SRSA application

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of School Support and Rural Programs

Washington, D.C. 20202

Fiscal Year 2017

Application for New Grants Under

the Small, Rural School Achievement Program

CFDA 84.358A

Dated Material - Open Immediately

Closing Date: Month Day, Year

Approved OMB Number: 1810-0646

Expiration Date: MM/DD/YYYY

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is:1810-0646. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average three hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data resources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain a grant under the Small, Rural School Achievement program, authorized under Title V, Part B, Subpart 1of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Students Succeeds Act of 2015.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Mr. Eric Schulz, Small, Rural School Achievement program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E210, Washington D.C. 20202. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.]

Table of Contents

Dear Applicant Letter 1

Program Overview 4

Introduction 4

Purpose 4

Eligibility 4

Funding 7

Frequently Asked Questions 9

Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants 12

Application Submission Procedures 13

Application Transmittal Instructions 13

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software 15

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants 16

Application Instructions 20

Electronic Application Format 20

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 20

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) 21

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524) 22

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427 (GEPA 427) 22

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) 23

Legal and Regulatory Information 29

Application Notice 29

Program Statute 30

United States Department of Education

O ffice of Elementary and Secondary Education

office of school support and rural programs

Dear Colleague Letter

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The SRSA program is one of two programs authorized under the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) – Part B of Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). The SRSA program authorizes formula grant awards to small, rural local educational agencies (LEAs) that meet the eligibility requirements. SRSA awards may be used to fund a wide range of local activities that support student achievement. In addition, the SRSA program provides eligible LEAs with greater flexibility in using the formula grant funds they receive under certain State-administered Federal programs.

As you know, on December 10, 2015, the ESSA, which reauthorized the ESEA, was signed into law. With respect to SRSA eligibility determinations, the ESSA will take effect with fiscal year (FY) 2017 awards. In an effort to provide applicants with more information about the SRSA program, as authorized under the ESSA, the FY 2017 application package is several pages longer than the application package that existed in prior years. Nevertheless, the information we are collecting on the application is very similar to the information collected previously. We strongly encourage you to take the time to review the application package thoroughly and in its entirety, as we have made several changes in order to implement new ESSA provisions, ensure the data used to determine awards are valid, and reliable, and improve the grant award process. We summarize below changes to program eligibility and the application process, as well as highlight important provisions regarding the calculation and period of availability of awards:

Regarding eligibility,

1. an LEA that is a member of an educational service agency (ESA) is eligible for SRSA funds, if it meets the SRSA eligibility requirements and if the ESA does not receive SRSA funds;

2. an LEA that is eligible for both SRSA and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program may choose to participate in either SRSA or RLIS; and

3. the Department utilized the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) 2015-16 Local Education Agency Universe Survey (LEA Directory) to determine its master list of LEAs. Therefore, an LEA not in existence in 2015-16 will not receive an FY 2017 award.

Regarding the application submission procedures,

1. beginning in FY 2017, all eligible LEAs are required to submit an SRSA application annually in order to receive SRSA funds, regardless of whether the LEA received an award in prior years. An eligible LEA that fails to submit an FY 2017 SRSA application or fails to submit an application in accordance with the application submission procedures is at risk of not receiving an FY 2017 SRSA award. Such LEAs may receive an award only to the extent funds become available after awards are made to all eligible LEAs that complied with the application procedures; and

2. all eligible LEAs are required to submit their SRSA application electronically via the Grants.gov portal unless the LEA qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirements. For information about exceptions to the electronic submission requirements, applicants should review the application submission requirements described in the Federal Register notice for the application.

Regarding funding,

1. the available period of SRSA funds will be 15 months (e.g., for FY 2017 awards, LEAs must obligate funds between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018);

2. award amounts will be adjusted (see ESEA section 5212(b)(3)¹) after the Department subtracts the total amount of funding the LEA received during the preceding fiscal year under the Title II, Part A program². Furthermore, the Department will apply the ratable adjustment to all LEAs, regardless of whether they have an initial award amount of the statutory minimum, maximum, or between. This will ensure the ratable adjustment is applied across all LEAs. LEAs that received the smallest allocations in prior years likely will see a notable increase in their award amounts. Whereas, LEAs that received the maximum or close to the maximum award amount in prior years will likely see a decrease in their FY 2017 award amount; and

3. according to the hold harmless provision in section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA, LEAs that were eligible and received an FY 2015 SRSA award, but are no longer eligible to receive an award in FY 2017, because of amendments the ESSA made to the locale code designations referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the statute, may continue to receive FY 2017, 2018, and 2019 SRSA awards at a reduced rate. (See ESEA section 5212(b)(4) for more information). In order to receive these awards, LEAs are required to submit an annual application according to the same procedures as eligible LEAs.

