[Federal Register: July 2, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 128)] [Notices] [Page 34689-34692] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [[Page 34689]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part VII Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Federal Activities Grants Program (Drug and Violence Prevention); Final Priorities and New Awards Applications for FY 1996; Notices [[Page 34690]] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Federal Activities Grants Program (Drug and Violence Prevention) AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of final priorities for fiscal year 1996. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary announces priorities for fiscal year (FY) 1996 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Federal Activities Grants Program. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on national needs. Under these priorities, the Department will fund projects that develop and implement, expand, or enhance innovative programs designed to accomplish one or more of the following: (1) Infusing research-based knowledge about ``what works'' into the design, development, and implementation of school-based strategies to prevent drug use among youth; (2) removing firearms and other weapons from schools; (3) preventing truancy and addressing the needs of youth who are out of the education mainstream; or (4) preventing violent, aggressive, intimidating, or other disruptive behavior arising out of bullying, sexual harassment, or other cause. EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect August 1, 1996. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Gillespie, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 604 Portals, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-3954. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The seventh National Education Goal provides that, by the year 2000, all schools in America will be free of drugs and violence and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol and will offer a disciplined environment that is conducive to learning. The State grant portion of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) provides funding to 97 percent of school districts in the Nation to assist them in preventing violence in and around schools, promoting safety and discipline for students, and preventing the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The SDFSCA Federal Activities Grants Program supports the development of innovative programs that (1) Demonstrate effective new methods of ensuring safe and drug-free schools and communities, and (2) ultimately will provide models of proven effective practice that will assist schools and communities around the nation to improve their programs under the SDFSCA. This notice contains four absolute priorities and one competitive preference priority to be applied to this competition under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Federal Activities Grants Program. Under priority 1, the Department will fund innovative projects that infuse research-based knowledge about ``what works'' into the design, development, and implementation of school-based strategies to prevent drug use among youth. Under priority 2, the Department will fund innovative strategies to remove firearms and other weapons from schools. For this competition, a weapon means a knife, club, or other device used to inflict intentional injury. Under priority 3, the Department will fund innovative, research- based programs to prevent truancy and address the needs of youth who are out of the education mainstream. For this competition, youth who are out of the education mainstream means truants, dropouts, children who are afraid to go to school, children who have been suspended or expelled, and children in the juvenile justice system who need to maintain or enhance their educational status and be reintegrated into the school system upon their release from residential placement. Under priority 4, the Department will fund innovative, research- based strategies to prevent violent, aggressive, intimidating, or other disruptive behavior arising from bullying, sexual harassment, or other cause. Under the competitive priority, the Secretary will award five (5) extra points to applications from Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC). The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program is a critical element of the Administration's community revitalization strategy. The program is the first step in rebuilding communities in America's poverty- stricken inner cities and rural heartlands. It is designed to empower people and communities by inspiring Americans to work together to create jobs and opportunity. The Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have designated empowerment zones and enterprise communities, which are communities located within the cities and counties listed in the appendix. The Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities were designated based on locally-developed strategic plans that comprehensively address how the community will link economic development with education and training, as well as how community development, public safety, human services, and environmental initiatives together will support sustainable communities. Designated areas receive Federal grant funds and substantial tax benefits and have access to other Federal programs. (For additional information on the Urban EZ/EC program, contact HUD at 1-800-998-9999 and for the rural EZ/EC program, contact USDA at 1-800- 645-4712.) The Secretary will award approximately 25 grants in FY 1996, for a period not to exceed two years, to public and private nonprofit organizations and individuals to develop and implement, expand, or enhance innovative, research-based programs that address these priorities. In making awards under this grant program, the Secretary may take into consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of applicants. Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary may make additional awards in fiscal year 1997 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants from this competition. Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal Register. Applications for this competition must be received at the address specified in the notice inviting applications for this competition no later than 4:30 p.m. on August 2, 1996. Applications received after that time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked dates will not be accepted. Priorities Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet the following priorities. The Secretary funds under this competition only applications that meet one or more of these absolute priorities. [[Page 34691]] Absolute Priority 1--Infusing Research-Based Knowledge About ``What Works'' Into the Design, Development and Implementation of School-Based Strategies to Prevent Drug Use Among Youth. Applicants proposing a project under this priority must-- (1) Describe the activities that will be implemented and explain how they are based on research and best practices, how they will lead to sustained improvements in student results and the school environment, and how they will be cost-effective and replicable; (2) Identify the age groups to be served and describe how the proposed activities are appropriate for the target population; (3) Provide evidence of collaboration between a local educational agency (LEA) and a research institution in the design and implementation of activities, including a description of the roles and responsibilities of each; and (4) Identify performance goals for the project and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will be measured. Absolute Priority 2--Removing Firearms and other Weapons from School Applicants proposing a project under this priority must-- (1) Describe the activities that will be implemented and explain how they are based on research and best practices, how they will lead to sustained improvements in student results and the school environment, and how they will be cost-effective and replicable; (2) Describe techniques the applicant will use to identify and remove firearms and other weapons that are brought into school; (3) Provide information that demonstrates the extent to which the applicant has involved local, State, and/or Federal law enforcement agencies, as appropriate, in the development and implementation of innovative strategies to prevent firearms and other weapons from coming into school; (4) Describe how the applicant will provide for referrals to the juvenile justice system of youths who are found to possess a firearm, consistent with the provisions of the Gun-Free Schools Act; and (5) Identify performance goals for the project and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will be measured. Absolute Priority 3--Preventing Truancy and Addressing the Needs of Youth Who are Out of the Education Mainstream Applicants proposing a project under this priority must-- (1) Describe the activities that will be implemented and explain how they are based on research and best practices, how they will lead to sustained improvements in student results and the school environment, and how they will be cost-effective and replicable; (2) Describe the problem that will be addressed including an assessment of the number of students who will benefit from the project; (3) Indicate how the activities are appropriate for returning truant and other youth who are out of the education mainstream to the classroom and ensuring their educational progress; (4) Provide information on the extent to which the following will be involved in the development and implementation of activities funded by this grant: parents, students, local law enforcement officials, including, as appropriate, juvenile justice authorities, and other youth-serving organizations in the community; and (5) Identify performance goals for the project and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will be measured. Absolute Priority 4: Preventing Violent, Aggressive, Intimidating or Other Disruptive Behavior Arising From Bullying, Sexual Harassment or Other Cause Applicants proposing a project under this priority must-- (1) Describe the activities that will be implemented and explain how they are based on research and best practices, how they will lead to sustained improvements in student results and the school environment, and how they will be cost-effective and replicable; (2) Describe the behaviors that the program seeks to correct, including an assessment of the types and frequency of violent, aggressive, intimidating, or other disruptive behavior among youth to be served; (3) Identify the child development framework used to identify appropriate strategies for intervening in violent, aggressive, intimidating, or other disruptive behavior; (4) Provide information on the extent to which educators, law enforcement officials, parents, and students have been involved in the development and implementation of interventions for youths who engage in violent, aggressive, intimidating, or other disruptive behaviors and for youths who are victims of such behaviors; and (5) Identify performance goals for the project and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will