(a) The Superintendent shall establish eligibility criteria for school districts that apply for grants pursuant to this article. When establishing criteria, the Superintendent shall consider the commitment and need of the applicant school district. The Superintendent may consider school district indicators of need, including, but not limited to, the number or percent of pupils in poverty or with limited English proficiency, and the dropout rate.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the Superintendent shall prioritize proposals for new partnership academies based upon a school district’s enrollment of the following pupil groups:
(1) Unduplicated pupils, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02.
(2) Pupils from groups historically underrepresented in career technical education or STEM programs or professions.
(3) At-promise pupils, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 54690.
(c) The Superintendent may also prioritize new partnership academies for school districts located in a rural area or an economically disadvantaged area.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 114, Sec. 3. (AB 1923) Effective January 1, 2023.)