To apply for this formula grant program, beginning with the FY 2017 application period, it is mandatory for applicants to use the government-wide website, Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), to apply. If you have not used Grants.gov for other grant submissions, please do not wait to begin the application process. Registering in Grants.gov involves many steps, which normally take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending on various factors. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and strongly recommend that you register and submit your application early. An application will not be funded if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or if the application does not contain the information required under the program (34 CFR §75.216(b) and (c)).

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download a compatible version of Adobe Reader. Please review the (1) Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software and (2) Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants sections found within this package for further information and guidance related to this requirement.

Please visit our program website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/index.html for further information. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Eric Schulz by telephone at (202) 260-7349 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Lisa R. Ramírez

Director

Program Overview

Introduction

The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP), authorized under Title V, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), is designed to assist rural local educational agencies (LEAs) in using Federal resources more effectively to improve the quality of instruction and student academic achievement. It consists of two separate programs – the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program.

This package provides additional information about the SRSA program, including (1) program eligibility changes that are a result of the newly reauthorized ESEA, and (2) procedural changes designed to improve the grant award process. It also describes the process all LEAs must follow to apply for fiscal year (FY) 2017 SRSA awards. Please note, FY 2017 is the first year of a new authorization cycle, therefore, all grantees are required to submit an FY 2017 SRSA application. Additionally, unlike the Department’s procedures under the prior authorization period, all eligible LEAs will be required to submit a new SRSA application on an annual basis in order to receive future year awards. This change will help the Department improve SRSA program operations to include informing grantees earlier in the year of their eligibility for the SRSA grant and the amount of the award, and to distribute awards to grantees as early as July 1 of each year. In addition, the annual application will enable the Department to receive notification of whether an LEA desires to receive an SRSA grant in cases of LEAs that are eligible for both SRSA and RLIS, confirm an LEA’s intent to make use of SRSA funding, maintain updated and accurate grantee contact information, and ensure grantees are able to draw down grant funds from the Department’s G5 grant system immediately upon receipt of their grant award.

Please read these instructions carefully and in their entirety to learn more about the SRSA program and the application submission procedures. In accordance with Department regulations, applicants that do not comply with all procedural rules governing submission of SRSA applications will not be evaluated for funding and the applicant will not receive an SRSA award.

Purpose

The SRSA program authorizes formula grant awards directly to LEAs to support a wide range of local activities that support student achievement. It also provides eligible LEAs with greater flexibility in using the formula grant funds they receive under certain State-administered Federal programs. This flexibility is better known as “REAP-Flex”. See the next section for more information about “REAP-Flex”.

Eligibility

SRSA Eligibility Criteria:

LEAs are eligible to participate in the SRSA grant program, if they:

1. have a total average daily attendance (ADA) of less than 600 students, or serve only schools that are located in counties that have a population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile; and

2. serve only schools that have been assigned a school locale code of 41, 42, or 43 by the Department’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) or are located in an area of the State defined as rural by a governmental agency of the State. In instances in which a State agency defines the area in which an LEA is located as rural, the State educational agency (SEA) and the Department must agree to the rural designation before the LEA may participate in either REAP-Flex or the SRSA grant program.

In addition, an LEA that is a member of an Educational service agency (ESA)³ is eligible to participate in SRSA if the ESA does not receive SRSA funds and if the LEA meets the requirements described in (1) and (2) above.

FY 2017 Eligible LEAs:

The Department determines SRSA eligibility using a combination of data from NCES, the U.S. Census Bureau, and SEAs. More specifically, for FY 2017 awards, the Department utilized the NCES 2015-16 Local Education Agency Universe Survey (LEA Directory) to determine its master list of LEAs.⁴ The 2015-16 LEA Directory is similar to the master list the Department used for FY 2016 awards. The FY 2017 master list of LEAs will be populated with locale code, population density, and poverty data provided by NCES and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as average daily attendance data, missing poverty data, and State-designated “rural” information (if applicable), submitted to the Department by SEAs in March 2016. SEAs will provide missing data and updated operational information in early 2017. Using these data, the Department will determine, for purposes of FY 2017, (1) which LEAs are eligible for SRSA, (2) which are eligible for RLIS, (3) which are eligible for both programs, and (4) which are no longer SRSA eligible, but may receive an award under the hold harmless provision referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii).

