Final Entitlement, Carryover and Reallocation
TEA sent a news bulletin on January 25th announcing the release of 2023-2024 Final Entitlements for the ESSA and Special Education Consolidated Grant Applications.
The final entitlements can be viewed by LEA on TEA's Entitlements web page.
REMINDER: LEAs cannot apply for their final entitlements UNTIL the carryover AND reallocation amounts are announced at the end of February. Once all three categories of funds are available to the LEA, TEA will send the announcement asking LEAs open an amendment in the appropriate applications to begin budgeting final entitlements, reallocation and carryover (as applicable).
Charter schools must request an indirect cost rate each year by completing and submitting the Request for an Indirect Cost Rate for Charter Schools online survey. The deadline for submitting the survey and requesting an indirect cost rate for 2024–2025 is March 29, 2024.
To the Administrator released February 8, 2024 with additional details!
Name Change, But Same Great Content
Two great parent engagement learning opportunities provided by ESC-Region 16 on behalf of TEA. Please note, the events below were previously titled the PFE Summit is now identified as the Title I, Part A Compliance PFE Academy
For more information on both of these events, visit the PFE Statewide Initiative's website HERE.
|
On January 11, 2024, the US Department of Education announced the public comment period for amendments to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Click on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to review and add your comments.
The NPRM
- consolidates/clarifies regulations about participation of private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel in programs authorized under ESEA
- proposes amendments to parts 75, 76, 77, 79 and 299 of title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Comments are due on or before February 26, 2024 and must be submitted electronically. Pay special attention to the Navigation bar on the lefthand side of the NPRM link above - it will help you navigate between the table of contents quick links, adding a comment and reviewing submitted comments.
 I know you are weary, but the USDE Year Four ESSER Annual Performance Report DEADLINE is fast approaching - February 16, 2024. Keep in mind, if you have not yet opened Smartsheets to begin the process - there are actually 5 reports that may need data entry and submission - dependent on where you are with your ESSER I, II and III expenditures. In year 4, TEA is looking to submit data to USDE based on any drawdown of ESSER funds that occurred between 9/1/2022 - 8/31/2023. If your LEA had expended all funds for any one, or all of the ESSER grants, and drawn down those funds prior to that reporting period you will NOT be required to submit expenditure reports for those grants. BUT, all LEAs will be required to complete the Crossact and Schools reports.
All details, and a plethora of resources, can be found on this TEA bulletin sent on 1/26/2024. Note: ESC 20 was inadvertently left off of the assignments on the bulletin for the Year Four USDE ESSER Reporting - but rest assured, per TEA you can contact any one of the TEA contacts listed - as you have been doing - or your ESC staff to support :)
If you haven't seen it, TEA has released their annual comprehensive report that provides a detailed overview of the progress and achievements taking place in public school systems in our state including 88th Legislative Updates to School Funding.
As LEAs begin planning for 2024-2025 (hard to wrap your head around that one) the state annual report might help synchronize LEA planning with the state's goals and how your LEA demographic numbers compare to the state (page 13 of the report).
We have had several questions about using Title II, Part A funds to pay for substitute teachers. The TEA Title II, Part A Frequently Asked Questions has this response
-
Can an LEA use Title II, Part A funds to pay stipends and/or substitute costs associated with educators participating in professional development or mentorship initiatives?
- It depends. Although funds used to pay for stipends and/or substitute costs associated with educators participating in professional development or mentorship initiatives are considered allowable under Title II, Part A, there are several steps and requirements for using Title II, Part A funds. "Allowable" under Title II, Part A is only one part of the required steps. Please reference the Use of Funds section of the Title II, Part A Program Guide for the steps required to determine whether an LEA can use Title II, Part A funds for a particular expense.
-
I have heard guidance that federal funds should not be used for substitute pay, and have also heard that substitute pay should follow the funding stream of the staff that are being subbed for. What is the guidance for whether Title II, Part A funds can pay for substitutes?
- Title II, Part A funds may NOT be used to pay for substitutes to cover general absences; one exception would be if the LEA, according to its local policies and procedures, uses Title II, Part A funds to pay for substitutes for teachers who are paid with Title II, Part A funds. This would only apply to Title II, Part A teachers who are part of an evidence-based class-size reduction program.
- Title II, Part A funds may be used to pay for substitutes to allow teachers to attend a Title II, Part A-funded training.
- Substitute pay for private school teachers is not allowable under any circumstances.
If you made it all the way to the end of this very long bulletin, you are my people!
Hope to see you at our next Federal Program Director meeting - virtual setting only
- February 21, 2024
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (with the option to end by noon)
- To register, scroll down once clicking on link Session ID 93127
We will record the session and send it out to all.
Hope to see you then :)
|
