33716 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 126 / Friday, June 28, 1996 / Notices

minor impacts at the Oppossumtown

Gate will be minimized by adopting

traffic study recommendations. Visual

impacts will be avoided by grading and

landscaping construction that may be

visible from the Nallin Farm complex.

Therefore, based on the analysis found

in the EA, which is hereby incorporated

into the Finding of No Significant

Impact (FNSI), it is determined the

implementation of the proposed action

will not have significant individual or

cumulative impacts on the quality of the

natural or the human environment.

Because no significant environmental

impacts would result from

implementation of the proposed action,

an Environmental Impact Statement is

not required and will not be prepared.

DATES: Public comments will be

accepted on or before July 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EA/FNSI may

be obtained by writing to, and any

inquires concerning the same should be

addressed to, the Commander, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore

District, ATTN: CENAB–PL–EM (Mr.

Larry Eastman), P.O. Box 1715,

Baltimore, Maryland 21203–1715, or by

calling (410) 962–3208, or by sending a

telefax to 410–962–2948. Copies of the

EA will also be available at the Fort

Detrick Post Library (Building 501) and

the Fort Detrick U.S. Army Garrison

Headquarters Public Affairs Office

(Building 810). There will be a 15-day

comment period on the EA/FNSI before

the Army proceeds with the proposed

action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Larry Eastman, 410–962–3208.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the

Army (Environment, Safety and Occupational

Health), OASA (I,L&E).

[FR Doc. 96–16595 Filed 6–27–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CDFA No.: 84.165B]

Magnet Schools Assistance—

Innovative Programs; Notice Inviting

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal

Year (FY) 1996

Purpose of Innovative Programs

To award grants to local educational

agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs to

enable them to conduct innovative

programs that will assist in the

desegregation of schools served by the

LEA or LEAs.

Eligible Applicants

An LEA or consortium of LEAs that

(1) is implementing a plan undertaken

pursuant to a final order issued by a

court of the United States, a court of any

State, or any other State agency or

official of competent jurisdiction that

requires the desegregation of minoritygroup-segregated children or faculty in

elementary and secondary schools of

that agency; or (2) has voluntarily

adopted and is implementing, or, if

assistance is made available under the

Innovative Programs section of the

Magnet Schools Assistance statute, will

voluntarily implement such a plan that

has been approved by the Secretary of

Education as adequate under Title VI of

the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: August 2, 1996.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: October 1, 1996.

Applications Available: July 2, 1996.

Available Funds: $3 million.

Estimated Range of Awards:

$300,000–$500,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$400,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 6–9.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Applicable Regulations: The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85,

and 86.

General Requirements

Innovative Programs are authorized

under the Magnet Schools Assistance

(MSA) statute. However, while these

programs must carry out the purpose of

the MSA statute, (i.e., assist in the

desegregation of schools served by an

eligible LEA or consortium of LEAs),

they must involve strategies other than

magnet schools, such as neighborhood

or community model schools. In

addition, they must be organized around

a special emphasis, theme, or concept

and involve extensive parent and

community involvement.

In order to be eligible for an

Innovative Programs grant, an LEA or

consortium of LEAs must be

implementing a required desegregation

plan or have adopted and implemented,

or will implement if assistance is made

available under the MSA statute, a

voluntary desegregation plan.

Accordingly, an applicant that is

eligible due to a required desegregation

plan shall submit a copy of its plan

including, if the applicant is submitting

a desegregation plan ordered by a State

agency or official, documentation

showing that the plan was ordered

based on a determination that State law

was violated. An applicant that is

eligible due to a voluntary desegregation

plan also shall submit a copy of its plan.

In addition, the applicant shall submit

evidence of final official action adopting

and implementing the desegregation

plan or agreeing to adopt and

implement the desegregation plan upon

award of assistance.

Innovative Programs are exempt from

certain provisions of the MSA statute,

including section 5106 (Applications

and Requirements), section 5107

(Priority), and section 5108 (Use of

Funds). Other MSA statute requirements

apply to applications submitted under

Innovative Programs. Under section

5109, grants may not be used for

transportation or any activity that does

not augment academic improvement. In

addition, an LEA or consortium may not

expend funds for planning activities

associated with its Innovative Programs

grant after the third year of Federal

funding. Under section 5110, a grantee

may expend for planning not more than

50 percent of the funds received for the

first year of the project, 15 percent of the

grant funds for the second year, and 10

percent of the grant funds for the third

year.

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria are included in

full in the application package for this

competition. These selection criteria

were established based on the

regulations for evaluating discretionary

grants found in 34 CFR 75.200 through

75.210 (as amended December 12,

1995).

For Applications or Information

Contact: Carrolyn N. Andrews, U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Portals

4500, Washington, D.C. 20202–6140.

Telephone (202) 260–2670. Individuals

who use a telecommunications device

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8

p.m., Eastern time, Monday through

Friday.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; on the Internet Gopher Server at

GOPHER.ED.GOV (under

Announcements, Bulletins, and Press

Releases); or on the World Wide Web (at

http://www.ed.gov/money.html).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7211.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 126 / Friday, June 28, 1996 / Notices 33717

Dated: June 24, 1996.