Please note, if an LEA was not yet in existence in 2015-16 (and therefore is not in the 2015-16 LEA Directory), it will not be considered for FY 2017 SRSA eligibility and should not apply. If an eligible LEA in the 2015-16 LEA Directory is no longer in existence as of 2016-17 or will close prior to 2017-2018, the LEA is no longer eligible to receive an FY 2017 SRSA award and should not apply.

A list of LEAs eligible to apply for FY 2017 SRSA awards is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. An eligible LEA that does not apply in accordance with the application submission procedures will not be awarded FY 2017 SRSA funds.

ESA LEAs:

As part of the reauthorization of Title V, Part B of the ESEA, an LEA that is a member of an ESA is eligible to participate in SRSA if the ESA does not receive SRSA funds and if the LEA meets the requirements described in (1) and (2) above. The Department notifies both LEAs and ESAs of their eligibility for an SRSA award via the list it makes available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. SRSA-eligible LEAs that are members of SRSA-eligible ESAs and the respective ESA must coordinate directly with each other to determine which entity will submit an SRSA application, as both entities may not receive SRSA funds.

Dual Eligible-LEAs:

Also beginning in FY 2017 with the reauthorization of Title V, Part B of the ESEA, an LEA that meets the eligibility criteria for both the SRSA program and the RLIS program (also known as “dual eligible-LEAs”) may choose to participate in either SRSA or RLIS. Section 5225(b) requires an LEA with dual eligibility to notify the Department of its preference to participate in either SRSA or RLIS. An LEA with dual eligibility will notify the Department of its choice based on whether or not it submits an SRSA application. An LEA with dual eligibility that applies for SRSA in accordance with the application submission procedures will receive an FY 2017 SRSA award. An LEA with dual eligibility that chooses not to submit an SRSA application or whose application is not submitted in accordance with the application submission procedures will be included automatically in the list of RLIS-eligible LEAs the Department provides to States. SEAs can choose to issue RLIS grants using a funding formula or on a competitive basis. Therefore, the Department cannot guarantee that a dual eligible LEA that chooses to participate in RLIS will receive an RLIS award.

Dual eligible-LEAs are identified on the list the Department makes available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. Specifically, dual eligible-LEAs are identified with the word “DUAL” in the column titled “Dual-Eligible for both SRSA and RLIS”. A list of considerations when choosing between SRSA and RLIS is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. Please note, this list is not all-inclusive. Each LEA, after familiarizing itself with the requirements and provisions for both programs, must make a decision based on its own needs.

Hold Harmless-LEAs:

LEAs that were eligible and received an FY 2015 SRSA award, but are no longer SRSA-eligible because of amendments the ESSA made to the locale code designations referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii), may continue to receive FY 2017, 2018, and 2019 SRSA awards at a reduced rate. LEAs that are not SRSA-eligible for other reasons will not receive an award. Hold harmless-LEAs must submit an FY 2017 SRSA application (as well as FY 2018 and FY 2019 applications) in order to receive an award.

We note, LEAs eligible for both SRSA funding pursuant to the hold harmless provision, and for an RLIS award must choose which award they want to receive. A list of considerations when making this decision is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. Similar to the procedures described for dual eligible-LEAs, an LEA eligible for SRSA funding pursuant to the hold harmless provision, and an RLIS award, will notify the Department of its choice based on whether or not it submits an SRSA application. If the LEA chooses not to submit an SRSA application or the LEA’s application is not submitted in accordance with the application submission procedures, the LEA will be included automatically in the list of RLIS-eligible LEAs the Department provides to States. SEAs can choose to issue RLIS grants using a funding formula or on a competitive basis. Therefore, the Department cannot guarantee that an LEA that chooses to participate in RLIS will receive an RLIS award.

Hold harmless-LEAs are identified on the list the Department makes available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. Specifically, hold harmless-LEAs are identified with an “HH” in the column titled “SRSA–Hold Harmless.” For more information about the hold harmless provision and the rate reductions, see the next section titled Funding or see section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA.

