Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Capital Budget Committee

HB 2410

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background:

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Washington received a one-time appropriation of approximately $1.59 million for equipment assistance grants to be distributed competitively to local education agencies (LEA's) that sponsored a National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch Program, established under the National School Lunch Act in 1946, is a federally-assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions to provide nutritionally-balanced, low-cost or free lunches to school children. Under the equipment assistance grant program, priority was given to LEA's requesting equipment for schools in which at least 50 percent of the students were eligible for free or reduced-priced meals. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) received grant requests from LEA's totaling $11.6 million.

The Common School Construction Account (CSCA) was established by a constitutional amendment approved by the voters in 1966 for the purpose of financing the construction of facilities for common schools. The primary revenue source to the CSCA is from common school trust land managed by the Department of Natural Resources.

Summary of Bill:

The "Apple a Day" program, an equipment assistance grant program, is established to enhance student nutrition in public schools. Equipment includes new equipment, renovation of equipment, or replacement of equipment. Minor capital improvements required to accommodate the installation of equipment may also be eligible for state assistance.

The OSPI must establish a competitive process to solicit applications for state assistance and must evaluate and rank applications in consultation with an advisory committee of at least three members of selected organizations concerned with child nutrition, including one Washington School Nutrition Association representative and one representative from east of the crest of the Cascade mountains, using objective criteria. Public school districts and public schools participating in the National School Breakfast Program or the National School Lunch Program are eligible to apply.

The OSPI must require applicants to demonstrate, at a minimum, the following:

use of the proposed equipment will enhance nutrition and improve student access to healthier foods. Applicants must submit current school menus and proposed menus using the requested equipment; and
healthy eating and physical activity are actively promoted to students, parents, teachers, and the community.

In evaluating and ranking applications, the SPI shall give funding priority to:

public schools in which at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals;
project applications that provide a dollar-for-dollar match from non-state sources; and
public schools that can demonstrate nutrition is integrated into core curriculum areas such as math, science, language arts, physical education, or other areas.

An appropriation of $1.5 million from the Common School Construction Account is provided for the program. State appropriations must not be used for state or school district administrative purposes. In making awards, the OSPI must award a minimum of 45 percent, or no more than 60 percent, of the total appropriation to applicants located east of the crest of the Cascade mountain range.

In consultation with the advisory committee, the OSPI must develop and track specific, quantifiable outcome measures of the grant program, and report the outcome measures and any preliminary results to the Legislature by January 1, 2015.