Section 1716 - Unit for academic excellence(a) "Unit for academic excellence" is defined for funding purposes as 1 unit for each 250 full-time equivalent students in a school district, grades K through 12. Districts shall qualify for partial funding for a fractional part of 250 full-time equivalent pupils enrolled in grades K through 12.(b) Each student may be counted only once, and for pupils who attend schools in more than 1 district during each school day, the pupil is to be counted in each district for the portion of the school day the pupil is in attendance there. Kindergarten pupils shall be counted as one-half time for purposes of obtaining the full-time equivalent enrollment.(c) The unit for academic excellence may be used to provide educational services such as, but not limited to, the following: reading, communications skills, mathematics, science, social studies, elementary and secondary counseling, elementary and secondary foreign languages, elementary and secondary performing arts, elementary physical education, elementary music, elementary art, library services, career education in grades 7 and 8, paraprofessional such as service or instructional aides, programs for gifted and talented pupils, career placement counselors, programs for limited English proficient pupils, programs for children at risk as defined by the Department of Education, programs to promote improved school climate and discipline, including, but not limited to, employing intervention specialists and programs to provide additional time for students who are performing below the standard level, including, but not limited to, Saturday academies, extended day and year and summer academies, and educational technology personnel on a district-wide basis. Provided further, a unit for academic excellence may be used to hire a school employed athletic trainer licensed by the Delaware Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers in a school that is a member of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association and that offers interscholastic contact or collision sports.(d) Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a school district from using pupil units provided under § 1703 of this title to employ personnel to provide educational services authorized under subsection (c) of this section; except that a school district shall not be permitted to use pupil units provided under § 1703 of this title to employ a licensed athletic trainer.(e) The programs authorized under this section shall operate for the number of hours of employment as specified by § 1305 of this title, and personnel employed with funds authorized under this section shall be paid in accordance with § 1305 of this title. Units may be used to fund extended year programs using a formula of 1 unit for each individual employed for the number of hours of employment as specified by § 1305 of this title. School districts are also authorized to employ 2 service aides or 2 instructional aides for each unit in lieu of 1 person employed under § 1305 of this title, provided that such aides are paid in accordance with the salary schedule contained in § 1324 of this title.(f) One unit of funding shall include Division I funding for 1 person funded under § 1305 of this title or 2 aides funded under § 1324 of this title, as specified in subsection (e) of this section plus 1 unit of "Division II -- All Other Costs" as contained in the annual Appropriations Act. In addition, beginning with the fiscal year commencing July 1, 1997, any unit that is filled with an employee or employees as described in this subsection, and not taken as a cash option as described in subsection (g) of this section, shall also include 1 Division III Equalization unit amount as defined in § 1707 of this title.(g) A school district may elect to take a cash option for up to 30 percent of the units to which it is entitled under this section in any fiscal year. Funds spent for extended time programs for children performing below the standard level shall not count against the cash option limit. In such case, the district may use the funds so derived for either Division I or Division II purposes; provided however, that such funds must be used for educational services specified in subsection (c) of this section and may not be used to supplement state salaries authorized in Chapter 13 of this title for any employee. The cash option shall provide the number of dollars set in the state-supported salary schedule for a teacher holding a master's degree with 10 years of experience and employed for 10 months.(h) Any school district wishing to use funds under any of the options set forth in this section shall make application to the Department of Education. Such application shall specify, as a minimum, the types of services to be provided and the use that will be made of the funds authorized by this section.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 295,s 379, eff. 6/30/2024.61 Del. Laws, c. 546, § 2; 62 Del. Laws, c. 68, §§131, 132; 62 Del. Laws, c. 86, §§30, 31; 64 Del. Laws, c. 323, §§1, 2; 68 Del. Laws, c. 84, §211; 68 Del. Laws, c. 290, §242; 69 Del. Laws, c. 291, §310; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 425, §§ 305, 307; 71 Del. Laws, c. 132, § 323; 71 Del. Laws, c. 180, § 109; 72 Del. Laws, c. 294, § 47; 78 Del. Laws, c. 50, §§ 1, 2.;