Grant program

(a) Program authorized (1) In general From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award grants to State educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies to award subgrants to local educational agencies to provide assistance to public elementary schools and secondary schools served by the local educational agencies to reduce the chronic absenteeism rate at the schools and foster safe learning environments. (2) Preference In awarding grants to State educational agencies under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to States with high rates of chronic absenteeism or those serving the most vulnerable student populations. (b) Applications (1) State educational agencies A State educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Local educational agencies A local educational agency desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit to the State educational agency in the State in which the local educational agency is located an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may require. (c) Use of funds (1) By states A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to award subgrants to local educational agencies in the State. (2) By local educational agencies A local educational agency receiving a subgrant under this section shall use subgrant funds to reduce chronic absenteeism rates and to create safe learning environments in public elementary schools and secondary schools served by the local educational agency. Such activities may include— (A) hiring additional counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, or family liaisons; (B) providing stipends to teachers to perform home visits for students who are chronically absent; (C) supporting programming to address chronic absenteeism and to improve safety in learning environments; (D) transportation costs, such as buses; (E) research and data collection so schools and local educational agencies can track absenteeism rates, patterns, and root causes throughout the school year; or (F) other activities or methods that have been shown to reduce the chronic absenteeism rate. (d) Reports Not later than 3 years after the date a local educational agency receives a subgrant under this section, the local educational agency shall prepare and submit to the State educational agency a report regarding the impact of the subgrant funds and whether each of the elementary schools or secondary schools supported under the subgrant reduced their chronic absenteeism rate. The State educational agency shall submit reports received from local educational agencies to the Secretary.