The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is opening the request for proposals process for the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Grants. Funds will be awarded to local educational agencies through competitive grants, based on the demonstration of need and the availability of funds. The duration of the grant award shall be for terms not to exceed three years. The grantees must apply annually, providing current data to support the need for funds. Fiscal and progress reports will be required during the project period.
The H. R. 1, Public Law 107-110, as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) - 2001, Title X, Part C – Homeless Education Subtitle B of Title VII– McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 2002: Education for Homeless Children and Youth (42 U.S.C.§11431 et seq.), states that the purpose of this program is to ensure the educational rights and protection for all children and youth experiencing homelessness and ensure equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, that is provided to other children and youth. Grants will be awarded based on the quality of the proposed program and the number of students being served. Due to the large span of district populations, ADE will look at the percentages of identified homeless students instead of the actual count. The funding will also be based on the size of the district. Grants for districts with 1,500 or fewer students will be funded $30,000. Funding for districts with 1,501 to 5,000 will be $45,000. Grants awarded to districts with 5,001 or more students will be for $60,000. The district population will be for the student count posted in APSCN at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.
Included with this memorandum are the request for McKinney–Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Proposals, the grant applicant packet, the grant guidelines, and the reference materials, including the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act 2002. Faxed copies of the application will not be accepted. The original and four copies of the application must be received by 4:30 p.m. at the ADE on or before July 16, 2010. Please send applications to:
Cindy Hogue, State Homeless Coordinator
Arkansas Department of Education
Four Capitol Mall, 305-B
Little Rock, AR 72201
For questions or additional information, contact Cindy Hogue at 501-682-5615 or cindy.hogue@arkansas.gov