be measured. Competitive Preference Priority--Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community Within the absolute priorities specified in this notice, the Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, gives preference to applications that meet the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards five (5) points to an application that meets this competitive priority. These points would be in addition to any points the application earns under the evaluation criteria for the program. Note: The total number of points an application may earn is 105: Projects in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community In order to meet the competitive preference priority, applicants must-- (1) Propose projects that meet one or more of the four absolute priorities for this competition; (2) Demonstrate that the project will be carried out in an Empowerment Zone (EZ) or Enterprise Community (EC) designated in accordance with Section 1391 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1993 or that it will primarily serve students who reside in an EZ or EC; and (3) Describe how the proposed project is linked to the EZ/EC strategic plan and will be an integral part of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community Program. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice would have applied to the rules in this notice. However, the Secretary waives rulemaking under section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative Procedures Act. This section provides that rulemaking is not required when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The Secretary believes that, in order to make timely grant awards using Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 funds, public comment on those rules is impracticable. Congress did not [[Page 34692]] appropriate FY 1996 funds for this program until April 26, 1996. The Secretary must make new awards no later than September 30, 1996. Moreover, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs statute is designed to address emergency needs in drug and violence prevention. Programs need to be implemented as early as possible in the 1996-97 school year. Due to the delay in the appropriation of FY 1996 funds, it is now impracticable to receive public comments and still allow FY 1996 awards to be made by September 30, 1996. Intergovernmental Review This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for this program. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131. Dated: June 26, 1996. Gerald N. Tirozzi, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 84.184D Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Federal Activities Grants Program) Appendix--Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Empowerment Zones (EZ) Georgia: Atlanta Illinois: Chicago Kentucky: Kentucky Highlands* Maryland: Baltimore Michigan: Detroit Mississippi: Mid Delta* New York: Harlem, Bronx Pennsylvania/New Jersey: Philadelphia, Camden Texas: Rio Grande Valley* Supplemental Empowerment Zones (SEZ) California: Los Angeles Ohio: Cleveland Enterprise Communities (EC) Alabama: Birmingham Alabama: Chambers County* Alabama: Greene, Sumter Counties* Arizona: Phoenix Arizona: Arizona Border* Arkansas: East Central* Arkansas: Mississippi County* Arkansas: Pulaski County California: Imperial County* California: Los Angeles, Huntington Park California: San Diego California: San Francisco, Bayview, Hunter's Point California: Watsonville* Colorado: Denver Connecticut: Bridgeport Connecticut: New Haven Delaware: Wilmington District of Columbia: Washington Florida: Jackson County* Florida: Tampa Florida: Miami, Dade County Georgia: Albany Georgia: Central Savannah* Georgia: Crisp, Dooley Counties* Illinois: East St. Louis Illinois: Springfield Indiana: Indianapolis Iowa: Des Moines Kentucky: Louisville Louisiana: Northeast Delta* Louisiana: Macon Ridge* Louisiana: New Orleans Louisiana: Ouachita Parish Massachusetts: Lowell Massachusetts: Springfield Michigan: Five Cap* Michigan: Flint Michigan: Muskegon Minnesota: Minneapolis Minnesota: St. Paul Mississippi: Jackson Mississippi: North Delta* Missouri: East Prairie* Missouri: St. Louis Nebraska: Omaha Nevada: Clarke County, Las Vegas New Hampshire: Manchester New Jersey: Newark New Mexico: Albuquerque New Mexico: Moro, Rico Arriba, Taos Counties* New York: Albany, Schenectady, Troy New York: Buffalo New York: Newburgh, Kingston New York: Rochester North Carolina: Charlotte North Carolina: Halifax, Edgecombe, Wilson Counties* North Carolina: Robeson County* Ohio: Akron Ohio: Columbus Ohio: Greater Portsmouth* Oklahoma: Choctaw, McCurtain Counties* Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Oregon: Josephine* Oregon: Portland Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Pennsylvania: Lock Haven* Pennsylvania: Pittsburg Rhode Island: Providence South Carolina: Charleston South Carolina: Williamsburg County* South Dakota: Beadle, Spink Counties* Tennessee: Fayette, Haywood Counties* Tennessee: Memphis Tennessee: Nashville Tennessee/Kentucky: Scott, McCreary Counties* Texas: Dallas Texas: El Paso Texas: San Antonio Texas: Watch Utah: Ogden Vermont: Burlington Virginia: Accomack* Virginia: Norfolk Washington: Lower Yakima* Washington: Seattle Washington: Tacoma West Virginia: West Central* West Virginia: Huntington West Virginia: McDowell* Wisconsin: Milwaukee *Denotes rural designee. Enhanced Enterprise Communities (EEC) California: Oakland Massachusetts: Boston Missouri/Kansas: Kansas City, Kansas City Texas: Houston [FR Doc. 96-16837 Filed 6-28-96; 9:01 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P