Session of 1999
SENATE BILL No. 199
By Committee on Education
2-2
9 AN ACT concerning school districts; authorizing the development and
10 operation of school-based mentoring programs and providing state fi-
11 nancial assistance therefor; amending K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 72-6409 and
12 repealing the existing section.
13
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
15 New Section 1. The legislature acknowledges research that has doc-
16 umented that the formation of structured, supervised relationships among
17 young people and caring adults leads to positive outcomes for young peo-
18 ple and communities. Various studies of structured mentoring programs
19 have indicated that participants reduced school absences, improved
20 grades, avoided involvement with drugs and had better relationships with
21 peers and parents. Therefore, it is the intention of this act to provide a
22 means whereby the state may encourage and financially assist school dis-
23 tricts in the development and operation of school-based mentoring
24 programs.
25 New Sec. 2. (a) As used in this act, the term school-based mentoring
26 program means a program developed and operated by the board of ed-
27 ucation of a school district for the purpose of providing pupils of the
28 district an ongoing relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn
29 and structured activities during nonschool hours, a marketable education
30 skill, an opportunity to give back through community service and a healthy
31 start in life.
32 (b) The board of education of every school district may: (1) Develop
33 and operate a school-based mentoring program; (2) enter into cooperative
34 or interlocal agreements with one or more other boards for the devel-
35 opment and operation of a school-based mentoring program; (3) coop-
36 erate and coordinate with nonprofit corporations or associations or with
37 any public or private agency or institution in the provision of services
38 which are appropriate to a school-based mentoring program; and (4) apply
39 for a grant of state moneys to supplement amounts expended by the
40 school district for development and operation of a school-based mentor-
41 ing program.
42 (c) In order to be eligible to receive a grant of state moneys for the
43 development and operation of a school-based mentoring program, a
44 board shall submit to the state board of education an application for a
45 grant and a description of the program. The application and description
46 shall be prepared in such form and manner as the state board shall require
47 and shall be submitted at a time to be determined and specified by the
48 state board. Approval by the state board of the program and the appli-
49 cation is prerequisite to the award of a grant.
50 (d) Each board which is awarded a grant under this act shall make
51 such periodic and special reports of statistical and financial information
52 to the state board as it may request.
53 New Sec. 3. (a) The state board of education shall adopt rules and
54 regulations for the administration of this act and shall:
55 (1) Establish standards and criteria for reviewing, evaluating and ap-
56 proving school-based mentoring programs and applications of school dis-
57 tricts for grants;
58 (2) conduct a needs-assessment survey of school districts applying for
59 grants;
60 (3) evaluate and approve school-based mentoring programs;
61 (4) establish priorities in accordance with the findings of the needs-
62 assessment survey for the award of grants to school districts;
63 (5) be responsible for awarding grants to school districts; and
64 (6) request of and receive from each school district which is awarded
65 a grant for development and operation of a school-based mentoring pro-
66 gram reports containing information with regard to the effectiveness of
67 the program.
68 (b) In evaluating and approving school-based mentoring programs for
69 the award of grants to school districts, the state board shall consider:
70 (1) Prior experiences of school districts in the development and op-
71 eration of school-based mentoring programs;
72 (2) level of effort exhibited by school districts in volunteer marketing,
73 recruitment, background screening, training, evaluation and retention;
74 (3) procedures to be utilized in matching pupils with adults and en-
75 suring accessibility of the program to all pupils desiring to participate;
76 (4) the amounts budgeted by school districts for the development and
77 operation of school-based mentoring programs; and
78 (5) the potential effectiveness of the school-based mentoring pro-
79 grams for which applications for the grant of state moneys are made.
80 New Sec. 4. (a) In each school year, to the extent that appropriations
81 are available, and on the basis of established priorities, the state board of
82 education shall select for the award of grants of state moneys those school
83 districts, not to exceed 50 school districts, which the state board deter-
84 mines to be most capable of developing and operating successful school-
85 based mentoring programs.
86 (b) The amount of a grant to a school district shall be determined by
87 the state board in accordance with established priorities, but in no event
88 shall such amount exceed the amount of the lesser of $15,000 or the
89 amount of actual expenses incurred by the school district in the devel-
90 opment and operation of a program. If the amount of appropriations for
91 school-based mentoring programs is insufficient to pay in full the amount
92 each school district is determined to be eligible to receive, the state board
93 shall prorate the amount appropriated among all school districts in pro-
94 portion to the amount each such school district is determined to be eli-
95 gible to receive.
96 New Sec. 5. There is hereby established in every school district
97 which has developed and is operating a school-based mentoring program
98 for which grants are awarded under this act a fund which shall be called
99 the school-based mentoring program fund, which fund shall consist of all
100 moneys deposited therein or transferred thereto according to law. Not-
101 withstanding any other provision of law, all moneys received by the school
102 district from whatever source for a school-based mentoring program op-
103 erated under this act shall be credited to the fund established by this
104 section. Amounts deposited in the school-based mentoring program fund
105 shall be used exclusively for the payment of expenses directly attributable
106 to the program.
107 New Sec. 6. The state board of education, in cooperation with ap-
108 propriate associations and organizations, may provide any board, upon its
109 request therefor, with technical advice and assistance regarding the de-
110 velopment and operation of a school-based mentoring program or an
111 application for a grant of state moneys.
112 Sec. 7. K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 72-6409 is hereby amended to read as
113 follows: 72-6409. (a) "General fund" means the fund of a district from
114 which operating expenses are paid and in which is deposited the proceeds
115 from the tax levied under K.S.A. 72-6431, and amendments thereto, all
116 amounts of general state aid under this act, payments under K.S.A. 72-
117 7105a, and amendments thereto, payments of federal funds made avail-
118 able under the provisions of title I of public law 874, except amounts
119 received for assistance in cases of major disaster and amounts received
120 under the low-rent housing program, and such other moneys as are pro-
121 vided by law.
122 (b) "Operating expenses" means the total expenditures and lawful
123 transfers from the general fund of a district during a school year for all
124 purposes, except expenditures for the purposes specified in K.S.A. 72-
125 6430, and amendments thereto.
126 (c) "General fund budget" means the amount budgeted for operating
127 expenses in the general fund of a district.
128 (d) "Budget per pupil" means the general fund budget of a district
129 divided by the enrollment of the district.
130 (e) "Program weighted fund" means and includes the following funds
131 of a district: Transportation fund, vocational education fund, and bilingual
132 education fund.
133 (f) "Categorical fund" means and includes the following funds of a
134 district: Special education fund, food service fund, driver training fund,
135 adult education fund, adult supplementary education fund, area voca-
136 tional school fund, inservice education fund, parent education program
137 fund, summer program fund, extraordinary school program fund, and
138 educational excellence grant program fund, and school-based mentoring
139 program fund.
140 Sec. 8. K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 72-6409 hereby repealed.
141 Sec. 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
142 publication in the statute book.