SB628:

Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program; created and established.

Bill Summary:

Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program;
established. Establishes the Public School Trades Incentive Fund
(the Fund) and the Public School Trades Incentive Program (the Program)
for the purpose of providing grants on a competitive basis from the
Fund to any school board that seeks to (i) restore high school programs
that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning industry-recognized
certifications or credentials or (ii) create or restore middle school
programs that encourage and recruit students to participate in high
school programs that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning
industry-recognized certifications or credentials. The bill requires
the Department of Education to administer the Program and to establish
such rules and procedures relating to applications and awards as
it deems appropriate, provided that the Department considers and
gives appropriate weight to certain criteria for grantees. The bill
permits any grantee to use Program funds for equipment, curriculum
development, or instructor training. The bill requires each grantee
to longitudinally track students who complete any program for which
the school board received funds in order to determine the effectiveness
of the (a) new or restored middle school programs in recruiting students
to participate in restored high school programs and (b) restored high
school programs in matching students with high-paying jobs in the
fields in which they are certified or credentialed.