Gerald N. Tirozzi,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and

Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 96–16508 Filed 6–27–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

[CFDA No.: 84.282A]

Public Charter Schools Program;

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996

Purpose of Program

A major purpose of the Public Charter

Schools grant program is to increase

understanding of the charter schools

model by providing financial assistance

for the design and initial

implementation of charter schools.

Who May Apply

(a) State educational agencies (SEAs)

in States with laws authorizing the

establishment of charter schools. The

Secretary awards grants to SEAs to

enable them to conduct charter schools

programs in their States. SEAs use their

Public Charter Schools funds to award

subgrants to ‘‘eligible applicants,’’ as

defined in this notice, for planning,

program design, and initial

implementation of a charter school.

(b) Under certain circumstances, an

authorized public chartering agency

participating in a partnership with a

charter school developer. Such a

partnership is eligible to receive funding

directly from the U.S. Department of

Education if—

(1) Its SEA elects not to participate in

this competition; or

(2) Its SEA does not have an

application approved under this

program.

If an SEA’s application is approved in

this competition, applications received

from non-SEA eligible applicants in that

State will be returned to the applicants.

In such a case, the eligible applicant

should contact the SEA for information

related to its subgrant competition.

Note: The following States currently have

approved applications under this program:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia,

Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan,

Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas. In these

States, only the SEA is eligible to receive an

award under this competition. Eligible

applicants in these States should contact

their respective SEAs for information about

participation in the State’s charter school

program.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: August 16, 1996.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: October 15, 1996.

Applications Available: July 2, 1996.

Available Funds: $11,500,000.

Estimated Range of Awards: State

educational agencies: $250,000–

$1,000,000 per year; other eligible

applicants: $25,000–$200,000 per year.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

State educational agencies: $750,000 per

year; other eligible applicants: $50,000

per year.

Estimated Number of Awards: State

educational agencies: 10–20; other

eligible applicants: 3–20.

Note: These estimates are projections for

the guidance of potential applicants. The

Department is not bound by any estimates in

this notice.

Project Period

State educational agencies: Up to 36

months. Eligible applicants: Grants

awarded by the Secretary directly to

eligible applicants or subgrants awarded

by SEAs to eligible applicants will be

awarded for a period of up to 36

months, of which the eligible applicant

may use—

(a) Not more than 18 months for

planning and program design; and

(b) Not more than two years for the

initial implementation of a charter

school.

Applicable Regulations

The Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 75 (except 75.210), 77, 79,

80, 81, 82, 85, and 86.

Priority

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the

Secretary is particularly interested in

applications that meet the following

invitational priority. However, an

application that meets this invitational

priority does not receive absolute or

competitive preference over other

applications:

Invitational Priority—Empowerment

Zones and Enterprise Communities

Projects that address linkages between

charter school initiatives and

comprehensive educational

improvement strategies undertaken in

Empowerment Zones and Enterprise

Communities designated by the

Departments of Agriculture or Housing

and Urban Development.

Supplementary Information

As part of wider education reform

efforts to strengthen teaching and

learning, charter schools can be an

innovative approach to improving

public education and expanding public

school choice. While there is no one

model, public charter schools are freed

from most statutory and regulatory

requirements in exchange for better

student academic achievement. They

replace rules-based governance with

performance-based accountability,

thereby stimulating the creativity and

commitment of teachers, parents,

students, and citizens.

The following definitions, required

contents of applications, selection

criteria, diversity of projects

requirements, waivers, and allowable

activities are taken directly from the

public charter schools statute, in title X,

part C, of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act. They are being repeated

in this application notice for the

convenience of the applicant.

Definitions

The following definitions apply to

this program:

(a) Charter school means a public

school that—

(1) In accordance with an enabling

State statute, is exempted from

significant State or local rules that

inhibit the flexible operation and

management of public schools, but not

from any rules relating to the other

requirements of this definition;

(2) Is created by a developer as a

public school, or is adapted by a

developer from an existing public

school, and is operated under public

supervision and direction;

(3) Operates in pursuit of a specific

set of educational objectives determined

by the school’s developer and agreed to

by the authorized public chartering

agency;

(4) Provides a program of elementary

or secondary education, or both;

(5) Is nonsectarian in its programs,

admissions policies, employment

practices, and all other operations, and

is not affiliated with a sectarian school

or religious institution;

(6) Does not charge tuition;

(7) Complies with the Age

Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of

the Education Amendments of 1972,

section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of

1973, and part B of the Individuals With

Disabilities Education Act;

(8) Admits students on the basis of a

lottery, if more students apply for

admission than can be accommodated;

(9) Agrees to comply with the same

Federal and State audit requirements as

do other elementary and secondary

schools in the State, unless the

requirements are specifically waived for

the purposes of this program;

(10) Meets all applicable Federal,

State, and local health and safety

requirements; and

(11) Operates in accordance with

State law.

(b) Developer means an individual or

group of individuals (including a public