16.99(2)(a)
(a) Develop and maintain a statewide long-range telecommunications plan, which will serve as a major element for budget preparation, as guidance for technical implementation and as a means of ensuring the maximum use of shared systems by departments when this would result in operational or economic improvements or both.
16.99(2)(b)
(b) Develop policy, standards and technical and procedural guidelines to ensure a coordinated and cost-effective approach to telecommunications system acquisition and utilization.
16.99(2)(c)
(c) Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all state-owned or leased telecommunications equipment and services.
16.99(2)(d)
(d) Monitor overall state expenditures for telecommunications systems and prepare an annual financial report on such expenditures.
16.99(2)(e)
(e) Review the operation of all telecommunications systems of this state to ensure technical sufficiency, adequacy and consistency with goals and objectives.
16.99(2)(f)
(f) Perform the functions of agency telecommunications officer for those departments with no designated focal point for telecommunications planning, coordination, technical review and procurement.
16.99 History
History: 1977 c. 418;
1993 a. 246.
16.992
16.992
Pioneering partners grants and loans. 16.992(1)(a)
(a) "Board" means the educational technology board.
16.992(1)(b)
(b) "Distance education" means instruction that takes place, regardless of the location of a teacher or student, by means of telecommunications or other means of communication, including cable, instructional television fixed service, microwave, radio, satellite, computer, telephone or television.
16.992(1)(c)
(c) "Educational technology" means technology used in the education or training of any person or in the administration of an elementary or secondary school or a public library.
16.992(2)
(2) A school district, municipal library board established under
s. 43.54 or county library board established under
s. 43.57, either individually or in conjunction with one or more other school districts, municipal library boards or county library boards, may apply to the department for a grant, or for approval of a loan under
s. 24.61 (3) (d), or both, to implement, expand or participate in an educational technology or distance education project. The application shall be accompanied by a technology plan that includes all of the following:
16.992(2)(a)
(a) An assessment of the needs to be met by the project.
16.992(2)(b)
(b) A detailed description of the technology to be employed in the project.
16.992(2)(d)
(d) A narrative description of the project, including the manner in which the project meets the criteria under
sub. (4) (a) and the purpose for which the grant will be awarded or the loan made.
16.992(2)(e)
(e) A description of the process that the grant or loan recipient will use to evaluate the project.
16.992(2)(f)
(f) A plan for continuing the project beyond the grant or loan period, if appropriate.
16.992(2)(g)
(g) Any other information the board determines is necessary to assist in awarding a grant or approving a loan.
16.992(2m)
(2m) In the case of a county or municipal library board, whether the library board applies individually or in conjunction with other entities, an application for a loan shall be accompanied by a resolution of the governing body of each county or municipality that is served by the library board requesting the loan on behalf of the library board.
16.992(3)
(3) The board may approve an application for one or more of the following:
16.992(3)(a)
(a) A grant to fund all or a portion of the cost of an educational technology or distance education project.
16.992(3)(b)
(b) A loan under
s. 24.61 (3) (d), and a grant to subsidize that portion of the interest costs on that loan generated by the first 2 points of the annual interest rate applicable to that loan, to fund all or a portion of the cost of an educational technology or distance education project.
16.992(3)(c)
(c) A loan under
s. 24.61 (3) (d) to fund all or a portion of the cost of an educational technology or distance education project.
16.992(4)(a)(a) The board shall review all applications for a grant or loan under this section and may make a grant, or approve an application for a loan, if the board finds that the project will do any of the following:
16.992(4)(a)1.
1. Enhance the educational opportunities for residents of this state.
16.992(4)(a)2.
2. Improve the administrative efficiency of public schools in this state.
16.992(4)(a)3.
3. Enhance the training and continuing education opportunities of elementary and secondary school teachers in this state.
16.992(4)(b)
(b) The board shall ensure that grants and loans are distributed to eligible applicants from the territory of all of the cooperative educational service agencies from which applications are received.
16.992(4)(c)
(c) The board may not make a grant under
sub. (3) (a) unless there is a matching fund contribution from the grant recipient, including in-kind contributions, of at least 25% of the cost of the project. Contributions from private sources, including in-kind contributions, may be applied to meet the matching fund requirement.
16.992(5)(a)(a) A grant or loan recipient shall use the grant or loan for one or more of the following purposes:
16.992(5)(a)1.
1. Training teachers, librarians and other staff members in the use and integration of technology for educational purposes.
16.992(5)(a)2.
2. Purchasing or upgrading technology, including computer hardware and software, distance education equipment and other equipment, materials or resources related to the project, and wiring within a school or library building or to connect schools in the same school district if such wiring is directly related to the project.
16.992(5)(a)3.
3. Integrating the use of educational technology and distance education throughout the curriculum.
16.992(5)(a)4.
4. Implementing the use of technology to enhance administrative efficiencies.
16.992(5)(a)5.
5. Offering community education opportunities through distance education or educational technology to school district, municipal or county residents.
16.992(5)(b)
(b) Grants may not be used to supplant or replace funds otherwise available for the project.
16.992(6)
(6) The board may require a grant or loan recipient to report to the board on the distance education and educational technology used in the school district, municipality or county for the purpose of assisting the state in planning related to distance education and educational technology if the board finds that complying with the requirement will not impose a substantial burden on the grant or loan recipient.
16.992(7)
(7) Upon approval of an application for a loan to conduct an educational technology or distance education project, the board shall provide written notice of its approval to the board of commissioners of public lands.
16.992(8)
(8) The board shall do all of the following:
16.992(8)(a)
(a) Provide consultative services to school boards and library boards to assist them in developing and implementing distance education and educational technology projects and in preparing applications for grants and loans under this section.
16.992(8)(b)
(b) Consult and coordinate its activities under
par. (a) with the boards of control of the cooperative educational service agencies.
16.992(8)(c)
(c) Annually by August 15, submit a report to the joint committee on finance identifying all recipients of grants under this section in the previous fiscal year and all applicants for and recipients of loans approved by the board under this section in the previous fiscal year. The report shall indicate the purpose for which each grant was awarded and for which each loan was approved.
16.992(9)
(9) By February 1, 2000, the secretary of administration and the board shall jointly submit to the joint committee on finance a report specifying their recommendations on whether the board and the program under this section should be continued and, if so, what changes should be made.
16.992 History
History: 1995 a. 27.
