Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program,

[Federal Register: December 7, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 234)]

[Notices]

[Page 67463-67465]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07de98-46]

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.287]

21st Century Community Learning Centers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999

Purpose of program: The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program was established by Congress to award grants to rural and inner- city public schools, or consortia of such schools, to enable them to plan, implement, or expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social services, cultural and recreational needs of the community. School-based community learning centers can provide a safe, drug-free, supervised and cost-effective after-school, weekend or summer haven for children, youth and their families.

Eligible Applicants: Only rural or inner-city public elementary or secondary schools, consortia of those schools, or LEAs applying on their behalf, are eligible to receive a grant under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. An LEA considering serving more than one school is encouraged to submit a consortium application on their behalf. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the statutory program purpose as being either a ``rural'' or ``inner-city'' school or a consortium of such schools.

Applications available: December 3, 1998.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 1, 1999.

Deadline for intergovernmental review: May 1, 1999.

Available funds: $100 million.

Estimated range of awards: $35,000--$2,000,000, depending on the number of Centers included in each grant application.

Estimated average size of awards: $375,000, for a grant that will support 3 Centers. The average funding for a single Center is $125,000.

Estimated number of awards: 275--300, but the actual number will depend on how many awards will assist multiple Centers.

Project period: Up to 36 months. Please note that all applicants for multi-year awards are required to provide detailed budget information for the total grant period requested. The Department will negotiate at the time of the initial award the funding levels for each year of the grant award.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Applicable regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86, and (b) the regulations in 34 CFR part 299.

Priorities

The Absolute Priority and Competitive Priority 1 in the notice of final priorities for this program published in the Federal Register on December 2, 1997 (62 FR 63773) and repeated below, apply to this competition. In addition, the Secretary gives preference to applications that

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meet Competitive Priority 2 (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii) and 34 CFR 299.3(a)). The Secretary selects an application that meets Competitive Priority 2 over an application of comparable merit that does not meet this competitive priority.

Absolute Priority

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet the absolute priority in the next paragraph. The Secretary funds under this competition only applications that meet this absolute priority. Activities To Expand Learning Opportunities

The Secretary funds only those applications for 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants that include, among the array of services required and authorized by the statute, activities that offer significant expanded learning opportunities for children and youth in the community and that contribute to reduced drug use and violence.

Competitive Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Secretary gives preference to applications that meet one or both of the two competitive priorities in the next two paragraphs.

Competitive Priority 1--Projects designed to assist students to meet or exceed State and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading, mathematics or science, as appropriate to the needs of the participating children. The Secretary awards up to five (5) points for projects that address this priority. These points are in addition to the 100 points an application may earn under the selection criteria that will be included in the application package.

Competitive Priority 2--Projects that will use a significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community designated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or the United States Department of Agriculture.

Note: A list of areas that have been designated as Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities is published as an appendix to this notice.

Supplementary Information: The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is authorized under Title X, Part I (20 U.S.C. 8241) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Grantees under this program are required to carry out at least four of the activities listed in section 10905 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 8245), as listed below:

(1) Literacy education programs;

(2) Senior citizen programs;

(3) Children's day care services;

(4) Integrated education, health, social service, recreational, or cultural programs;

(5) Summer and weekend school programs in conjunction with recreation programs;

(6) Nutrition and health programs;

(7) Expanded library service hours to serve community needs;

(8) Telecommunications and technology education programs for individuals of all ages;

(9) Parenting skills education programs;

(10) Support and training for child day care providers;

(11) Employment counseling, training, and placement;

(12) Services for individuals who leave school before graduating from secondary school, regardless of the age of such individual; and

(13) Services for individuals with disabilities.

Applicants should propose an array of inclusive and supervised services that include extended learning opportunities (such as instructional enrichment programs, tutoring, or homework assistance) but may also include recreational, musical and artistic activities; opportunities to use advanced technology, particularly for those children who do not have access to computers or telecommunications at home, or safety and substance-abuse prevention programs. Grants awarded under this program may be used to plan, implement, or expand community learning centers.

