The Programs for At-Risk Early Elementary Students is a grant made available to eligible Iowa public elementary schools in a year in which funds are made available by the Iowa legislature. The grant provides funds to assist schools in addressing the needs of kindergarten through third grade students who are at-risk of educational failure.

Funds are awarded to elementary schools with a high percentage of low-income families in grades K-3 as reported on the previous year’s fall certified enrollment report (SRI). Elementary schools notified by the Iowa Department of Education are eligible to receive funding.

Funds can be used to pay for expenditures designed to improve academic achievement and to “provide activities and materials designed to encourage children’s self-esteem, provide role modeling and mentoring techniques in social competence and social skills, and discourage inappropriate drug use.” (Iowa Code § 279.51). Funds must be used to supplement, not supplant, funds that would otherwise be used for the activities supported by the program.

Beginning July 1, 2022, funds are awarded to buildings for Year 3 in a 3-year cycle, with the current annual renewal contingent upon legislative appropriation and the grantee meeting the minimum requirements each year as set forth in administrative rule. Each annual award has a life-cycle of twelve months and should be fully expended by June 30 of the respective fiscal year of the award. For the current award, the life-cycle begins July 1, 2022 and ends June 30, 2023; any funds not fully expended by June 30, 2023 will carryover for use by the next year's grant recipients, again contingent upon legislative appropriation and Iowa Code § 279.51.

Refer to the Grant Application and Implementation Guidance and the administrative rules for specific instructions on completing your application.