Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael Callagy, County Manager
Connie Juarez-Diroll, Legislative Officer
Subject: Award of competitive funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Recommendation to:
A) Adopt resolutions authorizing:
1. The County Manager or his designee to accept $3,136,875 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (“JAG” or the “Grant”) funding through the Board of State and Community Corrections for the funding cycle of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022; and
2. An agreement with Live in Peace in an amount not to exceed $2,750,000 to provide educational supportive services and case management to youth at-risk of not graduating high school in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven for the term of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022, of which $1,050,000 shall be paid from Measure K funds for certain services not eligible to be funded through the Grant; and
3. An agreement with the Sequoia Union High School District in an amount not to exceed $1,170,000 for the staffing of three Intervention Counselors to support at-risk students, facilitate student support program placements, and liaise with families and the Students With Amazing Goals (“SWAG”) program for the term of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022; and
4. An agreement with the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University in an amount not to exceed $300,000 to serve as the Students With Amazing Goals (SWAG) program evaluator, provide recommendations for program improvements and develop the program Outcome Evaluation for the term of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022; and
B) Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request recognizing the receipt of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant funds for the Fiscal Year 2019-20 in the amount of $1,045,625.
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BACKGROUND:
On December 6, 2018, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) released the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grants (JAG) Program Request for Proposals (RFP) to all California counties encouraging them to apply for funding to conduct local programs focused on the following areas: prevention and education programs, law enforcement programs, and prosecution, courts, defense, and indigent defense.
The JAG Program (34 U.S.C. §§10151-10158) is a key provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG program provides critical funding necessary to support State and local initiatives that includes technical assistance, strategic planning, research, data collection, and training. Historically, JAG funds have been allocated directly to counties through a non-competitive process. This cycle of JAG funding and the last round was competitive, placing emphasis on prevention, and utilizing evidence-based programs and practices.
On April 25, 2019, the County Manager’s Office (CMO) submitted a JAG program application requesting $3,136,875 in funding for the Students With Amazing Goals (SWAG) program. On September 12, 2019 the BSCC Board approved the County’s application.
DISCUSSION:
The SWAG program is a comprehensive community-based multi-disciplinary juvenile diversion and education program designed to reduce chronic absenteeism, increase high school graduation rates, and produce long-term pathways for success for at-risk youth in East Palo Alto (EPA) and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park. The SWAG model employs a three-pronged approach of: 1) building meaningful relations with at-risk youth, including setting high expectations for youth, holding them accountable and providing a positive peer environment that supports academic achievement; 2) goal-setting and plan development, including providing needed academic supports, college and career development, and skill building; and 3) culturally responsive programming, including pro-social activities that help youth develop positive behaviors and habits of mind.
In 2015, the County was awarded its first three-year Byrne JAG award to support the SWAG program. At that time, the program was a partnership between the County Manager’s Office (CMO), the Probation Department, the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD), the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities at Stanford University (Gardner Center), and Live in Peace (LIP) an EPA-based community organization that provides supportive services to at-risk youth. The grant ran from March 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017-receiving a no-cost extension for program operations through December 31, 2018. As part of its application for the 2015 JAG monies, the County committed $350,000 per year in Measure A (now Measure K) funding to the program during the grant period and has continued to fund it at this level after the grant ended. Over the course of the JAG grant and to the present, the SWAG program served over 300 at-risk students.
A June 2018 evaluation of the program by the Gardner Center found that compared to students who did not participate, SWAG youth demonstrated increases in credit accumulation and graduation that were both substantial in magnitude and statistically significant. Specifically, more than 90 percent of SWAG seniors graduated in 2016-17 (72 of 78), compared to a 67 percent graduation rate of students from EPA and Belle Haven without the SWAG program. These findings established that impressive progress was made in the first phase of the program, however, the need for SWAG services continues as high school graduation rates for youth living in EPA and Belle Haven continue to lag those of youth in all other parts of the County. Current data continue to show that high school completion among EPA youth in the SUHSD (who have typically attended elementary and middle school in the EPA Ravenswood elementary school district) are the lowest of all SUHSD’s eight feeder elementary schools.
This second Byrne JAG award will fund a revised second phase of the SWAG program comprised of a partnership between the County, SUHSD, the Gardner Center, and LIP. Criteria for participation in the program will remain as in the first phase of the program: being under credited; low Grade Point Average; chronic absences; involvement with the juvenile justice system; and significant problems in school (i.e., a record of suspensions or expulsion). LIP will continue to provide day-to-day educational supportive and case management services to 80 - 100 students per year. However, the revamped program will include closer collaboration and between LIP and the SUHSD in the identification and servicing of SWAG youth. To this end, the SUHSD will hire three (3) Intervention Counselors who will be sited at four (4) high schools that serve EPA and Belle Haven youth and will be full partners in identifying youth to participate in the SWAG program, coordinate student referrals, support streamlined service delivery, and track data on SWAG participants. The Gardner Center will continue to serve as the evaluator for the SWAG program and will work directly with LIP and SUHSD to evaluate student and program outcomes and provide recommendations for program improvements. Finally, the CMO will continue to serve as the lead County agency with Legislative Officer Connie Juarez-Diroll directing the program and serving as the day-to-day contact, and Fiscal Services Manager, Michael Bolander serving as the designated fiscal officer.
Byrne JAG funding is being provided to the County for a 36-month cycle beginning October 1, 2019 and ending September 30, 2022, subject to California receiving federal JAG funding for the next (3) three years. Award funding is also contingent on the County submitting subsequent applications and demonstrating progress against its program implementation goals and strategies. The County was awarded $1,045,625 in year one (October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020) funding. Subsequent reallocations for Year 2 (October 1, 2020 - September 30, 2021) and Year 3 (October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022) will depend on availability of federal JAG funding and program performance. Finally, the County is continuing to commit $1,050,000 in Measure K funding as match funding to support the program for the above-referenced three-year period (i.e., $350,000 per year), which includes Fiscal Years 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
It is in the best interest of the County to waive the Request for Proposals (RFP) process because Live in Peace, the Sequoia Union High School District and Gardner Center were identified as the service providers in the grant application due to the unique nature of the services offered as well as established relationships within the target community.
County Counsel has reviewed the resolutions as to form and LIP, SUSHD and the Gardner Center meet the County’s insurance certification requirements.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2019-20 Projected |
|
Percent of participants that graduate from high school (includes 5th year seniors) |
90% |
|
Percent of reduced truancy/chronic absenteeism by or increased attendance |
50% |
|
Percent of students that will create a post-secondary Life Plan |
100% |
|
Percent of program completion rate for all youth |
75% |
|
Percent of youth pursuing college, trade school or living wage job within one year of graduating high school |
75% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreements with Live in Peace, the Sequoia Union High School District and the Gardner Center is October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022. The total not to exceed amounts of the three agreements is $4,186,875, of which $3,136,875 is funded with Byrne JAG funding and $1,050,000 is funded through Measure K funding. Such Measure K funding has been included in the County Manager’s Office FY 2019-20 Adopted Budget. Costs for future years will be included in the FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22 Recommended Budgets. Approval of the Appropriation Transfer Request will recognize the receipt of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant funds the amount of $1,045,625 to the County Manager’s Office FY 2019-20 Adopted Budget.