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New Business - Grants

Title: Voluntary Public School Choice Mentor District Project Grant

Description:

  •             The Florida Voluntary Public School Choice (VPSC) Mentor District Project grant has the following purposes: 1) sustain, expand and/or replicate a wide variety of choice program options, 2) create public school choices that will impact students in low performing schools, 3) expand voluntary public school choices throughout the state.
  •              The School District of Palm Beach County submitted the initial competitive VPSC Mentor District Project grant application to the Florida Department of Education on April 17, 2003, and was awarded $150,000, for the project period May 1, 2003-September 30, 2004.  Continuation funding of the grant was also awarded in the amount of $150,000, for the project period October 1, 2003-September 30, 2004.
  •              The VPSC Mentor District Project grant is a five-year continuation grant, and the School District of Palm Beach County  was one of thirteen Florida school districts to receive the initial competitive grant funds.
  •             Continuation funds will support the following activities: 1) communicating choice options  with parents, 2) marketing choice programs in Palm Beach County, 3) supporting the annual  "Showcase of Schools", 4) providing funds to support costs related to the choice application, publication of the "Choice Booklet" and "Choice Brochure", and choice  lottery process, 5) support activities and costs related to the choice component of the federal "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001", and 6) provide technical assistance to Palm Beach County's mentee school district, Collier County.
  •         The method of evaluation will include data reports on the number of students exercising choice and the number of public school choice options provided to students, and any resulting improvement in student achievement.

Recommendation:
I recommend that the School Board approve the continuation funding for the Voluntary Public School Choice (VPSC) Mentor District Project Grant from the Florida Department of Education in the amount of $200,000, effective October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005; and authorize the Superintendent or designee to sign all documents and contracts related to the grant as required for the implementation of grant activities.

Financial Impact:
The financial impact to the Special Revenue-Other Fund is an increase of $200,00, from the VPSC Mentor District Project grant funds.  These funds will be allocated to the Department of Choice Programs and School Choice budget. All grant related expenditures and contracts are authorized for payment up to the amount of revenue.

For Additional Information, contact:
Mary Vreeland/Janice Cover/Ann Killets/(akillets@palmbeach.k12.fl.us)

Attachments (list):
Final SDPBC VPSC Mentor District Application Continuation 2004-200551.doc
District Data Panels Districtwide FY05-Adler.xls

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