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_ 211 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 125. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 f. Within the fiscal year, any funds not awarded from this program may be awarded to eligible schools under the Math/Reading Instructional Specialist Initiative. 34. Math/Reading Instructional Specialist Initiative a. Included in this appropriation is $1,834,538 the first year and $1,834,538 the second year from the general fund in additional payments for reading or math instructional specialists at underperforming schools. From this amount, the state share of one reading or math specialist shall be provided to local school divisions with schools which rank lowest statewide on the Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) math or reading assessment. Funding for one math or reading specialist during the 2024-2026 biennium shall be based on the results of the Spring 2023 SOL assessments. Such schools shall be eligible to receive the state share of funding for both years of the biennium. If, following certification from a school division that it will not participate in the program, the Department is authorized to identify additional eligible schools based upon the list of schools that rank lowest on the Spring 2023 SOL math or reading assessment. b. These payments are available to any school division with a qualifying school that certifies to the Department of Education that the division has (1) hired a math or reading instructional specialist, or (2) is supporting tuition for collegiate programs and instruction for currently employed instructional school personnel to earn the credentials necessary to meet licensure requirements to be endorsed as a math specialist or a reading specialist. Localities receiving these payments are required to match these funds based on the composite index of local ability-to-pay. c. School divisions that elect to use funding to support tuition for collegiate programs and instruction for currently employed instructional school personnel pursuant to paragraph b. shall provide documentation of these costs to the Department of Education prior to receiving state funds. The Department of Education shall provide state funding for the lesser of the actual cost or the state share of a math or reading specialist position per eligible school for funds used in such a manner. d. The Department of Education is authorized to utilize available funding appropriated to the Early Reading Specialist Initiative contained in this Item to pay for instructional specialists at additional eligible schools, or to support tuition for collegiate programs and instruction for currently employed instructional school personnel at additional eligible schools to earn the credentials necessary to meet licensure requirements to be endorsed as an instructional specialist. e. Within the fiscal year, any funds not awarded from this program may be awarded to eligible schools under the Early Reading Specialists Initiative. f. The Department of Education may award prorated state funds for specialist positions filled after the beginning of the school year. 35. Broadband Connectivity Capabilities By November 1 each year, school divisions shall report to the Department of Education the status of broadband connectivity capability of schools in the division on a form to be provided by the Department. Such report shall include school-level information on the method of Internet service delivery, the level of bandwidth capacity and the degree such capacity is sufficient for delivery of school-wide digital resources and instruction, degree of internet connectivity via Wi-Fi, cost information related to Internet connectivity, data security, and such other pertinent information as determined by the Department of Education. The Department shall provide a summary of the division responses in a report to be made available on its agency Web site. 36. Infrastructure and Operations Per Pupil Funds a. Out of this appropriation, an amount estimated at $301,361,277$301,361,275 the first year and $276,361,284$276,361,278 the second year from the Lottery Proceeds Fund shall be disbursed by the Department of Education to local school divisions to support the state share of an estimated $446.67$446.01 per pupil the first year and $410.62$409.70 per pupil the second year in adjusted March 31 average daily membership. These per pupil