The criteria must require |
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an applicant for a grant to provide: |
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(1) a description of the student club; |
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(2) a statement of the student club's goals, intent, |
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and activities; |
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(3) a statement of the source of funds to be used to |
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match the grant; |
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(4) a budget for the student club; |
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(5) a statement showing that the student club's |
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finances are sustainable; and |
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(6) any other information the commissioner requires. |
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(e) The commissioner shall establish a grant agreement to be |
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signed by the sponsor of a student club receiving a grant and |
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another authorized school district officer. The agreement must |
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require the district and the student club to participate in an |
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evaluation, as determined by the commissioner, of the club's |
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program and the program's effect on student achievement and dropout |
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rates. |
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(f) A student club may use funds awarded under this section |
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to support academic or co-curricular club activities, other than |
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athletics, in which at least 50 percent of the participating |
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students have been identified as students at risk of dropping out of |
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school. A student club may use funds for materials, sponsor |
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stipends, and other needs that directly support the club's |
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activities. A student club must use the entire amount of the grant |
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to directly fund the club's activities described in the |
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application. A student club may not use more than 50 percent of a |
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grant to pay sponsor stipends. |
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(g) At the end of the school year, a student club that |
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receives a grant must submit a report to the board of trustees of |
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the school district summarizing the club's activities and the |
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extent to which the club met the club's goals and achieved the |
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club's intent. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |