1. (1) Beginning in the 2028-29 budget year, the John W. Buckner postsecondary and workforce readiness innovation grant program is created in the department to provide grants to local education providers that:

   1. (a) Are required to adopt a priority improvement plan or a turnaround plan, or authorize schools that are required to adopt a priority improvement plan or a turnaround plan, for the current or prior school year; or
   2. (b) Demonstrate, or authorize a school that demonstrates, a low level of attainment on the postsecondary and workforce readiness indicator for the prior school year.

2. (2)

   1. (a) The local education provider shall use innovation grant program funding for eligible expenses associated with developing and implementing a postsecondary and workforce readiness program that aligns with the state's workforce demands or priorities and supports students in successfully earning postsecondary credit or industry-recognized credentials, or successfully completing work-based learning requirements. Categories of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

      1. (I) Program planning and design;
      2. (II) Course materials, technology, and equipment;
      3. (III) Professional development, certification, authorization, or licensure;
      4. (IV) Contracting with an entity or hiring school staff to support the development and implementation of a postsecondary and workforce readiness program;
      5. (V) Individual career and academic plan resources, as described in section 22-2-136, and supports, including academic and career advising and exploration; and
      6. (VI) Costs associated with concurrent enrollment.
   2. (b) Local education providers are encouraged to collaborate with each other to maximize economies of scale and expand student access to a postsecondary and workforce readiness program.

3. (3)

   1. (a) The department shall administer the innovation grant program, including reviewing the applications received pursuant to this section.
   2. (b) The department shall make grant award determinations.

   3. (c) In making grant award determinations, the department shall consider:

      1. (I) Whether the local education provider is required to adopt a priority improvement plan or a turnaround plan for the current or prior school year;
      2. (II) The concentration of schools of a school district, or the concentration of institute charter schools of the state charter school institute, that must implement a priority improvement plan or a turnaround plan;
      3. (III) Whether the local education provider has been identified under the state accountability system as declining in performance; and
      4. (IV) The local education provider's level of attainment on the postsecondary and workforce readiness indicator, as described in section 22-11-204, in the prior year.
   4. (d) In making grant award determinations, the department may consider and prioritize grant awards to local education providers that have a higher than average percentage of students who are English language learners, that have a higher than average percentage of students who are enrolled in grades nine through twelve and are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch pursuant to the provisions of the federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. sec. 1751 et seq., that are a rural or small rural school district, or that have a limited capacity to offer postsecondary workforce readiness programs.
   5. (e) Subject to available funding based on annual appropriations, each grant awarded may continue for up to three budget years. The department shall annually review each grant recipient's use of the grant award and may rescind remaining grant funds if the department finds that the grant recipient is not making adequate progress toward achieving the goals of the intended use of the grant award.

4. (4) The state board may adopt rules governing:

   1. (a) Application requirements;
   2. (b) Additional eligibility and prioritization requirements for a local education provider to receive funding pursuant to this section;
   3. (c) Eligible expenses within the categories described in subsection (2) of this section;
   4. (d) Requirements of local education providers that receive funding pursuant to this section; and
   5. (e) Any other rules deemed necessary by the state board for the purposes of this section.

5. (5)

   1. (a) The department may use not more than five percent of the total amount of innovation grant program funding to offset the direct and indirect costs incurred in administering the innovation grant program.
   2. (b) Of the money annually appropriated for the innovation grant program, the department may expend an amount that is necessary to enter into one or more contracts with a public or private entity to provide the uses described in subsection (2)(a) of this section to multiple local education providers that are eligible for an innovation grant. The entity shall use research-based strategies and have a proven record of success working with schools under similar circumstances.

Source: L. 2025: Entire part added, (SB 25-315), ch. 237, p. 1184, § 1, effective May 23.