REAP-Flex:

REAP-Flex is the term the Department has given to the “alternative uses of funds” authority under the SRSA program. This authority provides flexibility to SRSA-eligible LEAs to use Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A formula funds to support local activities under certain State-administered Federal programs in order to assist them in addressing local academic needs more effectively. These State-administered Federal programs are: (1) Title I, Part A, Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs; (2) Title II, Part A, Supporting Effective Instruction; (3) Title III, Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students; (4) Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; and (5) Title IV, Part B, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers. (See section 5211(a) of the ESEA for more information.)

An SRSA-eligible LEA does not have to apply for SRSA funds in order to exercise its REAP-Flex authority. An LEA that is eligible for both SRSA and RLIS may exercise REAP-Flex authority even if the LEA chooses to participate in RLIS instead of SRSA. Regardless of which program the LEA chooses, the LEA must notify its SEA on an annual basis on or before the notification deadline established by the SEA of its intent to exercise its REAP-Flex authority. LEAs should reach out to their SEA contact for more information about the SEA’s REAP-Flex notification deadline.

Funding

Award Amounts and Award Date:

For FY 2016, the Department awarded approximately $88 million in SRSA funds to nearly 4,300 LEAs. The average award amount for FY 2016 was $20,682. The maximum award amount an LEA may receive in any year is $60,000. The Department expects to award a similar amount in SRSA funds in FY 2017, but this will be determined by final congressional action on FY 2017 appropriations.

The Department intends to make FY 2017 awards in September 2017. The Department intends to make FY 2018 and future awards in July of each year.

Calculation of Awards:

SRSA grant amounts are calculated on the basis of a statutory formula (see ESEA section 5212(b)). The actual size of an LEA’s FY 2017 award will depend on several factors including: the amount of funds appropriated by Congress for the SRSA grant program, the number of LEAs that are eligible and apply for SRSA funds, the LEA’s average daily attendance for the preceding year, and the LEA’s Title II, Part A award amounts for the preceding fiscal year.

More specifically, for each LEA that is eligible and has applied, the Department calculates an initial allocation that is equal to $20,000 plus $100 for each child in average daily attendance above 50, except that no LEA may receive an initial allocation of more than $60,000. An LEA’s final allocation is equal to the initial allocation minus the total amount of funding the LEA received during the preceding fiscal year under the Title II, Part A program.. If the amount that Congress appropriates in any fiscal year is not sufficient to provide all eligible LEAs that submit an SRSA application the entire amount that they would otherwise receive by formula, the Department ratably reduces the allocation for all LEAs. Similarly, the Department ratably increases LEA allocations if the amount appropriated for SRSA is greater than the amount necessary to provide each LEA with its full allocation.

In FY 2017 and going forward, the Department will ratably adjust awards after it has subtracted the total amount of funding the LEA received during the preceding fiscal year under the Title II, Part A program. Furthermore, the Department will apply the ratable adjustment to all LEAs, including to LEAs with an initial amount of the $20,000 minimum as well as to those at the $60,000 maximum. As a result, LEAs that received the smallest allocations in prior years will likely see an increase in their FY 2017 award amount, and LEAs that received the maximum or close to the maximum award amount in prior years will likely see a decrease in their FY 2017 award amount.

SRSA Hold Harmless Provision:

According to section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA, an LEA that is no longer eligible for SRSA because of amendments the ESSA made to the locale code designations referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii), but that was eligible and received an FY 2015 SRSA award, will receive a proportion of its FY 2015 award amount for each of three years. Specifically, for FY 2017, the LEA will receive 75 percent of the amount it received for FY 2015; for FY 2018, the LEA will receive 50 percent of the amount it received for FY 2015; and for FY 2019, the LEA will receive 25 percent of the amount it received for FY 2015. As stated previously, hold harmless-LEAs must submit an FY 2017 SRSA application (as well as, FY 2018 and FY 2019 applications) in order to receive an award.

Availability of Funds:

FY 2017 funds will be awarded for the performance period of July 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. The LEA may use SRSA funds to cover allowable expenses incurred during this period, and they must obligate funds during this period. The regulations at 34 CFR § 75.707 provide examples of when an “obligation” occurs for various types of activities. LEAs must liquidate all obligations by December 30, 2018. Any obligations not liquidated within this period will be subject to further scrutiny and may not be approved. We note that SRSA funds do not have the additional 12-month period of availability (commonly referred to as the “Tydings period”) that applies to many State-administered formula programs.

