#INspirEDgrants
September 2022
ESSER I (CARES), Title I Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, Title II Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019, and Title II FFY2020 Reminders
As a reminder, all funds from ESSER I, Title I FY2022, Title II FFY2019 (FY2020), and Title II FFY2020 (FY2021) allocations must be encumbered (obligated) by Friday, September 30. Local education agencies (LEA) may seek reimbursement (liquidate) for encumbered funds through Thursday, December 15. See the chart to the right for more information about when funds are considered obligated.
A common question LEAs may have when encumbering final expenses is, "What if I have expended an amount slightly greater than what was budgeted in a particular budget category, but our LEA did not submit an amendment by the Thursday, September 1, deadline?"
In this case, it is important to know that up to 10% may be expended beyond what was budgeted in a particular category. This is often referred to as the “10% rule.”
For example, if $40,000 was budgeted for Improvement of Instruction: Professional Services, up to $44,000 could be requested for reimbursement in that category (provided there is $4,000 available in a different object code in the Improvement of Instruction expenditure account).
The “10% rule” must be applied within the same expenditure account line. An LEA may not move 10% of funds between various expenditure accounts. The “line total” for each expenditure account must match the currently approved budget amount for each expenditure account.
i.e., moving 10% of Instruction: Salary to Community Service Operations: Supplies is not allowable
i.e., moving 10% of Instruction: Salary to Instruction: Supplies is allowable
Note: This does not apply to category 710-748 Property.
UPDATE: Title Budget Application Due Date Change
REMINDER: Updated Requirements for Title II Funds and Class Size Reduction
The Title Grants and Support (TGS) team has updated the requirements for LEAs that are interested in using Title II funding for class size reduction (CSR) in the 2022-2023 school year. After conducting a comprehensive needs assessment (CNA) and evaluating information in the Title Grants Pre-Application, LEAs should consult the "Decision Making Road Map for Class Size Reduction" document. This document can be previewed by clicking the icon to the right.
An LEA will then have two options available, CSR-1 and CSR-2, to apply for Title II funding for CSR. Based on the option an LEA chooses, there will be additional documentation required for federal grants specialists to review.
Please see additional information and available resources in the Title Grants and Support Moodle page for more information.
Contact Gina Romano with any questions.
New Risk Assessment to Determine Monitoring
The Office of Title Grants and Support has developed a new risk assessment data sheet to take effect in the 2022-2023 school year monitoring cycle. This new risk assessment will take into account Federal Ratings Score, student achievement growth for economically disadvantaged students it the areas of ELA and Math, along with LEA program detail measurements. Please watch for a draft copy of the Risk Assessment data sheet in an upcoming Friday update.
If you have any questions, please send them to TitleI@doe.in.gov.
Title Grant Supply and Equipment Expenses
Tier I: Consumables - These are less expensive items, such as headphones, cases, books, paper, ink, pens, pencils, etc., that can be easily refilled or replaced. Approximate value for Tier I items is $50 or less per unit (2 CFR 200.314; 2 CFR 200.45). In the budget application, an LEA should list three to four example items of the request for Tier I expenses.
Tier II: Safe-Guarded Items - These are slightly more expensive items that are considered depreciable assets, but do not meet the $5,000 threshold per unit. These items may be frequently damaged, lost, and/or stolen. These items include Chromebooks, iPads, laptops, etc. Approximate value for Tier II items is more than $50 but less than $5,000 per unit (2 CFR 200.314; 2 CFR 200.453). In the budget application, an LEA should list the item, quantity, and price per item for Tier II expenses.
Tier III: Property/Equipment - These items are considered capital expenditures and meet or exceed the $5,000 capitalization threshold per unit. Specific inventory procedures must be followed. These items include items such as smartboards, STEM equipment, copy machines, etc., (2 CFR 200.313; 2 CFR 200.439). In the budget application, an LEA should list the item, quantity, and price per item for Tier III expenses.
See the "Inventory Process" for additional information on the level of details required for budget applications and guidance on inventory processes.
