RCW 28A.707.080: Grants to school districts.

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall make grants available to school districts for the purpose of facilitating services related to the identification, enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless children and youths.

(2) Services provided under subsection (1) of this section:

(a) May be provided through programs on school grounds or at other facilities;

(b) Must, to the maximum extent practicable, be provided through existing programs and mechanisms that integrate homeless children and youths with nonhomeless children and youths; and

(c) Must be designed to expand or improve services provided as part of a school's regular academic program, but not to replace such services provided under such program.

(3) If services under subsection (1) of this section are provided on school grounds, the related schools:

(a) May use funding provided by specific reference for this chapter in the omnibus appropriations act to provide the same services to other children and youths who are determined by the school district to be at risk of failing in, or dropping out of, school, subject to the requirements of (b) of this subsection (3); and

(b) May not provide services in settings within a school that segregate homeless children and youths from other children and youths, except as necessary for short periods of time:

(i) For health and safety emergencies; or

(ii) To provide temporary, special, and supplementary services to meet the unique needs of homeless children and youths.

(4) Services provided under this section may not replace the regular academic program and must be designed to expand upon or improve services provided as part of the school's regular academic program.

(5) Grants made under this section must be for terms not to exceed three years.

(6) A school district that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the office of the superintendent of public instruction at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the office of the superintendent of public instruction may reasonably require. Such application must include the following:

(a) An assessment of the educational and related needs of homeless children and youths in the area served by such school district, which may be undertaken as part of needs assessments for other disadvantaged groups;

(b) A description of the services and programs for which assistance is sought to address the needs identified in (a) of this subsection (6);

(c) An assurance that the school district's combined fiscal effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures of that school district and the state with respect to the provision of free public education by such school district for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, was not less than 90 percent of such combined fiscal effort or aggregate expenditures for the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made;

(d) An assurance that the applicant complies with or will use requested funds to comply with RCW 28A.707.030 through 28A.707.050;

(e) A description of policies and procedures, consistent with *section 212 of this act, that the school district will implement to ensure that activities carried out by the school district will not isolate or stigmatize homeless children and youths;

(f) An assurance that the school district will collect and promptly provide data requested by the coordinator for education of homeless children and youths pursuant to RCW 28A.707.060(2); and

(g) An assurance that the school district will meet the requirements of RCW 28A.707.030.

(7)(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and from amounts made available to it by appropriation, make competitive grants to school districts that submit applications under subsection (6) of this section. Such grants must be awarded on the basis of the need of such school districts for assistance under this section and the quality of the applications submitted.

(b) In determining need under (a) of this subsection (7), the office of the superintendent of public instruction may consider the number of homeless children and youths enrolled in early childhood education and other preschool programs, elementary schools, and secondary schools, within the area served by the school district, and shall consider the needs of such children and youths and the ability of the school district to meet such needs. The office of the superintendent of public instruction may also consider the following:

(i) The extent to which the proposed use of funds will facilitate the identification, enrollment, retention, and educational success of homeless children and youths;

(ii) The extent to which the application reflects coordination with other local and state agencies that serve homeless children and youths;

(iii) The extent to which the applicant exhibits in the application and in current practice, as of the date of submission of the application, a commitment to education for all homeless children and youths; and

(iv) Such other criteria as the office of the superintendent of public instruction determines appropriate.

(c) In determining the quality of applications under (a) of this subsection (7), the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall consider the following:

(i) The applicant's needs assessment under (a) of this subsection (7) and the likelihood that the program presented in the application will meet such needs;

(ii) The types, intensity, and coordination of the services to be provided under the program;

(iii) The extent to which the applicant will promote meaningful involvement of parents or guardians of homeless children or youths in the education of their children;

(iv) The extent to which homeless children and youths will be integrated into the regular education program;

(v) The quality of the applicant's evaluation plan for the program;

(vi) The extent to which services provided under this chapter will be coordinated with other services available to homeless children and youths and their families;

(vii) The extent to which the school district will use the grant to leverage resources, including by maximizing nonsubgrant funding for the position of the school district liaison described in RCW 28A.707.050 and the provision of transportation;

(viii) How the school district will use funds to serve homeless children and youths under section 1113(c)(3) of the elementary and secondary education act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6313(c)(3); and

(ix) The extent to which the applicant's program meets such other measures as the office of the superintendent considers indicative of a high quality program, such as the extent to which the school district will provide case management or related services to unaccompanied youths.

(8) A school district may use funds awarded under this section for activities that carry out the purpose of this chapter, including the following:

(a) The provision of tutoring, supplemental instruction, and enriched educational services that are linked to the achievement of the same challenging state academic standards as the state establishes for other children and youths;

(b) The provision of expedited evaluations of the strengths and needs of homeless children and youths, including needs and eligibility for programs and services, such as educational programs for highly capable students, children with disabilities, and English learners, services provided under Title I of the elementary and secondary education act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq. or similar state or local programs, programs in career and technical education, and school nutrition programs;

(c) Professional development and other activities for educators and specialized instructional support personnel that are designed to heighten the understanding and sensitivity of such personnel to the needs of homeless children and youths, the rights of such children and youths, and the specific educational needs of runaway and homeless youths;

(d) The provision of referral services to homeless children and youths for medical, dental, mental, and other health services;

(e) The provision of assistance to defray the excess cost of transportation for students under RCW 28A.707.040(1)(a), not otherwise provided through federal, state, or local funding, where necessary to enable students to attend the school selected under RCW 28A.707.030;

(f) The provision of developmentally appropriate early childhood education programs, not otherwise provided through federal, state, or local funding, for preschool-aged homeless children;

(g) The provision of services and assistance to attract, engage, and retain homeless children and youths, particularly homeless children and youths who are not enrolled in school, in public school programs and services provided to nonhomeless children and youths;

(h) The provision for homeless children and youths of before-school and after-school, mentoring, and summer programs in which a teacher or other qualified individual provides tutoring, homework assistance, and supervision of educational activities;

(i) If necessary, the payment of fees and other costs associated with tracking, obtaining, and transferring records necessary to enroll homeless children and youths in school, including birth certificates, immunization or other required health records, academic records, guardianship records, and evaluations for special programs or services;

(j) The provision of education and training to the parents and guardians of homeless children and youths about the rights of, and resources available to, such children and youths, and other activities designed to increase the meaningful involvement of parents and guardians of homeless children or youths in the education of such children or youths;

(k) The development of coordination between schools and agencies providing services to homeless children and youths, as described in RCW 28A.707.040 (2) through (5);

(l) The provision of specialized instructional support services, including violence prevention counseling, and referrals for such services;

(m) Activities to address the particular needs of homeless children and youths that may arise from domestic violence and parental mental health or substance abuse problems;

(n) The adaptation of space and purchase of supplies for any nonschool facilities made available under subsection (2) of this section to provide services under this section;

(o) The provision of school supplies, including those supplies to be distributed at shelters or temporary housing facilities, or other appropriate locations; and

(p) The provision of other extraordinary or emergency assistance needed to enable homeless children and youths to attend school and participate fully in school activities.