Uses of SRSA Funds:

Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, an LEA may use its SRSA funds to carry out local activities authorized under the following programs: (1) Title I, Part A, Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs; (2) Title II, Part A, Supporting Effective Instruction; (3) Title III, Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students; (4) Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; and (5) Title IV, Part B, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. The Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) references discretionary grant programs. Does my LEA have to complete the SF 424 since the SRSA is a formula program?

A1. Yes, your LEA must complete and submit the SF 424 in order to apply for SRSA funds in accordance with the application submission procedures. The SF 424 is used for both discretionary and formula grant programs.

Q2. The SF 424 asks for information that was not required in the past and that is not directly applicable to the SRSA program. Does my LEA have to provide this information?

A2. Yes. The SF 424 is a standard form used by many programs. If required fields are not completed, you will not be able to submit your application via Grants.gov. In the application instructions section, on page 22, we provide Helpful Hints for completing fields not required in the past and not directly related to the SRSA program.

Q3. When completing the SF 424, can the name provided for the program contact (requested in item 8f) be the same name provided for the authorized representative (requested in 21)?

A3. Ideally, the applicant will identify two separate individuals for items 8f and 21. However, in cases of very small LEAs, the authorized representative can also be listed as the program contact.

Q4. When completing the SF 424, what amounts should an applicant enter for “Estimated Funding” (items 18a and 18b)?

A4. Some information requested on the SF 424 is not directly applicable to the SRSA program. Nevertheless, the information is required in order to submit your application via Grants.gov. For Item 18, Estimated Funding, please enter the number zero in both (a) and (b). SRSA grant funding levels are determined by the Department. For more helpful hints about completing fields not required in the past or not directly related to the SRSA program, please see the Helpful Hints described on page 22 of this package.

Q5. If an applicant encounters a problem while uploading an application, does obtaining a Support Desk Case Number from Grants.gov mean the application will be accepted even though it may be submitted after the deadline?

A5. Obtaining a Support Desk Case Number from Grants.gov does not guarantee an application will be accepted when submitted late. The program office must confirm that a technical problem with the Grants.gov system caused the application to be submitted late before the program office can determine if accepting the late application is appropriate.

Q6. How early should applicants submit applications?

A6. Start the application as soon as possible. An applicant is required to obtain several credentials before uploading an application to Grants.gov. Obtaining these credentials (Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, Tax Identification Number (TIN), System for Award Management (SAM) certification, etc.) can take several weeks and an application will not be approved until all registration requirements have been met.

Q7. What are the exceptions to the electronic application submission requirements?

A7. In accordance with the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier, or by hand delivery. Your LEA may qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and you may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because—

You do not have access to the Internet; or

You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system;

and

No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.

Please review the instructions in the Federal Register notice for more information.

Q8. In prior years, my LEA has received an SRSA grant award even though it did not submit an application on an annual basis. If my LEA does not submit an application for FY 2017, will it still receive an SRSA award?

A8. No. If an LEA does not submit an application for FY 2017, it will not receive an SRSA grant award. FY 2017 is the first year of a new authorization cycle, therefore, all grantees are required to submit a new application. In addition, the Department will require SRSA-eligible LEAs to submit an application on an annual basis to enable the Department to receive notification of whether an LEA desires to receive an SRSA grant in cases of LEAs that are eligible for both SRSA and RLIS, confirm an LEA’s intent to make use of SRSA funding, maintain updated and accurate grantee contact information, and ensure grantees are able to draw down grant funds from the Department’s G5 grant system immediately upon receipt of their grant award.

Q9. How do I know if my LEA is eligible for an FY 2017 SRSA grant award?

A9. A list of LEAs eligible to apply for FY 2017 SRSA grant awards is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. LEAs should examine the list to determine if they are eligible for either SRSA or RLIS, eligible for both SRSA and RLIS, or eligible for SRSA funding pursuant to the hold harmless provision.

Q10. If my LEA is a dual eligible-LEA (eligible for both the SRSA and RLIS programs), which program should I choose?

A10. An LEA should research the requirements and provisions of both the SRSA and the RLIS programs to determine which program best meets its needs. While the Department can not advise an LEA regarding which program to choose, we have put together a list of factors an LEA should consider when making its decision. This information is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html.

Q11. If my LEA is a dual eligible-LEA and applies for SRSA, can it later decide to participate in RLIS instead?

