Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 1726 – Opportunity Fund
(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “English learner students” or “EL” means kindergarten through grade-12 students with limited English proficiency who meet the definition of an “English learner” as that term is defined by the Department of Education by regulation.
(2) “Low income student” or “LI” means students within the statewide metric determined by the Department of Education utilizing direct certification for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 1726
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
(b) The Opportunity Fund is established and is to be used to enhance services for EL and LI students enrolled in public schools, including charter schools. The Opportunity Fund consists of money appropriated to the Fund in the annual appropriations act.
(1) The Department of Education shall adopt regulations identifying the types of services and supports that may be funded with money from the Opportunity Fund. The types of services and supports must include the following:
a. Additional staff, including personnel dedicated to improving reading comprehension and math proficiency, and staff who provide additional wrap-around services or mental health supports.
b. Contractual services.
c. Supplies and materials.
d. Other expenditures necessary to provide additional services and supports for EL and LI students.
(2) The Department of Education shall provide an expenditure plan template and plan development supports to school districts and charter schools, including identifying evidence-based practices shown to improve performance outcomes for EL and LI students.
(3) To receive funding under this section, a school district or charter school shall submit a proposed expenditure plan to the Department of Education for review no later than the second Friday of July of each fiscal year. A school district’s or charter school’s proposed expenditure plan must separately list each school governed by the school board of the school district or charter school that will receive funding under this section.
(4) Funding received under this section is supplemental to and may not supplant any state, local, or federal funds.
(c) (1) Except as provided under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, each school board of a school district or charter school shall allocate funding received under this section to schools governed by the school board such that not less than 98% of funding received under this section that is generated by a school’s LI and EL population calculation is allocated to that school.
(2) A school board of a school district or charter school may allocate funding received under this section in a manner different than provided under paragraph (c)(1) of this section if the school board does both of the following:
a. Follows the procedure under § 1704(4) of this title.
b. Approves the allocation before submission of an expenditure plan under paragraph (b)(3) of this section.
(d) At least $5 million of the annual appropriation to the Opportunity Fund must be allocated to public schools, including charter schools, identified as having an enrollment of at least 60% LI students or 20% EL students.
(1) A public school receiving funding under this subsection shall use the allocated funds for mental health or reading supports to enhance services and provide additional supports to EL or LI students.
(2) The Department of Education shall annually identify public schools that meet the criteria under this section for EL and LI students.
(e) A school district or charter school shall submit an annual report on the use of funding received under this section to the Department of Education no later than November 1 of each year.
(1) The report must do all of the following:
a. Provide the total amount of funding received under this section by each school during the prior school year.
b. Provide the total amount of funding received under this section each school spent during the prior school year.
c. Detail how each school spent the funding received under this section.
(2) A school district or charter school shall make the report submitted under this subsection publicly available on its website. The Department of Education shall make the reports submitted under this subsection publicly available on the Department’s website.