REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 08/02/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF $81,648 IN GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY FOR THE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to accept and appropriate the California Library Literacy Services grant for English as a Second Language Services. The total award for the Fiscal Year 2024 beginning July 1, 2023, is $81,648.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Accept grant funding from the California State Library for the Corona Public Library’s English as a Second Language program through the California Library Literacy Services Program.
b. Appropriate $81,648 to the Community Services Department’s operating budget and increase estimated revenue by the same amount in the Adult and Family Literacy Grant Fund 442.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to adjust the budget accordingly if Grantor distributes additional funds to grant participants.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Corona Public Library currently has a partnership with both the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) Adult Education, and Norco College for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. These classes are offered in the morning and evening, with no afternoon classes available. In partnership with the Corona Public Library, CNUSD offers an ESL class at the library, twice a week on Monday and Wednesday, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. This ESL class is offered in person, with an average of 20 students per class.
There are some known gaps in the program, such as the lack of afternoon ESL and Citizenship Preparation classes at CNUSD sites, the Corona Public Library, and Norco College. The CNUSD requirement to have at least 25 enrolled students makes it difficult for the Corona Public Library to open new classes on-site under the partnership agreement. Small-group instruction and one-on-one tutoring are not offered by either CNUSD or Norco College. In addition, language barriers, public transportation, and a college learning environment may be contributing factors that may discourage adult learners from attending classes at CNUSD and Norco College.
ANALYSIS:
A grant application was submitted to the California State Library for additional ESL funding to fill in various gaps in the program. The Corona Public Library was awarded $81,648 through this grant, which will allow the library to offer weekday ESL classes in the afternoon, citizenship preparation to smaller classes in the afternoon and evening, and small group and one-on-one ESL and citizenship tutoring during normal library hours. All ESL classes will run as an open enrollment throughout the year to provide greater flexibility so a wide array of students from various backgrounds can register and attend the classes. Rather than solely relying on California’s standard curriculum and mandatory attendance, which tend to be less inviting and flexible for adult learners, this grant will allow instructors and tutors to track of students’ progress by using other metrics including students’ roles and goals, learners’ portfolio, class assessments, and homework.
The Corona Public Library’s ESL program aims to serve our diverse population, who speak a language other than English as their primary language. Adult learners may include, but are not limited to, immigrants, refugees and other residents in the neighboring cities who wish to improve their English proficiency.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $81,648 from the Adult and Family Literacy Grant Fund 442 to the Literacy Grant Community Outreach Division’s operating budget. These grant funds do not have a matching requirement. Grant funds must be fully expended in accordance with the City’s approved budget by June 30, 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is a financial transaction between the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation and the City of Corona, and there is no possibility that adopting this resolution will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KATHERINE BACKUS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST I
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, INTERIM COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Grant Approval Letter