A11. If an LEA applies for SRSA in accordance with the application submission procedures, the LEA cannot later choose to participate in RLIS for the fiscal year for which it already submitted an SRSA application. However, if the LEA is a dual eligible-LEA again in future years, the LEA may choose to participate in RLIS instead of SRSA. The LEA will notify the Department of its decision to participate in RLIS by not submitting an SRSA during the application window for the corresponding fiscal year.

Q12. If my LEA is no longer eligible for SRSA, but is eligible to receive an FY 2017 award based on the hold harmless provision in section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA, does my LEA have to submit an FY 2017 application?

A12. Yes. All LEAs seeking to receive SRSA funds must submit an application for each year they are eligible for an award.

Q13. Who should my LEA contact if it believes the data used to determine SRSA eligibility are incorrect?

A13. The information used to determine SRSA and RLIS eligibility comes from several sources, including LEAs via their SEAs, SEAs, NCES, and the U.S. Census Bureau. If you believe the data used to determine SRSA eligibility are incorrect, please contact your State REAP contact as soon as possible. The State REAP contact will work with the Department and those entities that provide data for REAP eligibility to resolve any errors. The Department will make every effort to ensure that data is correct but cannot guarantee that changes will be made for the FY 2017 funding cycle.

Q14. My LEA was SRSA eligible in prior years. Why does the eligibity spreadsheet for FY 2017 indicate we are not eligible to receive an award this year?

A14. It is not uncommon for an LEA to move in and out of SRSA eligibility from year-to-year, especially if the LEA’s average daily attendance numbers are close to the the 600 student limit. It is also possible the locale code assigned to the LEA has changed. If you still have questions about your LEA’s eligibility for FY 2017, please contact your REAP program officer. The list of REAP program officers is available at: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/contacts.html

Q15. Is my LEA guaranteed an SRSA grant award?

A15. LEAs that meet the SRSA eligibility criteria and submit an application in accordance with the application submission procedures, will most likely receive an SRSA award. Nevertheless, not all LEAs that meet these conditions will receive an SRSA award because the statutory formula sometimes results in an award of $0 (e.g., an LEA that received a particularly large amount of Title II-A funds, such as $60,000 or more, would receive $0 under the formula).

Q16. How do I find out if my LEA will receive an SRSA grant and the amount of funds we will receive?
A16. The Department intends to post to its website estimated award amounts around August 2017. Beginning with FY 2018 awards, the Department intends to post estimated award amounts around May of each year. Award amounts are posted to the eligibility spreadsheet (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html) for each State.

In the meantime, an LEA can estimate the amount of its FY 2017 grant by using the following formula:

• Start with the number of students in average daily attendance in your LEA for 2015-16. Subtract 50 from that number (if negative, stop at zero).

• Multiply the remainder by $100.

• Add $20,000.

• If the total is above $60,000, use $60,000.

• From the amount above, subtract the sum of the allocations (if any) received by the LEA during the prior fiscal year by formula under the ESEA Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) program.

This amount may be ratably reduced or increased depending upon the amount appropriated for the program and the amounts calculated for other eligible LEAs. For the last several years, award amounts have been ratably reduced by approximately 20%.

Please note: (1) this calculation provides an estimate only; there are other variables such as the total program appropriation and formula amounts for other eligible LEAs that will affect your final award amount; (2) not all eligible LEAs receive grant funds because the formula calculation may result in an award of $0 (e.g., an LEA that received a particularly large amount of Title II, Part A funds, such as $60,000 or more, would receive $0 under the formula); and (3) the LEA must submit a timely application in order to receive grant funds.

Q17. When will my LEA receive SRSA funding?

A17. LEAs will receive an electronic SRSA Grant Award Notifications (GANs) in September 2017. If your LEA has not received a GAN by October 1 and you believe your LEA should receive an award, please contact the program officer for your State available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/faq.html#Who_is_the_SRSA_contact_person_for_my_school_dist

Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants

Pre-application webinars are planned following the publication of the Notice of Deadline. The exact dates and times of these webinars will be posted on the program website at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/applicant.html. Please check the site regularly for updates.

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program applications through Grants.gov is Month Day, Year.

Application Transmittal Instructions

Attention Electronic Applicants: This program requires the electronic submission of applications. Specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions.

Applications Submitted Electronically: New for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the government-wide Grants.gov site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in the Federal Register notice for this grant award, we will not consider your application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

You should review and follow the Application Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov included in this application package to ensure you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.

