§ 7255b. Grant program authorized

(a) Authorization The Secretary, in conjunction with the Office of Educational Technology, is authorized to make grants, in accordance with the provisions of this subpart, to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the cost of the following:

(1) Development, construction, acquisition, maintenance, and operation of telecommunications facilities and equipment.

(2) Development and acquisition of live, interactive instructional programming.

(3) Development and acquisition of preservice and inservice teacher training programs based on established research regarding teacher-to-teacher mentoring, and ongoing, in-class instruction.

(4) Establishment of teleconferencing facilities and resources for making interactive training available to teachers.

(5) Obtaining technical assistance.

(6) Coordination of the design and connectivity of telecommunications networks to reach the greatest number of schools.

(b) Duration and amount

(1) In general A grant under this section may not exceed—

(A) 5 years in duration (subject to subsection (c) of this section); and

(B) $10,000,000 in any single fiscal year.

(c) Renewal

(1) In general

Grants awarded under subsection (a) of this section may be renewed for a single additional period of 3 years.

(2) Continuing eligibility In order to be eligible to receive a grant renewal under this subsection, a grant recipient shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, in an addendum to its application submitted under section 7255c of this title, that the grant recipient will—

(A) continue to provide services in the subject areas and geographic areas assisted with funds received under this subpart for the previous grant period; and

(B) use all grant funds received under this subpart for the 3 year renewal period to provide expanded services by—

(i) increasing the number of students, schools, or school districts served by the courses of instruction assisted under this part in the previous fiscal year;

(ii) providing new courses of instruction; and

(iii) serving new populations of underserved individuals, such as children or adults who are disadvantaged, have limited English proficiency, are individuals with disabilities, are illiterate, or lack secondary school diplomas or their recognized equivalent.

(3) Supplement, not supplant

Grant funds received under this subsection shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, services provided by the grant recipient under this subpart in the previous fiscal year.

(d) Reservations

(1) Instructional programming

At least 25 percent of the funds made available to the Secretary for any fiscal year under this subpart shall be used for the cost of instructional programming.

(2) Local educational agency assistance

At least 50 percent of the funds available in any fiscal year under this subpart shall be used for the cost of facilities, equipment, teacher training or retraining, technical assistance, or programming, for local educational agencies that are eligible to receive assistance under part A of subchapter I of this chapter.

(e) Federal share

(1) Amount The Federal share of the cost of projects funded under this section shall not exceed the following amounts:

(A) 75 percent for the first and second years for which an eligible telecommunications partnership receives a grant under this subpart.

(B) 60 percent for the third and fourth such years.

(C) 50 percent for the fifth such year.

(2) Reduction or waiver

The Secretary may reduce or waive the corresponding non-Federal share under paragraph (1) upon a showing of financial hardship.

(f) Required local educational agency participation

The Secretary is authorized to make a grant under this section to any eligible entity, if at least one local educational agency is participating in the proposed program.

(g) Assistance obtaining satellite time

The Secretary may assist recipients of grants made under this section in acquiring satellite time, where appropriate, as economically as possible.

(Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5473, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1830.)