R277-461. Elementary School Counselor Grant Program

R277.  Education, Administration.

R277-461.  Elementary School Counselor Grant Program.

R277-461-1.  Authority and Purpose.

          (1)  This rule is authorized by:

          (a)  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;

          (b)  Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law; and

          (c)  Section 53F-5-209, which directs the Board to make rules to administer the Elementary School Counselor Grant Program.

          (2)  The purpose of this rule is to provide:

          (a)  an application procedure;

          (b)  criteria and procedures for awarding grants; and

          (c)  requirements for grant recipients.

R277-461-2.  Definitions.

          (1)  "Childhood trauma" means a child who has been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of the child's life and develops reactions that persist and affect the child's daily life after the events have ended.

          (2)  "Grant" means funding awarded by the Board to an LEA to hire qualifying personnel for purposes of supporting school-based mental health, in accordance with Section 53F-5-209.

          (3)  "Qualifying personnel" means the same as term is defined in Subsection 53F-5-209(1)(c).

          (4)  "Risk factors for childhood trauma" means behaviors or indicators including:

          (a)  office referrals or discipline reports;

          (b)  increased absenteeism;

          (c)  qualification for free or reduced-price lunch;

          (d)  experiencing homelessness;

          (e)  school-reported referrals to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS);

          (f)  involvement with juvenile justice and youth services;

          (g)  participation in foster care;

          (h)  being subject to bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, retaliation, and abusive conduct as defined in Rule R277-613;

          (i)  experiencing intergenerational poverty; and

          (j)  performing below benchmark on statewide assessments as defined in Section 53E-4-301.

R277-461-3.  Grant Applications.

          (1)  The Superintendent shall develop and make available a grant application for LEAs, consistent with the requirements in Subsection 53F-5-209(4)(a).

          (2)  The grant application shall require the LEA to report how it intends to provide the matching funds required in Subsection 53F-5-209(4)(b), including the source of funding the LEA intends to use.

          (3)  For each grant cycle that the Superintendent is authorized to solicit grant applications, the Superintendent shall publish a timeline on the Board's website by March 30, including a date for the application release, and due dates for an LEA to submit required materials.

R277-461-4.  Procedures and Criteria for Awarding a Grant.

          (1)  An LEA applying for a grant shall commit to establishing, at a minimum, a 3-year plan and program for using the grant funds.

          (2)  In accordance with Subsection 53F-5-209(3), the Superintendent shall prioritize LEA applications that propose to target funds as described in Section 53F-5-209.

          (3)  For purposes of prioritizing grants under this rule, the Superintendent shall examine the prevalence of risk factors for childhood trauma as identified in the LEA's application.

R277-461-5.  Grant Recipient Requirements, Accountability, and Reporting.

          (1)  Grant funds shall only be used to pay for salaries and benefits for qualifying personnel.

          (2)  Qualifying personnel funded by these grant funds shall:

          (a)  implement a program to achieve an LEA's measurable goals as described in Subsection 53F-5-209(4)(a);

          (b)  participate in USBE trainings;

          (c)  participate in regular collaboration meetings with USBE; and

          (d)  in accordance with Subsection 53F-5-209(8), participate in trauma-informed modules

          (3)  The Superintendent shall establish a process and accompanying forms for grant recipients to document grant requirements including annual reporting consistent with the requirements described in Subsection 53F-5-209(7).

KEY:  grant program, school counselor, mental health, trauma-informed practice

Date of Last Change:  August 22, 2023

Notice of Continuation:  June 13, 2023

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law:  Art X, Sec 3; 53E-3-401(4); 53F-5-209(6)

Status of Rule

Effective August 22, 2023

Five-year review June 13, 2028

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Oversight Framework

Uncategorized

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Related Utah Law

Public Education Statutes
53F-5-209

Other Statutes
None

USBE Administrative Rules
R277-100, Definitions for USBE Rules

Related Federal Law

None

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Resources

None

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Contact Information

Primary Contact:
Bethany Marker
bethany.marker@schools.utah.gov
School Counseling and Student Services

Secondary Contact:
Millie Mortensen
millie.mortensen@schools.utah.gov
School Counseling and Student Services

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This page was last updated on January 18, 2024.

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NOTE: The information on this webpage is provided as a service to users and the Utah State Board of Education is not responsible for any errors or omissions.

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