581-017-0441 Application Process and Criteria for Oregon Farm-to-School Education Grant (1) The Oregon Department of Education shall establish a request for proposal solicitation and approval process to be conducted each biennium for which competitive Oregon Farm to School Program education grant funds are available. (2) The department shall notify eligible entities of the proposal process and the dates when proposals are due, and make available necessary guidelines and application forms. (3)(a) Eligible entities must submit their grant proposals on the most current form prescribed by the department. The department shall publish the current request for proposals solicitation forms on the department’s website. (b) If an eligible entity that has applied for a competitive Oregon Farm to School Program education grant is unable to provide the information required in the request for proposals, then the grant applicant must provide an explanation why the information cannot be provided. Grant applicants may submit additional information that will aid the department in evaluating their grant proposals. (4) To be considered by the department, the grant proposals submitted by eligible entities must include the following information: (a) The name of the school district in which the educational activities will be offered; (b) The name of the person who will serve as the grant applicant’s primary contact regarding the grant proposal and that person’s contact information, including the primary contact’s email address and telephone number; (c) The name of the organizations which the grant applicant either has partnered, or is intending to partner, with for the purpose of providing food-based, agriculture-based, or garden-based educational activities for the benefit of children enrolled in a public school or public charter school within a school district, or a center-based program for children; (d) The name and contact information of the persons who will serve as the partner organizations’ primary contacts regarding the grant proposal and the educational activities the grant applicant and its partner organizations intend to provide; (e) A description of the educational activities the grant applicant proposes to offer; (f) An explanation of how the educational activities the grant applicant proposes to offer with grant funds will address the grant criteria and benefit children enrolled in a public school or a public charter school within a school district, or a center-based program for children; (g) An estimate of the costs associated with providing the proposed educational activities; and (h) An analysis of the proposed educational activities and the proposed means of delivering those programs using the Equity Lens adopted under OAR 581-017-0010. (5) Grant applicants’ proposals will be reviewed for completeness and how well they address the evaluation criteria adopted by the department. The Oregon Department of Education shall give preference to eligible entities that propose educational activities that: (a) Are well designed; (b) Promote healthy food activities; (c) Have clear educational objectives; (d) Involve parents or the community; (e) Are connected to a school district’s farm-to-school procurement activities; and (f) Are culturally relevant to the students being served by the grant moneys. (6) Additional information may be required and additional criteria may be identified in the applicable request for proposal and guidelines published by the department. (7) Recipients of a competitive Oregon Farm to School Program education grant will: (a) Represent a variety of school sizes and geographic locations; and (b) Serve a high percentage of children who qualify for free or reduced price school meals under the federal National School Lunch Program. (8) The Department of Education will apply the Oregon Equity Lens when administering this grant including when determining resource allocation and making strategic investments. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 326.051, HB 2579 (2019) & ORS 336.431 Statutes/Other Implemented: HB 2579 (2019) & ORS 336.431 History: ODE 9-2022, amend filed 01/27/2022, effective 01/27/2022 ODE 21-2021, temporary amend filed 06/22/2021, effective 06/22/2021 through 12/18/2021 ODE 7-2020, amend filed 03/20/2020, effective 03/21/2020 ODE 142-2019, temporary amend filed 09/23/2019, effective 09/23/2019 through 03/20/2020 ODE 140-2019, amend filed 09/23/2019, effective 09/23/2019 ODE 25-2018, amend filed 08/17/2018, effective 08/20/2018 ODE 47-2016, f. & cert. ef. 11-1-16 ODE 11-2016, f. & cert. ef. 2-5-16