Current with changes from the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 161.504 - Drug-free schools program created - department may apply for funding - disbursement of funds - application for funding of prevention and suppression programs - interagency agreements - administrative guidelines - annual report, contents1. There is hereby created in the department of elementary and secondary education the "Drug-Free Schools Program". The department of elementary and secondary education may apply for federal grants or other federal assistance as additional funding to appropriated state moneys in order to implement the provisions of sections 161.500 to 161.508 and the activities of the state drug-free school advisory committee. All funds made available to the department for the purposes of sections 161.500 to 161.508 shall be administered and disbursed by the department in consultation with the state drug-free school advisory committee established in section 161.508.2. The department, in consultation with the drug-free school advisory committee, is authorized to allocate and award funds to local law enforcement agencies and public schools working jointly to develop drug and alcohol use prevention and drug and alcohol trafficking suppression programs in substantial compliance with the policies and criteria set forth in sections 161.500 to 161.508.3. The allocation and award of funds shall be made upon the joint application by the chief law enforcement agency's legislative body and the superintendent and board of the school district coapplicant. The joint application of the law enforcement agency and the school district shall be submitted for review to the local drug-free school advisory committee established in section 161.506. After review, the application shall be submitted to the department. Funds disbursed under sections 161.500 to 161.508 may enhance, but shall not supplant, local funds that would, in the absence of the drug-free school program, be made available to suppress and prevent drug and alcohol use among school-age children and to curtail drug and alcohol trafficking in and around schools, parks and playgrounds.4. The coapplicant local law enforcement agency and coapplicant school district shall enter into interagency agreements between themselves which will allow the management and fiscal tasks created pursuant to sections 161.500 to 161.508 and assigned to both the law enforcement agency and the school district to be performed by only one of them.5. Within one hundred twenty days of August 28, 1990, the department in consultation with the state drug-free school advisory committee shall prepare and issue administrative guidelines and procedures for the drug-free school program consistent with the provisions of sections 161.500 to 161.508. In addition to all other formal requirements that may apply to the enactment of such guidelines and procedures, a complete and final draft shall be submitted within ninety days of the effective date of August 28, 1990, to the chairmen of the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and the senate.6. After a full year of program operation, the department shall prepare and submit an annual evaluation report to the general assembly describing in detail the operation of the program and the results obtained from the drug-free school program receiving funds under sections 161.500 to 161.508. The report also shall list the full costs applicable both to the department for processing the reviewing application, and to the state and local agencies for obtaining grants, from any source, to support the program. The purpose of the program evaluation shall be to identify successful methods of preventing drug and alcohol trafficking and use in schools. Ongoing evaluation findings shall be used to replicate proven successful methods, identify, implement, and refine new methods.