Please note the following:

• You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .pdf (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than a .pdf file, or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

• When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

• If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail: If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.358A)

LBJ Basement Level 1

400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

Washington, DC 20202-4260

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery: If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center
Attention:  (CFDA Number 84.358A)
550 12th Street, SW.
Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza
Washington, DC  20202-4260

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424, the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software

The Department, working with Grants.gov, is currently using Adobe Reader software exclusively and applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms.

Note: The compatible version of Adobe Reader is required for viewing, editing and submitting a complete grant application package for the Department of Education through Grants.gov. Applicants should confirm the compatibility of their Adobe Reader version before downloading the application. To ensure applicants have a version of Adobe Reader on their computer that is compatible with Grants.gov, applicants are encouraged to use the test package provided by Grants.gov that can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

Important issues to consider:

• If the applicant opened or edited the application package with any software other than the compatible version of Adobe Reader, the application package may contain errors that will be transferred to the new package even if you later download the compatible Adobe Reader version.

• Applicants cannot copy and paste data from a package initially opened or edited with an incompatible version of Adobe Reader and will need to download an entirely new package using the compatible version of Adobe Reader.

• Some applicants using an incompatible version of Adobe Reader may have trouble opening and viewing the application package while others may find they can open, view and complete the application package, but may not be able to submit the application package through Grants.gov.

• Grants.gov does not guarantee to support versions of Adobe Reader that are not compatible with Grants.gov.

• Any and all edits made to the Adobe Reader application package must be made with the compatible version of Adobe Reader.

For your convenience, a compatible version of Adobe Reader is available for free download at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

We strongly recommend that you review the information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html before downloading, completing or submitting your application.

Applicants are reminded that they should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed in the Federal Register Notice. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at [email protected] or call 1-800-518-4726.

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues. For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required. Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download a compatible version of Adobe reader. Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download an appropriate version are available on Grants.gov. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at [email protected] or call 1-800-518-4726.

NEW: In addition to the Adobe form application package, Grants.gov now offers a new option called Workspace for application completion and submission. Workspace allows a team of registered Grants.gov applicants to use a shared online space for completing individual forms and submitting the final application. These forms can be filled out simultaneously by different users, instead of exchanging a single PDF package file via email or a flash drive as is used when completing the traditional Adobe application package. Please go to this Grants.gov link for more information and training, etc. on using Workspace: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1. REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov. However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

2. SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the deadline date to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM. If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3. VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Error Messages document at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html, or access the Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

You must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Submit Application FAQs found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html.

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their application:

1. Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application. PDF files are the only Department of Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read.

2. Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

3. When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

4. Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

05/2016

Application Instructions

Electronic Application Format

Applications for grants must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement in accordance with the instructions in the Federal Register notice.

In accordance with EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c), an application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program.

Note: Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download a compatible version of Adobe Reader (see Grants.gov for compatible versions).

Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov. Also, please review the Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software and Application Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants sections found within this package for further information and guidance related to this requirement.

We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed above. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at [email protected] or call 1-800-518-4726.

Electronic Application Submission Checklist

In order to facilitate review and acceptance of your electronic application, please organize your application in the manner described below. Instructions for all forms are found either on the following pages of the application package or individually for each form on Grants.gov.

Review your electronic application to ensure you have completed the following required forms:

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

• ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

• General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements - Section 427 (GEPA 427)

• Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

This form requires basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) first. Grants.gov will insert the correct CFDA and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms.

Helpful Hints for Completing the SF 424:

Listed below are “helpful hints” that will enable you to efficiently and accurately complete the SF 424 in Grants.gov. The list below does not address all of the required items, as some do not require further information. Consult your REAP Team program officer if you have any questions.

• Complete all fields marked with an asterisk (*). For purposes of the SRSA application, Item 4 is also required. All remaining fields can be left blank.

• Do NOT attach any other forms, components, or files to the SF 424.

• Item 1: Type of Submission – Select “Application”.

• Item 2: Type of Application – Select “New”.

• Item 3: Date Received – This field will automatically populate when you submit your application.

• Item 4: Applicant Identifier – Enter your district’s 7-digit NCES ID. You MUST have an NCES ID to proceed.

• Item 8(a): Applicant Information: Legal Name – Enter the name of the LEA (e.g., independent school district) that is applying for the grant (the Applicant). The LEA name should match the name the Applicant used to obtain the DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet.

