Section 54699.

(a) (1) The Controller shall annually allocate the sum of eight million dollars ($8,000,000) from the Renewable Resource Trust Fund established pursuant to Section 25751 of the Public Resources Code or other related fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent for expenditure in the form of grants to school districts, that shall be allocated using the same criteria as provided in Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690), except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 54691, and pursuant to the additional requirements of this article.

(2) If sufficient funds are not available to fully meet the funding requirement of paragraph (1), for the 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13 fiscal years, the Controller shall allocate the balance of funds required to meet the funding requirement from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund established pursuant to Section 44273 of the Health and Safety Code, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure in the form of grants to school districts, that shall be allocated using the same criteria as provided in Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690), except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 54691, and pursuant to the additional requirements of this article.

(b) The Superintendent shall award grants pursuant to this article to school districts that do all of the following:

(1) Meet the requirements specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690).

(2) Propose to implement a partnership academy, or to maintain an existing academy, that focuses on employment in clean technology businesses or renewable energy businesses and provides skilled workforces for the products and services for energy or water conservation, or both, renewable energy, pollution reduction, or other technologies that improve the environment in furtherance of state environmental laws.

(c) The Superintendent shall review grant applications submitted by school districts in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.

(d) The Superintendent, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, shall review ongoing programs to ensure that those programs comply with subdivision (b).

(e) (1) No later than 60 days after the effective date of this article, and prior to the department issuing a request for grant applications, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in consultation with the Superintendent, shall adopt guidelines to ensure that programs receiving grants reflect current state energy policies and priorities as well as provide skills and education linked to the needs of relevant industries.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, any guideline adopted pursuant to this section shall be exempt from the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(f) (1) The Superintendent shall give priority for grants pursuant to this article according to the following:

(A) First, to school districts that propose to establish partnership academies that are consistent with the guidelines developed by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission pursuant to subdivision (e).

(B) Second, to school districts that propose to establish a partnership academy at schoolsites that do not currently participate in the partnership academies program pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690).

(C) Third, to school districts that would establish a partnership academy at schoolsites that do not currently participate in the green partnership academies program funded pursuant to Section 32 of Chapter 757 of the Statutes of 2008.

(2) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1), the Superintendent may assign a higher priority to a school district that has received a grant pursuant to the green partnership academies program funded pursuant to Section 32 of Chapter 757 of the Statutes of 2008, subject to subdivision (d).

(3) The Superintendent shall award grants to a school district to establish or operate a partnership academy pursuant to this article in the following amounts:

(A) A district operating a partnership academy may receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year for each qualified student enrolled in grade 9 in an academy during the first year of that academy's operation, except that no more than forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) may be granted to any one academy for the initial year.

(B) A district operating a partnership academy may receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year for each qualified student enrolled in either grade 9 or 10 in an academy during the second year of that academy's operation, except that no more than eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) may be granted to any one academy for the second year.

(C) A district operating a partnership academy may receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each qualified student enrolled in any of grades 9 to 11, inclusive, in an academy during the third year of that academy's operation, except that no more than one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) may be granted to any one academy for the third year.

(D) A district operating a partnership academy may receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each qualified student enrolled in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in an academy during the fourth and following years of that academy's operation, except that no more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) may be granted to any one academy for each fiscal year.

(4) For purposes of this section, "qualified student" has the same meaning as described in subdivision (c) of Section 54691, but shall also include a 9th grade pupil who meets the at-risk criteria specified in Section 54690, who is enrolled in an academy for the 9th grade, obtains 90 percent of the credits each academic year in courses that are required for graduation, and successfully completes a school year during the 9th grade with an attendance record of not less than 80 percent.

(g) The Superintendent shall encourage a school district that receives a grant under this article to work and coordinate with regional occupational centers and programs for the required career technical education sequence of courses.

(h) A school district may apply for planning grants, in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 54691, for implementing a partnership academy pursuant to this article.

(i) Commencing in 2014 and not later than January 1 of each year for which this article is operative, the Superintendent, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, shall provide a report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, a description of the curriculum and substance of the programs funded by grants awarded pursuant to this article. The first annual report shall include the identification of gaps in available curricula relating to clean technology and renewable energy that are consistent with current state energy policy and priorities, as well as the proportion of participating pupils who meet the at-risk criteria enumerated in subdivision (d) of Section 54690. The report also shall include pupil participation data and data collected pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 54691.

(j) Up to 5 percent of the funds transferred to the Superintendent pursuant to this article may be expended to pay the costs incurred in the administration of this article.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 162, Sec. 37. Effective January 1, 2013. Inoperative June 30, 2017. Repealed as of January 1, 2018, pursuant to Section 54699.1.)