|
The SIA team continues to express our gratitude for all of the work you are all doing. Our team at ODE knows that it has not been without its challenges, especially for those of you experiencing weather impacts this week directly or in your communities.
In our message last week, we indicated the preliminary allocation estimates and the budget template for the 2021-23 SIA Plan update would be released this Friday. However, due to the impact of the recent winter storms and in recognition that many are still waiting for restoration of power and internet services, including some of our staff working on these items, we are delaying the release of those items until next week.
In the meantime, the SIA team is continuing to review progress reports with the goal of completing the reviews by March 15th. As a reminder, you may receive an email requesting either a minor adjustment to your reporting dashboard or additional information to be submitted if we have a more substantial question or concern. As always, you are welcome to reach out to the SIAinfo@state.or.us with any questions.
- Preliminary allocation estimates
- Budget template for the 2021-23 SIA Plan update
- Community Engagement Toolkit
- Charter School Supplemental Guidance
- Summer Extension Form
Q: Could you share more about why there is a difference in reporting requirements between SIA and other funding streams such as CARES/ESSER, including why Smartsheet is used?
A: CARES and ESSER funds are emergency federal funding streams released to support schools dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. These funds are intended to be moved quickly and fluidly, with different reporting requirements compared to state funding streams including the SIA. SIA funds come from a new and dedicated funding source, the Corporate Activity Tax (CAT), with prescriptive requirements in state statute.
As part of the SIA, grant recipients are required to report on:
- Spending in order to ensure the funds are spent on planned activities within the allowable use areas. This is especially important given the SIA is a disbursement grant, meaning grantees can claim up to a certain percentage of funding at different time periods through the year, which is very different then many of ODE's claims-based grants.
- Progress towards meeting longitudinal performance growth targets (LPGTs) and local optional metrics. This will support ODE in providing technical assistance and coaching to grant recipients.
Additionally, SIA recipients are required to complete an annual report and municipal audit which must be posted to the grantee’s website, presented at an open meeting with the opportunity for public comment, and approved by the governing board, which is unique to the SIA funds.
The use of Smartsheet for SIA reporting is creating a pathway for districts and eligible charter schools to more readily share updates, while also creating a mechanism for integrating information across different programs in new ways. While this will take time and news ways of working, we think this will lead to the kind of collaboration and sharing of information we believe districts and schools would like to see. Overtime, we hope districts will find that we can ask for less repetitive information and only ask for the critical information we need, while building alignment across grant programs, using tools like Smartsheet. Please let us know if there are ways we can help you use this tool and see the benefits of an approach we believe will eventually lead to the kinds of alignment changes many of you consistently request.
 |
|
Please send any questions or comments to SIAInfo@state.or.us.
You’ve been automatically added to this listserv based on your role, but you can manage your subscription as needed. We encourage you to share this message with new staff in your school/district who may be interested in receiving these weekly updates.
|
|
