Title I Grants To Local Educational Agencies, Recovery Act (84.389)

Program

84.389 Title I Grants To Local Educational Agencies, Recovery Act

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education

Authorization

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), Title I, Part A, 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

84.389

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To help local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools improve the teaching and learning of children failing, or most at-risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic achievement standards.

Types of Assistance

Formula Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

Use of funds varies, depending on whether a school is operating a schoolwide program under Title I, section 1114 of ESEA or a targeted assistance program under Section 1115 of the ESEA. A school with at least a 40 percent poverty rate may choose to operate a schoolwide program under Section 1114 that allows Title I funds to be combined with other Federal, State, and local funds to upgrade the school's overall instructional program. Schoolwide program schools must receive the amount of non-Federal resources they would have received in the absence of Title I funds. All other participating schools must operate targeted assistance programs that provide extra instruction to those children failings, or most at risk of failing, to meet State academic achievement standards. Targeted assistance programs must ensure that Title I services supplement, and do not supplant the regular education programs normally provided with non-Federal funds by local educational agencies. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate, which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564-76.569. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group on (202) 708-7770.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

None

Beneficiary Eligibility

None

Credentials/Documentation

OMB Circular A-87 applies to this program. 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. SEAs apply for funds as part of Title I, Part A, State plans submitted to the Department of Education in accordance with Section 1111 of ESEA or as part of a consolidated State plan submitted under Section 9302 of ESEA. The plan remains in effect for the duration of the State's participation in Title I, Part A, but must be updated to reflect substantive changes. Participating LEA's must file an approved plan with their SEAs. No new applications are needed for ARRA funds, although SEAs may require LEAS to submit them.

Award Procedure

The Department of Education (ED) makes grants through SEAs to LEAs using two statutory formulas based primarily on Census Bureau estimates of the number of children from low-income families in each LEA.

Deadlines

Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

The Department obligated 50 percent of funds to SEAs on April 1, 2009, and expects to obligate the remainder by the end of fiscal year 2009.

Appeals

If an LEA's plan is disapproved by the SEA it may appeal to the SEA and then to the Department of Education under Section 432 of the General Education Provision Act (GEPA).

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching Requirements: ED allocates Title I, Part A funds made available under the ARRA through the Targeted and Education Finance Incentive Grant formulas authorized in sections 1125 and 1125A of the ESEA. Targeted Grant funds are allocated to LEAs based on each State's per-pupil expenditure for education and the number of school-aged children from low-income families. As required in section 1125 of the ESEA, ED applies weights to the count of children included in the formula so that LEAs with higher numbers or percentages of low-income children receive a higher allocation. To be eligible for a Targeted Grant an LEA (without application of the formula weights) must have at least 10 children in its Title I formula count, and the number of those children must be at least 5 percent of the LEA�s school-age population. The Education Finance Incentive Grant (EFIG) formula, in addition to using the number of children from low-income families and the State�s per-pupil expenditure, factors in (1) the State�s effort to provide financial support for education compared to its relative wealth as measured by its per-capita income (fiscal effort factor) and (2) the degree to which education expenditures among school districts within a State are equalized (equity factor). To qualify for funds under the EFIG formula, an LEA must also meet the 10 formula child and 5 percent eligibility thresholds established for Targeted Grants.

This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The maintenance of effort requirement in sections 1125A(e) and 9521 of the ESEA apploy to Title I, Part A.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Title I, Part A ARRA funds are available for obligation from February 17, 2009, to September 30, 2010. Subject to the carryover limitations in section 1127 of ESEA, LEAs will have until September 30, 2011, to obligate these funds as provided in section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: N/A.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program reports are not applicable. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. In addition, each SEA and LEA must submit quarterly reports as to their use of Title I, Part A ARRA funds.

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. States and local governments that recieve financial assisance between $25,000 and $500,000 within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made in accordance with the Appendix to 34 CRF, Parat 80, or in accordance with the Federal laws and regulations governing the programs in which they participate.

Records

In accordance with the General Education Provisions Act, States and LEAS must maintain certain program records for 3 years.

Program Accomplishments

Not Applicable.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-0901-0-1-501.

Obligations

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

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

For FY 2009, the awards made from funds available under the ARRA range from $25.8 million to $1.1 billion; the average award is $190.4 million.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

34 CFR 200. For Title I guidance and other information, contact the program office.

Related Programs

84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Susan Wilhelm 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., , Washington, District of Columbia 20202-6132 Email: susan.wilhelm@ed.gov Phone: (202) 260-0826

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html; or http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/programs.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.