Share Your ESSER Story
Schools that received funding through ESSER I have until Friday, September 30, to encumber these funds. As this deadline approaches, we would love to hear your ESSER stories! Please share how your school has utilized these funds to accelerate learning, drive sustainable innovations, support educators, and update infrastructure by using #ourESSERstory and #ourESSERstory_IN on social media.
TitleCon 2023: Drafting a Blueprint for the Unknown Updates
The TGS team will soon be distributing a call for proposals for breakout sessions at TitleCon 2023: Drafting a Blueprint for the Unknown, April 11-12, 2023 in Plainfield, Indiana. Please consider your capacity to bring your knowledge and expertise to TitleCon 2023! You may begin brainstorming potential topics related to Title grants and federal funding, as well as possible stakeholders that may serve as co-presenters. Proposals must align with the theme of “Drafting a Blueprint for the Unknown.” We look forward to submissions from those in the field who are able to bring their own unique experiences and learning to attendees!
A link to the call for proposal application will be included in an upcoming edition of Dr. Jenner's weekly newsletter.
Leveraging Federal Grant Funds
An important reminder when preparing to submit Title grant budget applications is to "fund the plan, not plan the funds." The "plan" is developed after considering the needs of the LEA and utilizing input from multiple stakeholders. The LEA should then determine the evidence based practices, programs, supplies, and personnel necessary to meet the needs identified. Finally, the LEA should identify all available funding sources available to fund the practices, programs, supplies, and personnel identified.
In the review of available funding sources, an LEA may consider braiding funding sources as an option to "fund the plan." Braiding funds occurs when dollars from multiple sources are used to support common goals or programs.
Examples of funds that can be braided:
- Unrestricted state and local funds
- Restricted state funds
- ESEA Title I, II, III, IV, and IV-B (21CCLC) funds
- IDEA
- GEER and ESSER funds
Important considerations for braiding funds:
- When braiding funds, each individual award keeps the original identity, including allowable activities and reporting requirements.
- Proportional benefit - if a cost benefits two or more projects or activities, the costs must be allocated to programs or activities based on the proportional benefits (if proportions can be determined). This proportional value can be allocated on a reasonably documented basis if proportions cannot be easily determined [2 CFR 200.405(d)].
- Supplement not supplant requirements still apply to each funding source as each fund maintains the original identity.
LEAs may also consider transferring funds to best support their needs. LEAs may transfer a portion or all of their Title II or Title IV allocations to the following funding streams:
- Title I, Part A
- Title I, Part C
- Title I, Part D
- Title II, Part A
- Title III, Part A
- Title IV, Part A
- Title V, Part B Rural and Low Income Schools
Important considerations for transferring funds:
When funding is transferred into another grant, the requirements of the recipient grant apply. For example, the equitable services set-aside for Title I apply to all funding (original plus any transferred funding).
Prior to transferring funding, LEAs with non-public equitable services set-aside must include this topic in consultation in order to result in agreement.
Please contact your assigned federal grants specialist for additional information and ideas on ways to best support your LEA's plan.
Coffee Chat Updates
August Coffee Chat - Non-public Schools and Equitable Share Transfers:
Thank you to those that were able to join an informative session on how LEAs can collaborate and create strong partnerships to serve non-public school students. The session also gave an overview of the equitable share transfer process, timeline, and best practices for a Lead LEA versus a Participating LEA. Guest speaker, Soumi Mukhopadhyay, a program administrator at MSD of Washington Township, also provided real examples and insights from the process used in their district - thank you, Soumi!
The "Equitable Share Transfer Timeline" is a great reference with easy-to-follow steps for LEAs participating in the transfer process.
Upcoming Coffee Chat Topics:
Please join us for the upcoming TGS Coffee Chats! Coffee Chats occur the last Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. ET. Please remember these meetings are scheduled in the eastern time zone.
Wednesday, September 28 - Title IV Funding
Wednesday, October 26 - Title I-A Funding
Click here to join.
If you have ideas on future Coffee Chat topics of interest, please contact your assigned federal grants specialist.
UPDATE: Coffee Chat and Quarterly Meeting Recordings
NEW: Ombudsman Weekly Office Hours
Bring your questions and join here.
Grants Side-by-Side
The "grants side-by-side" is a resource available to all LEAs and includes a calendar of important due dates and grant resources.