Geographic distribution: In awarding grants, the Secretary assures an equitable distribution of assistance among the States, among urban and rural areas of a State, and among urban and rural areas of the United States.

To Obtain an Application Package: Written requests should be mailed to: Adria White, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5644, Attn: 21st Century Center Learning Centers. Requests may also be e-mailed to 21stCCLC@ed.gov or faxed to (202) 219-2198. Applications may also be requested by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.

For Further Information Contact: Amanda Clyburn (202-219-2180) or Steve Balkcom (202-219-2089), U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington D.C. 20208-5644. E-mail inquiries should be sent to: 21stCCLC@ed.gov. Faxed inquiries should be sent to: (202) 219-2198.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact persons identified in this notice.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or portable document format (pdf) via Internet at either of the following sites: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.

Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

Note: The official version of a document is the document published in the Federal Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 8241-8246.

Dated: December 2, 1998. C. Kent McGuire, Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.

Appendix--Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities

Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State)

California: Oakland Georgia: Atlanta Illinois: Chicago Kansas: Kansas City Kentucky: Kentucky Highlands Area (Clinton, Jackson, and Wayne Counties)

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Maryland: Baltimore Massachusetts: Boston Michigan: Detroit Mississippi: Mid-Delta Area (Bolivar, Holmes, Humphreys, and LeFlore Counties) Missouri: Kansas City New Jersey: Camden New York: Harlem, Bronx Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Texas: Houston, Rio Grande Valley Area (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties)

Supplemental Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State)

California: Los Angeles Ohio: Cleveland

Enterprise Communities (Listed Alphabetically by State)

Alabama: Birmingham, Chambers County, Greene County, Sumter County Arizona: Arizona Border Area, (Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma Counties), Phoenix Arkansas: East Central Area (Cross, Lee, Monroe, and St. Francis Counties), Mississippi County, Pulaski County California: Imperial County, Los Angeles (Huntington Park), San Diego, San Francisco (Hayview, Hunter's Pointer), Watsonville Colorado: Denver Connecticut: Bridgeport, New Haven Delaware: Wilmington District of Columbia: Washington Florida: Jackson County Georgia: Central Savannah River Area (Burke, Hancock, Jefferson, McDuffie, Tallaferro, and Warrent Counties), Crisp County, Dooley County Illinois: East St. Louis, Springfield Indiana: Indianapolis Iowa: Des Moines Kentucky: Louisville, McCreary County Louisiana: Macon Ridge Area (Catahouis, Concordia, Franklin, Morehouse, and Tensas Parishes), New Orleans, Northeast Delta Area (Madison Parish), Quachita Parish Massachusetts: Lowell, Springfield Michigan: Five Cap, Flint, Muskegon Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul Mississippi: Jackson, North Delta Area (Panola, Quitman, and Tallahatchie Counties) Missouri: East Prairie, St. Louis Nebraska: Omaha Nevada: Clarke County, Las Vegas New Hampshire: Manchester New Jersey: Newark New Mexico: Albuquerque, Moro County, Rio Arriba County, Taos County New York: Albany, Buffalo, Kingston, Newburgh, Rochester, Schenectady, Troy North Carolina: Charlotte, Edgecombe County, Halifax County, Robeson County, Wilson County Ohio: Akron, Columbus, Greater Portsmouth Area (Scioto County) Oklahoma: Choctaw County, McCurtain County, Oklahoma City Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, Lock Haven, Pittsburgh Rhode Island: Providence South Carolina: Charleston, Williamsburg County South Dakota: Beadle County, Spink County Tennessee: Fayette County, Haywood County, Memphis, Nashville, Scott County Texas: Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Waco Utah: Ogden Vermont: Accomack County, Norfolk Washington: Lower Yakima County, Seattle, Tacoma West Virginia: Huntington, McDowell County, West Central Areas (Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Nichols, and Roane Counties) Wisconsin: Milwaukee

[FR Doc. 98-32455Filed12-3-98; 10:56 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P