I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1868
To provide for a rural education development initiative, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. JOHN (for himself, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. THOMPSON of Cali-
fornia, Mr. PHELPS, Mr. BOYD, Mr. TURNER, Mr. FROST, Mrs. CLAY-
TON, Mr. HILL of Indiana, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. BERRY, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. GOR-
DON, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr.
BISHOP, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. BOUCHER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To provide for a rural education development initiative, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Education De-
velopment Initiative for the 21st Century Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide rural school stu-
dents in the United States with increased learning oppor-
tunities.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) While there are rural education initiatives
identified at the State and local level, no Federal
education policy focuses on the specific needs of
rural school districts and schools, especially those
that serve poor students.
(2) Under Federal law, there is no consistent
definition for rural schools, rural school districts, or
rural local educational agencies.
(3) The National Center for Educational Statis-
tics (NCES) reports that 46 percent of our Nation’s
public schools serve rural areas.
(4) A critical problem for rural school districts
involves the hiring and retention of qualified admin-
istrators and certified teachers (especially in science
and mathematics). Consequently, teachers in rural
schools are almost twice as likely to provide instruc-
tion in 3 or more subjects than teachers in urban
schools. Rural schools also face other tough chal-
lenges, such as shrinking local tax bases, high trans-
portation costs, aging buildings, limited course offer-
ings, and limited resources.
(5) Data from the National Assessment of Edu-
cational Progress (NAEP) consistently show large
gaps between the achievement of students in high-
poverty schools and those in other schools. High-pov-
erty schools will face special challenges in preparing
their students to reach high standards of perform-
ance on State and national assessments.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) 
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL; 
LOCAL
EDU-
CATIONAL
AGENCY; SECONDARY
SCHOOL; STATE
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCY.—The terms ‘‘elementary
school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary
school’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the
meanings given the terms in section 14101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 8801).
(2) ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—
The term ‘‘eligible local educational agency’’ means
a local educational agency that serves—
(A) a school-age population, 20 percent or
more of whom are from families with incomes
below the poverty line; and
(B)(i) a school district that is located in a
rural locality; or
(ii) a school-age population of 800 or
fewer.
(3) METROPOLITAN
STATISTICAL
AREA.—The
term ‘‘metropolitan statistical area’’ includes the
area defined as such by the Secretary of Commerce.
(4) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’
means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget, and revised annually in
accordance with section 673(2) of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) ap-
plicable to a family of the size involved.
(5) RURAL LOCALITY.—The term ‘‘rural local-
ity’’ means a locality that is not within a metropoli-
tan statistical area.
(6) 
SCHOOL-AGE
POPULATION.—The 
term
‘‘school-age population’’ means the number of stu-
dents aged 5 through 17.
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
(8) SPECIALLY QUALIFIED AGENCY.—The term
‘‘specially qualified agency’’ means an eligible local
educational agency, located in a State that does not
participate in a program under this Act in a fiscal
to the number of all students served by eligible local
educational agencies in all States.
(3) DIRECT AWARDS TO SPECIALLY QUALIFIED
AGENCIES.—
(A) 
NONPARTICIPATING
STATE.—If 
a
State educational agency elects not to partici-
pate in the program under this Act or does not
have an application approved under section 7, a
specially qualified agency in such State desiring
a grant under this Act shall apply directly to
the Secretary to receive an award under this
Act.
(B) 
DIRECT
AWARDS
TO
SPECIALLY
QUALIFIED
AGENCIES.—The Secretary may
award, on a competitive basis, the amount the
State educational agency is eligible to receive
under paragraph (2) directly to specially quali-
fied agencies in the State.
(c) LOCAL ACTIVITIES.—Grant funds awarded to
local educational agencies or made available to schools
under this Act shall be used for—
(1) educational technology, including software
and hardware;
(2) professional development;
(3) technical assistance;
(4) teacher recruitment and retention;
(5) parental involvement activities; or
(6) academic enrichment programs.
SEC. 6. STATE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.
(a) AWARD BASIS.—A State educational agency shall
award grants to eligible local educational agencies or pro-
vide assistance to schools described in subsection (b)(2)—
(1) on a competitive basis; or
(2) according to a formula based on the number
of students served by the eligible local educational
agencies or schools (as appropriate) in the State, as
determined by the State.
(b) FIRST YEAR.—For the first year that a State
educational agency receives a grant under this Act, the
State educational agency—
(1) shall use not less than 90 percent of the
grant funds to award grants to eligible local edu-
cational agencies in the State;
(2) shall use not more than 9 percent of the
grant funds to provide assistance to schools located
in a noneligible local educational agency if the
school—
(A) is located in a rural community that
has a population of 2,500 or less, or a rural
community with a population density of less
than 1,000 people per square mile; and
(B) serves a school-age population, 20 per-
cent or more of whom are from families with in-
comes below the poverty line; and
(3) may use not more than 1 percent for State
activities and administrative costs related to the pro-
gram.
(c) SUCCEEDING YEARS.—For the second and each
succeeding year that a State educational agency receives
a grant under this Act, the State educational agency—
(1) shall use not less than 90 percent of the
grant funds to award grants to eligible local edu-
cational agencies in the State;
(2) shall use not more than 9.5 percent of the
grant funds to provide assistance to a school de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2); and
(3) may use not more than 0.5 percent of the
grant funds for State activities and administrative
costs related to the program.
SEC. 7. APPLICATIONS.
Each State educational agency and specially qualified
agency desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information as the Secretary
may require. Such application shall include specific meas-
urable goals and objectives to be achieved which may in-
clude specific educational goals and objectives relating to
increased student academic achievement, decreased stu-
dent drop-out rates, or such other factors that the State
educational agency or specially qualified agency may
choose to measure.
SEC. 8. REPORTS.
(a) STATE REPORTS.—Each State educational agen-
cy that receives a grant under this Act shall provide an
annual report to the Secretary. The report shall
describe—
(1) the method the State educational agency
used to award grants to eligible local educational
agencies and to provide assistance to schools under
this Act;
(2) how local educational agencies and schools
used funds provided under this Act; and
(3) the degree to which progress has been made
toward meeting the goals and objectives described in
the application submitted under section 7.
(b) SPECIALLY QUALIFIED AGENCY REPORT.—Each
specially qualified agency that receives a grant under this
Act shall provide an annual report to the Secretary. Such
report shall describe—
(1) how such agency uses funds provided under
this Act; and
(2) the degree to which progress has been made
toward meeting the goals and objectives described in
the application submitted under section 5(b)(3)(A).
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall pre-
pare and submit to Congress an annual report. The report
shall describe—
(1) the methods the State educational agency
used to award grants to eligible local educational
agencies and to provide assistance to schools under
this Act;
(2) how eligible local educational agencies and
schools used funds provided under this Act; and
(3) progress made in meeting specific measur-
able educational goals and objectives.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $300,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000
through 2004.
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