1 New Section; Education; Adequate Education; Education Trust Fund; Education Grant Program; Plan and Accountability. Amend RSA 198 by inserting after section 42 the following new section:

198:42-a Education Grant Program; Plan and Accountability.

I. The grant program, pursuant to RSA 198:40-f and RSA 198:40-g, shall be designed to provide funding assistance to eligible school districts in support of academic growth and achievement in grades K-12. Grant recipients may expend grant funds in a manner which best fits local education need. Grant funds shall not be restricted or targeted to any specific group.

II. A school district receiving grant award funds pursuant to RSA 198:40-f and RSA 198:40-g shall submit to the department of education a plan identifying essential programs and accountability indicators, considering educational needs and at what grade levels grant funds will be used. Grant accountability plans shall demonstrate instructional and curriculum approaches designed to contribute to academic achievement and growth. Initial grant awards shall be approved by the department and awarded for a 5-year timeframe. The department of education shall annually compute the amount of the grant. A cooperative school district that enrolls students in grades K-12 shall inform the department of education of the individual member communities that qualify for the grant program and number of students enrolled in the cooperative school district from each qualifying community. Such procedure shall also apply to schools with tuition agreements. Where a cooperative school district serves only certain grade spans, the member communities shall be eligible to apply for grant program support for their schools that exist outside the cooperative district. The cooperative district shall also inform the department of education of the number of students from grant eligible communities attending the cooperative school district and apply for the grant. This procedure shall also apply to schools with tuition agreements.

III. The school district shall annually use the statewide assessment, or, in consultation with the department, develop and administer its own standardized accountability grant assessment that identifies a range of learning and yields objective data showing progress toward academic growth and achievement attributable to grant funds. The school district shall submit to the department an annual grant accountability progress report on January 15 of every even numbered year covering the indicators set forth in the district's grant accountability plan, to include district progress on indicators set forth in the delivery of an adequate education pursuant to RSA 193-E:3. The commissioner shall withhold grant funds from a school district until such time when the completed annual grant accountability report is submitted to the department in accordance with established department protocols and timelines.

IV. The state board of education may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this section.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2027.

1 New Section; Education; Adequate Education; Education Trust Fund; Education Grant Program; Plan and Accountability. Amend RSA 198 by inserting after section 42 the following new section:

198:42-a Education Grant Program; Plan and Accountability.

I. The grant program, pursuant to RSA 198:40-f and RSA 198:40-g, shall be designed to provide funding assistance to eligible school districts in support of academic growth and achievement in grades K-12. Grant recipients may expend grant funds in a manner which best fits local education need. Grant funds shall not be restricted or targeted to any specific group.

II. A school district receiving grant award funds pursuant to RSA 198:40-f and RSA 198:40-g shall submit to the department of education a plan identifying essential programs and accountability indicators, considering educational needs and at what grade levels grant funds will be used. Grant accountability plans shall demonstrate instructional and curriculum approaches designed to contribute to academic achievement and growth. Initial grant awards shall be approved by the department and awarded for a 5-year timeframe. The department of education shall annually compute the amount of the grant. A cooperative school district that enrolls students in grades K-12 shall inform the department of education of the individual member communities that qualify for the grant program and number of students enrolled in the cooperative school district from each qualifying community. Such procedure shall also apply to schools with tuition agreements. Where a cooperative school district serves only certain grade spans, the member communities shall be eligible to apply for grant program support for their schools that exist outside the cooperative district. The cooperative district shall also inform the department of education of the number of students from grant eligible communities attending the cooperative school district and apply for the grant. This procedure shall also apply to schools with tuition agreements.

III. The school district shall annually use the statewide assessment, or, in consultation with the department, develop and administer its own standardized accountability grant assessment that identifies a range of learning and yields objective data showing progress toward academic growth and achievement attributable to grant funds. The school district shall submit to the department an annual grant accountability progress report on January 15 of every even numbered year covering the indicators set forth in the district's grant accountability plan, to include district progress on indicators set forth in the delivery of an adequate education pursuant to RSA 193-E:3. The commissioner shall withhold grant funds from a school district until such time when the completed annual grant accountability report is submitted to the department in accordance with established department protocols and timelines.

IV. The state board of education may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this section.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2027.