Special Education Grants To States, Recovery Act (84.391)

Program

84.391 Special Education Grants To States, Recovery Act

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education
Office: Office Of Special Education And Rehabilitative Services

Authorization

Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA), as amended, Part B, Section 611-618, 20 U.S.C 1411-1418; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

84.391

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants to States to assist them in providing a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities.

Types of Assistance

Formula Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds are used by State and local educational agencies, in accordance with the IDEA, to help provide the special education and related services needed to make a free appropriate public education available to all eligible children and, in some cases, early intervening services.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

None

Beneficiary Eligibility

None

Credentials/Documentation

The designated plan review agencies must be given an opportunity to review the State's policies and procedures. Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. There is no separate application required for States to be eligible to receive funds under the Recovery Act. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.

States do not need to submit new applications to receive the first 50 percent of the Recovery Act funds for Part B grants to States and Preschool grants because these funds will be made available to each State based on the State�s eligibility determination for FY 2008 Part B funds. In order to receive the remaining 50 percent of funds of Part B funds under the Recovery Act, States must submit an amendment to the FY 2009 application for review and approval by the Department. This amendment will be required to address the record-keeping and reporting requirement that are specified in the Recovery Act.

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. States are eligible to receive funds under this program if the State establishes eligibility for funds under Section 612 of Part B of the IDEA. Local education agencies establish eligibility by meeting local application eligibility requirements of Section 613 of Part B of the IDEA.

Award Procedure

Grants awards representing 50 percent of the total Part B grant amount under the Recovery Act will be forwarded to the State�s department of education. Notification of the award is made to the Chief State School Officer.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Not Applicable.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory Formula: Part B.

Matching Requirements: funds are awarded based on a statutory formula. In general, subject to minimum and maximum funding requirements, if the funds available to States increase from one year to the next, each of the states first received what it received in 1999. Eighty-five percent of the remaining funds are distributed based on the relative number of children with disabilities in the age range for which States mandate services; 15 percent of the remaining funds are distributed based on the ralative numbers of those children living in poverty. If the amount available to these entities decreases from one year to the next, each entity receives what it did in 1999. Remaining funds are distributed in proportion to the increased these entities received between 1999 and the present year. Most of the funds must be distributed to local education agencies directly serving children. States may retain the remaining funds for state-level activities including administration of, support of, and direct services to children with disabilities. There are non-supplanting and excess cost requirements. The MOE requirements for this program applies to both State Educational Agencies and local educational agencies and is based on the amount of State and local expenditures for the previous fiscal year. Contact the program office for further details.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funds are available for obligation at the Federal level until September 30, 2010. State and local education agencies have an additional 12-month period to obligate funds they receive. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: No information provided.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

For Recovery Act-funded programs, States will be required to report on how funds are spent. Additional information on record keeping and reporting requirements will be included in application instructions or program guidance to be provided later.

Grantees receiving Recovery Act funds should anticipate having to report, at a minimum, at the end of each quarter on the amount of grant funds obligated and expended; all activities for which those funds were obligated and expended; the completion status of those activities; the estimated number of jobs created or retained by the project and those activities; and detailed information on any contracts awarded with grant funds. Financial and program reports must be submitted as required by grant award terms and conditions. Financial and program reports must be submitted as required by grant award terms and conditions. Financial and program reports must be submitted as required by grant award terms and conditions. Financial and program reports must be submitted as required by grant award terms and conditions.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

As required by EDGAR for State administered programs (34 CFR 76.730-731). Also, all records supporting claims for Federal funds or relating to the accountability of the grantee for the expenditure of such funds must be accessible for administrative review.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: N/A. Fiscal Year 2009: Approximately 6.8 million children with disabilities are expected to be served. Fiscal Year 2010: N/A.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0299-0-1-501.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $11,300,000,000; FY 10 est $0

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

The range of awards to States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico is $16.4 million to $1.2 billion, with an average award of $148 million.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Program regulations are at 34 CFR 300.

Related Programs

84.027 Special Education_Grants to States

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Ruth Ryder Office of the Assistant Secretary for Special Education Programs, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, District of Columbia 20202 Email: RuthRyder@ed.gov Phone: (202)245-7629

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

States and other eligible entities qualify for funding based upon applications approved under IDEA, Section 612.