N.Y. Education Law § 3611: Racial and cultural awareness fund

§ 3611. Racial and cultural awareness fund. 1. There is hereby

established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the

commissioner of taxation and finance a fund to be known as the racial

and cultural awareness fund.

2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received from any source,

public or private, for the purposes provided in this section and all

other moneys credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or

source pursuant to law. No monies from the state general fund shall be

transferred to, or otherwise made available for deposit into this fund.

3. Moneys of the fund, following appropriation by the legislature, may

be expended for operational and planning grants to local school

districts to promote racial and cultural understanding and awareness, as

provided in this section. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the

audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or

approved by the commissioner.

4. A school district, or two or more school districts acting jointly,

shall be eligible to receive a planning or operational grant, or both,

pursuant to the provisions of this section for the purposes of

developing and implementing programs designed to meet local needs in the

reduction and prevention of racial and cultural conflict, such programs

to be approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations

adopted by him for such purpose. A school district which applies for a

planning grant pursuant to subdivision five of this section for such new

programs shall not be eligible for an operational grant pursuant to

subdivision six of this section until the school year following the year

in which the planning grant was received. For purposes of this section

as applied within the city of New York, such city school district shall

be eligible for multiple awards on behalf of each community school

district or high school district as though each was a separate school

district.

5. A school district shall be eligible to apply for a planning grant

on a one-year competitive basis for the purpose of planning for the

implementation of programs for prevention and reduction of racial and

cultural conflict. Applications shall be evaluated on a competitive

basis and such grants shall be awarded accordingly. Applications shall

include the planning budget and program description for prevention and

reduction of racial and cultural conflict. A school district which

receives a competitive planning grant and implements a successful

planning program shall be eligible to apply for a two-year operational

grant. Reports may be required for the purposes of program evaluation.

6. A school district shall be eligible to receive an operational grant

over a two-year period as provided in this section for programs for the

prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict. First-year

applications shall be evaluated on a competitive basis and grants shall

be awarded accordingly. Both first-year applications and continuing

applications shall include the operating budget and program description

for prevention and reduction of racial and cultural conflict for

approval of the proposed program and the estimated expenditures for the

current year. Reports may be required as necessary for the purposes of

program evaluation.

7. An advisory committee shall be established and assigned to the

department to consult, review and make recommendations concerning

policy, procedure, program content and community needs. Such advisory

committee shall consist of ten members appointed by the commissioner.

Such appointees shall include representatives from civil/human rights

organizations; educators; community-based organizations and members of

parent associations.

8. The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations as are necessary

and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this section.

9. The commissioner shall issue an annual report to the legislature

concerning the overall and individual programs, detailing their impact;

and shall include any report or materials produced by the advisory

committee.