44.71(2)(a)
(a) In cooperation with school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, the technical college system board, the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the department, promote the efficient, cost-effective procurement, installation and maintenance of educational technology by school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts and the University of Wisconsin System.
44.71(2)(b)
(b) Identify the best methods of providing preservice and in-service training for teachers related to educational technology.
44.71(2)(c)
(c) With the consent of the department, enter into cooperative purchasing agreements under
s. 16.73 (1) under which participating school districts and cooperative educational service agencies may contract for their professional employes to receive training concerning the effective use of educational technology.
44.71(2)(d)
(d) In cooperation with the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System, the technical college system board, the department of public instruction and other entities, support the development of courses for the instruction of professional employes who are licensed by the state superintendent of public instruction concerning the effective use of educational technology.
44.71(2)(e)
(e) Subject to
s. 196.218 (4r) (f), in cooperation with the department and the public service commission, provide telecommunications access to school districts, private schools, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts, private colleges and public library boards under the program established under
s. 196.218 (4r).
44.71(2)(f)
(f) No later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, submit a biennial report concerning the board's activities to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under
s. 13.172 (3).
44.71(2)(g)
(g) Coordinate the purchasing of educational technology materials, supplies, equipment and contractual services for school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System by the department under
s. 16.72 (8), and, in cooperation with the department, establish standards and specifications for purchases of educational technology hardware and software by school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
44.71(2)(h)
(h) Purchase educational technology equipment for use by school districts, cooperative educational service agencies and public educational institutions in this state and permit the districts, agencies and institutions to purchase or lease the equipment, with an option to purchase the equipment at a later date. This paragraph does not require the purchase or lease of any educational technology equipment from the board.
44.71 History
History: 1997 a. 27,
237.
44.72
44.72
Educational technology training programs, grants, aids and loans. 44.72(1)
(1)
Educational technology training and technical assistance grants. From the appropriation under
s. 20.275 (1) (et), the board shall award grants to cooperative educational service agencies and to consortia consisting of 2 or more school districts or cooperative educational service agencies, or one or more school districts or cooperative educational service agencies and one or more public library boards, to provide technical assistance and training in the use of educational technology. An applicant for a grant shall submit to the board a plan that specifies the school districts and public library boards that will participate in the program and describes how the funds will be allocated. The board shall do all of the following:
44.72(1)(a)
(a) Award grants to applicants on a competitive basis through one funding cycle annually.
44.72(1)(b)
(b) Give preference in awarding grants to consortia that include one or more public library boards.
44.72(1)(c)
(c) To the extent possible, ensure that grants are equally distributed on a statewide basis.
44.72(2)
(2) Educational technology block grants. 44.72(2)(a)(a) The board shall distribute the amount appropriated under
s. 20.275 (1) (u) to eligible school districts in proportion to the number of persons who reside in each school district, as reported under
s. 43.70 (1). The funds shall be distributed after the funds under
s. 43.70 (3) are distributed and according to the schedule in
s. 43.70 (3). If, after distributing the funds under
s. 43.70, the balance of the common school fund income is less than the amount appropriated under
s. 20.275 (1) (u), the board shall distribute the balance of the common school fund income instead of the amount appropriated under
s. 20.275 (1) (u) under this paragraph.
44.72(2)(b)1.1. In this paragraph, "equalized valuation per member" means equalized valuation, as defined in
s. 121.004 (2), divided by membership, as defined in
s. 121.004 (5), except as follows:
44.72(2)(b)1.a.
a. For a school district operating only high school grades, "equalized valuation per member" means equalized valuation, as defined in
s. 121.004 (2), divided by the result obtained by multiplying membership, as defined in
s. 121.004 (5), by 3.
44.72(2)(b)1.b.
b. For a school district operating only elementary grades, "equalized valuation per member" means equalized valuation, as defined in
s. 121.004 (2), divided by the result obtained by multiplying membership, as defined in
s. 121.004 (5), by 1.5.
44.72(2)(b)1.c.
c. If a school district's equalized valuation per member is less than $75,000, it shall be considered to be $75,000 for purposes of this paragraph.
44.72(2)(b)2.
2. From the appropriation under
s. 20.275 (1) (f), annually the board shall pay $5,000 to each eligible school district. The board shall distribute the balance in the appropriation to eligible school districts in proportion to the weighted membership of each school district, which shall be determined by dividing the statewide average equalized valuation per member by the school district's equalized valuation per member and multiplying the result by the school district's membership, as defined in
s. 121.004 (5).
44.72(2)(b)3.
3. In the 1997-98 school year, the board shall distribute the amount appropriated under
s. 20.275 (1) (fs) to those school districts in which the equalized valuation per member in the 1996-97 school year was less than the state average equalized valuation per member in that school year. The amount distributed to each school district shall be the amount determined by subtracting the amount awarded to the school district under
subd. 2. from $25,000, or the amount determined as follows, whichever is less:
44.72(2)(b)3.a.
a. Divide the school district's equalized valuation per member by the state average equalized valuation per member.
44.72(2)(b)3.c.
c. Multiply the remainder under
subd. 3. b. by the amount necessary to fully distribute the amount appropriated under
s. 20.275 (1) (fs), as determined by the board.
44.72(2)(c)
(c) A school district is eligible for a grant under
par. (a) or
(b) 2. only if the annual meeting in a common school district, or the school board in a unified school district or in a school district operating under
ch. 119, adopts a resolution requesting the grant. A grant under this subsection may not be used to replace funding available from other sources.
44.72(2)(d)
(d) A school district receiving a grant under
par. (a) or
(b) shall deposit the moneys in a separate fund. The moneys may be used for any purpose related to educational technology, except that a school district may not use the moneys to pay the salary or benefits of any school district employe.
44.72(2)(e)
(e) The board shall distribute the grants under
par. (b) 2. and
3. annually on the first Monday in February.
44.72(4)
(4) Subsidized educational technology infrastructure loans. 44.72(4)(a)(a)
Subsidized loans authorized. The board may make subsidized loans under this subsection to school districts from the proceeds of public debt contracted under
s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and to public library boards from the proceeds of public debt contracted under
s. 20.866 (2) (zcm). Subsidized loans under this subsection may be used only for the purpose of upgrading the electrical wiring of school and library buildings in existence on October 14, 1997, and installing and upgrading computer network wiring .
44.72(4)(b)
(b)
Subsidized loan applications, terms and conditions. The board shall establish application procedures for, and the terms and conditions of, subsidized loans under this subsection. The terms may include provision of professional building construction services under
s. 16.85 (15). The board shall determine the interest rate on these loans. The interest rate shall be as low as possible but shall be sufficient to fully pay all interest expenses incurred by the state and to provide reserves that are reasonably expected to be required in the judgment of the board to ensure against losses arising from delinquency and default in the repayment of subsidized loans. The term of a subsidized loan under this subsection may not exceed 10 years.
44.72(4)(c)
(c)
Repayment of subsidized loans. A school district's or public library board's total payments on a loan made under this subsection shall be equal to 50% of the total debt service on the loan, as determined by the board. A school district or public library board is not obligated to pay the remaining 50% of the debt service on the loan. The board shall credit all moneys received from school districts under this paragraph to the appropriation account under
s. 20.275 (1) (h). The board shall credit all moneys received from public library boards under this paragraph to the appropriation account under
s. 20.275 (1) (hb).
44.72(4)(d)
(d)
Funding for subsidized loans. The board, with the approval of the governor and subject to the limits of
s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and
(zcm), may request that the building commission contract public debt in accordance with
ch. 18 to fund loans under this subsection.
44.72 History
History: 1997 a. 27,
41.
