School boards; establishment of the READ Fund and READ programs.

School boards; establishment of the READ Fundand READ programs. Establishes the Reimbursement for EducationAccess Decisions (READ) Fund (the Fund); permits any school boardto establish a READ program to provide, during the state of emergencydeclared by the Governor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, fundsto any parent or legal guardian who meets compulsory attendance requirementsby having his child taught by a tutor or teacher of qualificationsprescribed by the Board of Education and approved by the divisionsuperintendent in lieu of enrollment in the local school divisionto cover certain costs of such education; and permits any such schoolboard to apply to the Department of Education for an award from theFund to reimburse the school board for half of the cost of makingreimbursements to parents pursuant to its READ program. The bill providesthat the school board is responsible for covering the remaining halfof the cost of its READ program with such federal and local fundsas may be available for such purpose. The bill permits the Departmentof Education to establish such rules and procedures as it deems necessaryfor receiving applications for reimbursement and making awards fromthe Fund. The bill also provides that if federal funding is providedpursuant to an Act of Congress with regard to relief from the COVID-19pandemic and such Act does not preclude such federal funding frombeing used to make awards from the Fund, the Governor shall reservea reasonable amount of such federal funding to be credited to theFund to fully support reimbursement requests from such school boards.