Services for at-risk students - agreements with state agencies and community organizations

(1) Each school district, regardless of the number of students expelled by the district, may enter into agreements with appropriate local governmental agencies and, to the extent necessary, with the managing state agencies, including the department of human services and the department of public health and environment; with community-based nonprofit and faith-based organizations; with nonpublic schools; with the department of military and veterans affairs and with public and private institutions of higher education to work with the student's parent or guardian to provide services to any student in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, or the student's family, who is identified as being at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism or disciplinary actions. Any services provided pursuant to an agreement with a nonpublic school are subject to approval by the state board of education pursuant to section 22-2-107. Services provided through such agreements may include, but are not limited to: (a) Attendance supports, behavior interventions, and educational services required to be provided pursuant to section 22-33-203 (2) and any educational services provided to students who are identified as at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism or disciplinary actions pursuant to section 22-33-202; (b) Counseling services; (c) Substance use disorder treatment programs; (d) Family preservation services; (e) Restorative justice practices, as defined in section 22-32-144; and (f) Alternatives to suspension systems and supports. (1.5) Each school district, regardless of the number of students expelled by the district, may enter into agreements with appropriate local government agencies and, to the extent necessary, with the managing state agencies as described in subsection (1) of this section to provide services and technical assistance to employees to support students who are identified as at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism or disciplinary actions. Services and technical assistance provided through such agreements may include, but are not limited to: (a) Attendance, discipline, and grading policies and practice review; (b) Training in behavior interventions and classroom management; and (c) Equity, diversity, and inclusion training, including anti-bias training. (2) At a minimum, each agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall specify the services to be provided under the agreement, the entity that will coordinate and oversee provision of the services, and the responsibilities of each entity entering into the agreement. In addition, each agreement shall require each entity entering into the agreement to contribute the services or funds for the provision of the services specified in the agreement. The agreement shall specify the services or the amount and source of funds that each entity will provide and the mechanism for providing said services or funds. (3) Each school district shall use a portion of its per-pupil revenues to provide services under agreements entered into pursuant to this section for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism or disciplinary action to implement the supports and services described in subsection (1) of this section. In addition, the school district may use federal money, money received from any other state appropriation, and money received from any other public or private grant to provide said services.