2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 17:14 — Division of adult and community education; programs; plans and policies

§14.  Division of adult and community education; programs; plans and policies

A.(1)  The board and the superintendent shall establish and maintain within the State Department of Education a separate division, which shall be designated as the division of adult and community education.  The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to establish, operate, and maintain a statewide adult and community education program on the elementary and secondary levels, to eliminate adult illiteracy and to provide opportunities to adults to pursue a course or courses of study which upon completion will entitle them to be issued elementary certificates and high school equivalency diplomas.

(2)  The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education annually shall prepare and adopt, at a time not later than adoption by the board of the Minimum Foundation Program and Formula, a recommended formula to adequately fund the statewide adult and community education program on the secondary levels provided for by this Section.  Prior to adoption, the board shall submit its proposed formula, along with a written summary and background materials, for review and comment to the House and Senate Committees on Education.  The purpose of the formula shall be to provide an annual base funding for the adult and community education program.  The formula shall be based on an average of the numbers for each of the three previous years of students in the program served through state funding and attending at least twelve hours of class.  Beginning with the 1990-1991 Fiscal Year and thereafter, the annual state cost per student for this program shall be calculated at not less than one hundred sixty-four dollars and eleven cents.  The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education annually shall request sufficient funding from the legislature to fully fund the cost to the state for the adult and community education program based on the adopted formula.

B.  There shall be a director of the division of adult and community education, who shall be appointed by the superintendent.  The director, under the direction of the superintendent, shall administer and be responsible for the affairs of the division of adult and community education and the state-wide adult education program.

C.  The board shall approve the plan of operation for developing and implementing all adult and community education programs.  The plans and policies for the development of adult and community education programs shall be administered, through the state Department of Education, by the division of adult and community education.  This division shall be responsible for the overall supervision of such programs funded to parish and city school systems and to eligible community-based organizations.

D.(1)  The programs of adult and community education provided for by this Section shall be operated by the various parish and city school boards or by eligible community-based organizations as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection meeting eligibility criteria established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, or by both, with an allocation of funds from the state Department of Education, subject only to the overall administration and supervision provided for in Subsection C of this Section.  Performance-based criteria as established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall be used to allocate such funds on an annual basis.

(2)  As used in this Section, "eligible community-based organizations" shall include:

(a)  A local educational agency.

(b)  A community-based organization of demonstrated effectiveness.

(c)  A volunteer literacy organization of demonstrated effectiveness.

(d)  An institution of higher learning.

(e)  A public or private nonprofit agency.

(f)  A library.

(g)  A public housing authority.

(h)  A nonprofit institution that is not specified in Subparagraphs (a) through (g) of this Paragraph which has the ability to provide literacy services to adults and families.

(i)  A consortium of the agencies, organizations, institutions, libraries, or authorities.

E.  In addition to the funds allocated to programs of adult and community education under the provisions of this Section, the State Department of Education shall allocate funds to the various parish and city school boards to be used to develop and continue a statewide community education program for the elderly.  The program shall be administered, through the State Department of Education, by the division of adult and community education in cooperation with the parish councils on aging acting in an advisory capacity.

The implementation of any specific programs of education for the elderly developed under the provisions of this Section shall be developed from such funds appropriated to the State Department of Education which may be used for such programs until direct allocation of funds by the legislature to the State Department of Education for these purposes may be obtained.

Acts 1975, No. 274, §1.  Amended by Acts 1977, No. 634, §1; Acts 1989, No. 170, §1, eff. June 22, 1989; Acts 1999, No. 1294, §1, eff. July 12, 1999.