The department may award grants to school corporations:

1. (1) upon review of the applications received under section 5 of this chapter;
2. (2) subject to available money; and

3. (3) in accordance with the following priorities:

   1. (A) To the extent possible, to achieve geographic balance throughout Indiana and to include urban, suburban, and rural school corporations.
   2. (B) To address a documented need for new or expanded school intervention or career counseling programs, including considering the percentage of students within the school corporation who are designated as at risk students.
   3. (C) To promote innovative methods for initiating or expanding school intervention or career counseling programs.
   4. (D) To reward school corporations that propose school intervention or career counseling programs that demonstrate the greatest potential for replication and implementation in Indiana.

   5. (E) To lower school counselor/student ratios where the ratios are excessively high.

      [Pre-2026 Revision Citation: 20-20-17-6.]

As added by P.L.74-2026, SEC.37.