2. One-third to eligible school districts whose membership per square mile is
10 or more.
A recipient of an educational technology block grant is required to provide
information to DOA about educational technology in the school district, as requested
by DOA after consulting with DPI.
Educational technology infrastructure grants
The bill requires DOA to create a program to provide grants to school districts
and public libraries for the purpose of upgrading and modernizing wide area
networks (commonly known as WAN) and local area networks (commonly known as
LAN) that are used for instructional purposes.
Educational telecommunications access program
Under current law, DOA administers a program under which an educational
agency may access a data line and video link (also known as the TEACH program).
Current law limits the amount an educational agency may be charged for access to
a data line or video link to $250 or $100 per month, depending on the connection
speed. Under the bill, DOA may also provide a subsidy to an educational agency that
obtains broadband services from a provider who is not participating in the TEACH
program if the educational agency does not have physical access to a data line or
video link provided under the TEACH program.
Digital Learning Resources
Under current law, DPI is required to make online courses available for a
reasonable fee to school districts, charter schools, private schools, tribal schools, and
CESAs. The bill requires DPI to create and operate a program that provides digital
learning resources to the same educational entities and also to public libraries.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB916,1
1Section
1. 16.994 of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,3,12
216.994 Educational technology training and technical assistance
3grants. (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (c), the department shall
4award grants to cooperative educational service agencies and to consortia consisting
5of 2 or more school districts, charter school sponsors, secured correctional facilities,
6or cooperative educational service agencies, or one or more school districts, charter
7school sponsors, secured correctional facilities, or cooperative educational service
8agencies and one or more public library boards, to provide technical assistance and
9training in the use of educational technology. An applicant for a grant shall submit
10to the department a plan that specifies the school districts, charter school sponsors,
11secured correctional facilities, and public library boards that will participate in the
12program and describe how the funds will be allocated.
AB916,3,14
13(2) In awarding grants under this section, the department shall do all of the
14following:
AB916,4,215
(a) Annually award grants to applicants on a competitive basis, except that the
16department shall annually award at least one grant to an applicant located in the
17territory of each cooperative educational service agency and at least 5 grants to
1applicants that include a school district whose membership in the previous school
2year divided by the school district's area in square miles is less than 10.
AB916,4,33
(b) Give preference to consortia that include one or more public library boards.
AB916,4,54
(c) To the extent possible, ensure that grants are equally distributed on a
5statewide basis.
AB916,4,7
6(3) The department may not award more than 30 grants under this section in
7any school year.
AB916,4,11
8(4) A recipient of a grant under this section shall provide information to the
9department about training and technical assistance funded by the grant, as
10requested by the department. The department shall consult with the department of
11public instruction about what information to request under this subsection.
AB916,2
12Section
2. 16.996 of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,4,16
1316.996 Educational technology block grants. (1) From the appropriation
14under s. 20.505 (4) (cd), the department shall annually pay $3,000 to each school
15district that is eligible for a grant under sub. (2). The department shall distribute
16the remaining balance in the appropriation account as follows:
AB916,4,1917
(a) Two-thirds of the balance to eligible school districts whose membership in
18the previous school year divided by the school district's area in square miles is less
19than 10, in proportion to the membership of each school district.
AB916,4,2220
(b) One-third of the balance to eligible school districts whose membership in
21the previous school year divided by the school district's area in square miles is at least
2210, in proportion to the membership of each school district.
AB916,5,2
23(2) A school district is eligible for a grant under this section only if the annual
24meeting in a common school district, or the school board in a unified school district
1or in a school district operating under ch. 119, adopts a resolution requesting the
2grant.
AB916,5,6
3(3) A school district receiving a grant under this section shall provide
4information about educational technology in the school district to the department,
5as requested by the department. The department shall consult with the department
6of public instruction about what information to request under this subsection.
AB916,5,10
7(4) (a) A school district receiving a grant under this section shall deposit the
8moneys in a separate fund. The moneys may be used for any purpose related to
9educational technology, except that a school district may not use the moneys to pay
10the salary or benefits of any school district employee.
AB916,5,1211
(b) A school district may not use a grant under this section to replace funding
12for educational technology available from other sources.
AB916,5,14
13(5) The department shall distribute grants under this section on the first
14Monday in February.
AB916,3
15Section
3. 16.997 (2) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,5,2016
16.997
(2) (dm) Allow the department to provide a subsidy to an educational
17agency that obtains broadband services from a provider who is not participating in
18the program established under sub. (1) if the educational agency does not have
19physical access to a data line or video link provided under the program established
20under sub. (1).
AB916,4
21Section
4. 16.999 of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,6,2
2216.999 Educational technology infrastructure grants. From the
23appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (cj), the department shall develop and implement
24a program under which it provides grants to school districts and public library boards
25for the purpose of upgrading and modernizing wide area networks and local area
1networks that are used for instructional purposes in the school district or in the
2geographic area served by the public library.
AB916,5
3Section
5. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
4the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table ![PDF](http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/assets/image/file_acrobat.gif)
AB916,6
5Section
6. 20.255 (1) (eg) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,6,86
20.255
(1) (eg)
Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative. The amounts in the
7schedule for the program established under s. 115.28 (53) to provide access to digital
8learning resources.
AB916,7
9Section
7. 20.505 (4) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,7,3
120.505
(4) (c)
Educational technology training and technical assistance grants. 2Biennially, the amounts in the schedule to award grants to cooperative educational
3service agencies and consortia under s. 16.994.
AB916,8
4Section
8. 20.505 (4) (cd) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,7,65
20.505
(4) (cd)
Educational technology block grants. The amounts in the
6schedule to make payments to school districts under s. 16.996.
AB916,9
7Section
9. 20.505 (4) (cj) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,7,108
20.505
(4) (cj)
Educational technology infrastructure grants. The amounts in
9the schedule to make payments to school districts and public library boards under
10s. 16.999.
AB916,10
11Section
10. 115.28 (53) (title) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
AB916,7,1212
115.28
(53) (title)
Digital learning resources.
AB916,11
13Section
11. 115.28 (53) of the statutes is renumbered 115.28 (53) (a) and
14amended to read:
AB916,7,2015
115.28
(53) (a)
Make online courses available for a reasonable fee, through a
16statewide web academy, From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (eg), establish
17and operate a program, to be known as the Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative,
18that provides access to digital learning resources to school districts, cooperative
19educational service agencies,
and public libraries, charter schools, private schools,
20and tribal schools located in this state.
AB916,12
21Section
12. 115.28 (53) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB916,7,2222
115.28
(53) (b) Promulgate rules to implement this subsection.