(a)
The board, in consultation with the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education, shall establish a program to provide grants to school districts and schools to assist in the development and implementation of educational programs and to promote the use of existing educational programs to teach the concepts of source reduction, recycling, and composting.
(b)
The board, in consultation with the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education, shall adopt criteria for awarding grants pursuant to this article, including, but not limited to, the grant’s structure, the schedule for awarding grants, and grant amount limits. These criteria shall include,
but not be limited to, a procedure for the geographic distribution of the grants and the appropriate representation of elementary, middle, and high school as grant recipients. In adopting this criteria, the board shall include, in the criteria, the extent to which an office, a school district, or a school has demonstrated a commitment to achieving the following goals:
(1)
The adoption of waste reduction and recycling programs and practices.
(2)
The adoption and implementation of the unified education strategy adopted pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 71300) of Division 34.
(3)
The allocation of adequate space for the safe collection, storage, and loading of recyclable materials.
(4)
To the maximum extent feasible, the use of recycled materials
and environmentally preferable products in the construction or modernization of public school facilities.
(5)
Participation in the environmental ambassador pilot program established pursuant to Section 51226.4 of the Education Code.
(c)
Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the adoption of criteria for the awarding of grants pursuant to this article is not the adoption of a regulation, and is exempt from the requirements of that chapter.