ESEA Federal Programs Update 3-23-21

Minnesota Department of Education sent this bulletin at 03/23/2021 07:30 AM CDT
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March 23, 2021

ESEA Federal Programs Update

Final Federal Fiscal Year 2020 Awards in SERVS

Prior to each academic year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) publish preliminary allocations in advance of the final appropriation from Congress. These preliminary allocations hold back funds in the anticipation of new charter schools opening, significant expansions of charter schools, and other enrollment changes that happen at the start of each school year. Following the passage of final spending bills by Congress, ED publishes final state awards and MDE calculates final awards to district and charter schools.

The final FFY2020 (School Year 2020–21) allocations for FIN401, FIN406, FIN414, and FIN433 have been loaded into SERVS. This may require local educational agency (LEA) action, please check SERVS for the following situations and make the appropriate adjustments during the amendment window (Mar 1–Apr 30):

  • Transferred Funds: Any LEA that transferred FIN414 and/or FIN433 awards to another finance code (FIN) should update the manage allocations section of SERVS to ensure the final award amounts are also transferred to the appropriate FIN.
  • Nonpublic Equitable Share: Update the budget worksheet with final 000 award amounts and upload to SERVS. Retain for your records the communication to nonpublic schools regarding their equitable share total.
  • Required Set-Asides and Limitations: Update the budget worksheet and upload to SERVS with final 000 award amounts related to the
    • minimum required set-asides (FIN401: family engagement and homeless),
    • program requirements (FIN417 and FIN433: category-specific minimums), and
    • other limitations (administrative set-aside caps across all programs).
  • Reduction of Funds: In some instances, the final award amount is less than the preliminary award. Reduce the budgeted amount to be less than or equal to the final award amount.

Email mde.esea@state.mn.us if there are any questions about final FFY20 awards.

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ESEA Grant Application Amendment Window is Open!

Districts and charter schools are able to make changes to their ESEA Title program applications between March 1 and April 30, 2021. This is the final opportunity to add or delete object codes and make any programmatic changes to the application.

How do I know if an application should be amended?

  • The district was asked during the approval process this fall to revise their application in the spring amendment window by the grant reviewer. 
  • The district plan changed and now needs to change object codes, edit or adjust narrative, modify budget justifications or change budget amounts.
  • The district needs to revise the Nonpublic Equitable Share.
  • The district contact information, including phone extensions, needs to be updated.
  • Set the stage for Amendment Window Two (Revise to Actuals – June/July/August 2021) and the next application cycle.

Specific Revision Reminders for Title I, Part A (FIN401)

Initially approved Title I, Part A (FIN401) applications may have included comments requiring updates during the Amendment Window. These updates must be submitted by April 30, 2021. The most common update requirements are:

  • Foster Care Transportation Agreements
  • Narrative responses for 9.1, 10.1, and 11.1 which are required even if your district does not fund the activities with Title I, Part A dollars
  • Budget items and justifications

For help making revisions, please use the reference tool or email mde.esea@state.mn.us.

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Upcoming Training Opportunities!

The MDE Equity and Opportunity Division is offering live training sessions to support district implementation and use of ESEA Title funds. All sessions are listed  on the ESEA Grant Applications Tools webpage and the MDE Calendar.

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Program Highlight – Determining Public School Eligibility for Title I, Part A

Title I, Part A (FIN401) funds are intended to be primarily school-based programs with some required and minimal district-level activities. How does your district determine which public schools to serve with Title I, Part A funds? As you prepare for school year 2021–22, consider the following:

  • Changing Needs: Consider your district’s strategic plan and comprehensive needs assessment. How does your district’s plan for serving schools with Title I, Part A funding align to the current needs and trends of your district? Take this opportunity to strategically consider the best use of all funding streams. Contact Sara George or Cindy Ward-Thompson to discuss Title I, Part A (FIN401) possibilities.
  • District Average Low-Income Rate: This is the total percent of students eligible for education benefits, often referred to as free and reduced-price meals program (FRP), enrolled in any public school within the district boundaries. Note: this average includes students in any public school, not just schools historically served with Title I, Part A funds. The district average excludes students enrolled in nonpublic schools. Note: MDE is working with the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidance on using the best available data for these rates during the pandemic and the related changes in FRP status.
  • Districts with total K–12 enrollment of 1000 or fewer students: Districts with fewer than 1,000 enrolled K–12 students may choose to serve the district as a whole without regard to the seventy-five percent rule, high school consideration, or rank ordering rules.
  • Districts with total K–12 enrollment of more than 1000 students:
    • Single School in a Grade Span: An LEA with only one school site in a grade span (elementary, middle school, or high school) may choose to serve that grade span without regard to the low-income (FRP) percentage, even if it is below the district average.
    • Seventy-Five Percent Rule: The district must serve all public K–12 schools with a low-income rate of 75 percent or more, including full-time special education sites and alternative learning centers.
    • High School Consideration: Districts may choose to serve high schools with a low-income rate of 50–74 percent before serving elementary or middle schools with low-income rates between 50 and 75 percent. Example: a district could determine that serving a high school with a low-income rate of 53 percent is the priority over an elementary with a low-income rate of 65 percent. See “Changing Needs” above.
    • Rank Order by District or Grade Span: Once a district has determined schools served with the 75 percent rule and High School Consideration, it may choose to serve remaining eligible schools in rank order by the entire K–12 district or rank order by grade span. An eligible school is school over the district average low-income rate or over the grade span (elementary, middle school, high school) average low-income rate. The district must serve eligible schools in order of highest low-income rate to lowest but may choose whether to serve all or only some eligible schools. A school that was served the prior year but is no longer eligible may be funded one additional year as long as the LEA does not skip an eligible school.
    • Thirty-Five Percent Rule: When a district’s average low-income rate is greater than 35 percent, the district may choose to serve any school with a low-income rate greater than 35 percent, schools with a low-income rate greater than 35 percent are considered eligible and can be served.

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