September 2023 Agenda Item 07 Attachment 1

August 3, 2023

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-6450

Subject: California's Application for the Supporting America's School Infrastructure Grant Program

To Whom It May Concern:

On behalf of the California State Board of Education, the California Department of Education submits its application for a Supporting America's School Infrastructure (SASI) grant. The grant will allow California to address the inequities that small school districts with enrollment of fewer than 2,500 students face concerning infrastructure projects. Small school districts generally have fewer resources compared to larger districts, including fewer site facility/maintenance staff, limited district support staff, a lack of school facilities funding expertise, and limited supports for property-poor districts to access bond funds to minimize existing infrastructure disparities. As set forth in the application, with the SASI grant, California will develop a system of support to address these inequities through activities including Direct Technical Assistance Program, State and County Collaboration, Centralized Online Resources, and State-Level Expertise on Facilities Maintenance.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of California's application.

TT/LDH: