Title 25 — Indians
Chapter 27 — Tribally Controlled School Grants
§ 2502. Grants authorized
Statutory text
In general
Eligibility
The Secretary shall provide grants to Indian tribes, and tribal organizations that—
operate contract schools under title XI of the Education Amendments of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 2000 et seq.] and notify the Secretary of their election to operate the schools with assistance under this chapter rather than continuing the schools as contract schools;
operate other tribally controlled schools eligible for assistance under this chapter and submit applications (which are approved by their tribal governing bodies) to the Secretary for such grants; or
elect to assume operation of Bureau-funded schools with the assistance under this chapter and submit applications (which are approved by their tribal governing bodies) to the Secretary for such grants.
Deposit of funds
Grants provided under this chapter shall be deposited into the general operating fund of the tribally controlled school with respect to which the grant is made.
Use of funds
In general
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, grants provided under this chapter shall be used to defray, at the discretion of the school board of the tribally controlled school with respect to which the grant is provided, any expenditures for education related activities for which any funds that compose the grant may be used under the laws described in section 2504(a) of this title, including expenditures for—
school operations, academic, educational, residential, guidance and counseling, and administrative purposes; and
support services for the school, including transportation.
Exception
Grants provided under this chapter may, at the discretion of the school board of the tribally controlled school with respect to which such grant is provided, be used to defray operations and maintenance expenditures for the school if any funds for the operation and maintenance of the school are allocated to the school under the provisions of any of the laws described in section 2504(a) of this title.
Limitations
One grant per tribe or organization per fiscal year
Not more than one grant may be provided under this chapter with respect to any Indian tribe or tribal organization for any fiscal year.
Nonsectarian use
Funds provided under any grant made under this chapter may not be used in connection with religious worship or sectarian instruction.
Administrative costs limitation
Funds provided under any grant under this chapter may not be expended for administrative costs (as defined in section 1128(h)(1) of the Education Amendments of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 2008(h)(1)]) in excess of the amount generated for such costs under section 1128 of such Act.
Limitation on transfer of funds among school sites
In general
In the case of a grantee that operates schools at more than one school site, the grantee may expend at any school site operated by the grantee not more than the lesser of—
10 percent of the funds allocated for another school site under section 1128 of the Education Amendments of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 2008]; or
$400,000 of the funds allocated for another school site.
Definition of school site
For purposes of this subsection, the term “school site” means the physical location and the facilities of an elementary or secondary educational or residential program operated by, or under contract or grant with, the Bureau for which a discreet 1 student count is identified under the funding formula established under section 1127 of the Education Amendments of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 2007].
No requirement to accept grants
Nothing in this chapter may be construed—
to require a tribe or tribal organization to apply for or accept; or
to allow any person to coerce any tribe or tribal organization to apply for, or accept,
a grant under this chapter to plan, conduct, and administer all of, or any portion of, any Bureau program. Such applications and the timing of such applications shall be strictly voluntary. Nothing in this chapter may be construed as allowing or requiring any grant with any entity other than the entity to which the grant is provided.
No effect on Federal responsibility
Grants provided under this chapter shall not terminate, modify, suspend, or reduce the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide a program.
Retrocession
In general
Whenever a tribal governing body requests retrocession of any program for which assistance is provided under this chapter, such retrocession shall become effective upon a date specified by the Secretary that is not later than 120 days after the date on which the tribal governing body requests the retrocession. A later date may be specified if mutually agreed upon by the Secretary and the tribal governing body. If such a program is retroceded, the Secretary shall provide to any Indian tribe served by such program at least the same quantity and quality of services that would have been provided under such program at the level of funding provided under this chapter prior to the retrocession.
Status after retrocession
The tribe requesting retrocession shall specify whether the retrocession is to status as a Bureau-operated school or as a school operated under contract under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act [25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.].
Transfer of equipment and materials
Except as otherwise determined by the Secretary, the tribe or tribal organization operating the program to be retroceded must transfer to the Secretary (or to the tribe or tribal organization which will operate the program as a contract school) the existing equipment and materials which were acquired—
with assistance under this chapter; or
upon assumption of operation of the program under this chapter, if the school was a Bureau-funded school under title XI of the Education Amendments of 1978 [25 U.S.C. 2000 et seq.] before receiving assistance under this chapter.
Prohibition of termination for administrative convenience
Grants provided under this chapter may not be terminated, modified, suspended, or reduced solely for the convenience of the administering agency.
Footnotes
- 1 So in original. Probably should be “discrete”.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988
Pub. L. 100–297 title V § 5203 · 102 Stat. 130
Enacted · 25 U.S.C. § 2502
(Pub. L. 100–297, title V, § 5203, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1043, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2064.)
Source evidence
Code source credit
(Pub. L. 100–297, title V, § 5203, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1043, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2064.)Enacted provision · exact public law section
SEC. 5203. DECLARATION OF POLICY. (a) Recognition.— The Congress recognizes the obligation of the United States to respond to the strong expression of the Indian people for self-determination by assuring maximum Indian participation in the direction of educational services so as to render such services more responsive to the needs and desires of those communities. (b) Commitment.— The Congress declares its commitment to the maintenance of the Federal Government’s unique and continuing trust relationship with and responsibility to the Indian people through the establishment of a meaningful Indian self-determination policy for education which will deter further perpetuation of Federal bureaucratic domination of programs. (c) National Goal.— The Congress declares that a major national goal of the United States is to provide the resources, processes, and structures which will enable tribes and local communities to effect the quantity and quality of educational services and opportunities which will permit Indian children to compete and excel in the life areas of their choice, and to achieve the measure of self-determination essential to their social and economic well-being. (d) Educational Needs.— The Congress affirms the reality of the special and unique educational needs of Indian peoples, including the need for programs to meet the linguistic and cultural aspirations of Indian tribes and communities. These may best be met through a grant process. (e) Federal Relations.— The Congress declares its commitment to these policies and its support, to the full extent of its responsibility, for Federal relations with the Indian Nations. (f) Termination.— The Congress hereby repudiates and rejects House Concurrent Resolution 108 of the 83rd Congress and any policy of unilateral termination of Federal relations with any Indian Nation.
1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Education Amendments of 1978, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(A) and (f)(3)(B), is Pub. L. 95–561, , 92 Stat. 2143. Title XI of the Act is classified principally to chapter 22 (§ 2000 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1978 Amendment note set out under section 6301 of Title 20, Education, and Tables.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (f)(2), is Pub. L. 93–638, , 88 Stat. 2203, which is classified principally to chapter 46 (§ 5301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of this title and Tables.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 2502, Pub. L. 100–297, title V, § 5203, , 102 Stat. 385, set forth declaration of policy, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1043, , 115 Stat. 2063. See section 2501 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective , except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 107–110, set out as a note under section 6301 of Title 20, Education.
Credits
(Pub. L. 100–297, title V, § 5203, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1043, , 115 Stat. 2064.)