• Item 8(c): Applicant Information: Organizational DUNS – Enter the same DUNS number your organization used when it registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

• Item 8(f): Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application – Enter the name and contact information for the individual who will be the Department’s point of contact for the Applicant’s SRSA award.

• Item 9: Type of Applicant – Select “G. Independent School District”. This is the only option you should select regardless of whether you are an eligible regional agency, charter, etc.

• Item 10: Name of Federal Agency – This field will automatically populate when you submit your application.

• Item 12: Funding Opportunity Number/Title – This field will automatically populate when you submit your application.

• Item 15: Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project - Enter: SRSA Application. Do NOT add any other numbers, symbols or special characters in this field. Do NOT “Add Attachments”.

• Item 16(a) and (b): Congressional Districts of – Enter the Congressional district where the SRSA applicant is geographically located. For example: CA-005 for California’s 5^th district, IN-012 for Indiana’s 12^th district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103^rd district. Do NOT “Attach an additional list”.

• Item 17: Proposed Project Start and End Dates – Enter the date July 1, 2017 in 17(a) and the date September 30, 2018 in 17(b).

• Item 18: Estimated Funding – Enter the number zero in both 18(a) and 18(b). SRSA grant funding levels are determined by the Department.

• Item 19: Is Application Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process – Select “c. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372”.

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

In order for formula grant applications to be received by Grants.gov, ED Form 524 MUST be submitted with your SRSA application. Please populate ED Form 524 with zeroes (0) and upload the form as part of your SRSA application.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427 (GEPA 427)

All applicants for new awards are required to include information in their applications to address this provision in order to receive funding under this program.

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. Applicants must identify potential barriers and explain steps they will take to overcome these barriers.

This provision allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The description in your application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. Note, a general statement of an applicant’s nondiscriminatory hiring policy is not sufficient to meet this requirement.

Please review the Notice to All Applicants (provided later in this document for informational purposes and included in the electronic application package in Grants.gov) for further information and examples of how an application might meet the requirements in Section 427 of GEPA.

Statements must be attached to the ED GEPA 427 form included in the electronic application package in Grants.gov and may not exceed three pages.

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

The only required assurance for SRSA applications is the Assurance for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B). Please complete and include all required information in the appropriate place and submit the form with your application.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SF-424

This is a standard form required for use as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications and applications and related information under discretionary programs. Some of the items are required and some are optional at the discretion of the applicant or the federal agency (agency). Required fields on the form are identified with an asterisk (*) and are also specified as “Required” in the instructions below. In addition to these instructions, applicants must consult agency instructions to determine other specific requirements.

Item	Entry:		Item:	Entry:
1.	Type of Submission: (Required) Select one type of submission in accordance with agency instructions. • Pre-application • Application • Changed/Corrected Application – Check if this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted application. Unless requested by the agency, applicants may not use this form to submit changes after the closing date.		10.	Name Of Federal Agency: (Required) Enter the name of the federal agency from which assistance is being requested with this application.
			11.	Catalog Of Federal Domestic Assistance Number/Title: Enter the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title of the program under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement, if applicable.
2.	Type of Application: (Required) Select one type of application in accordance with agency instructions. • New – An application that is being submitted to an agency for the first time. • Continuation - An extension for an additional funding/budget period for a project with a projected completion date. This can include renewals. • Revision - Any change in the federal government’s financial obligation or contingent liability from an existing obligation. If a revision, enter the appropriate letter(s). More than one may be selected. If "Other" is selected, please specify in text box provided. A. Increase Award D. Decrease Duration B. Decrease Award E. Other (specify) C. Increase Duration		12.	Funding Opportunity Number/Title: (Required) Enter the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and title of the opportunity under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement.
			13.	Competition Identification Number/Title: Enter the competition identification number and title of the competition under which assistance is requested, if applicable.
			14.	Areas Affected By Project: This data element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s) affected are likely to be different than the place(s) of performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. Add attachment to enter additional areas, if needed.
3.	Date Received: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the Federal agency.		15.	Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: (Required) Enter a brief descriptive title of the project. If appropriate, attach a map showing project location (e.g., construction or real property projects). For pre-applications, attach a summary description of the project.
4.	Applicant Identifier: Enter the entity identifier assigned buy the Federal agency, if any, or the applicant’s control number if applicable.
5a.	Federal Entity Identifier: Enter the number assigned to your organization by the federal agency, if any.		16.	Congressional Districts Of: 16a. (Required) Enter the applicant’s congressional district. 16b. Enter all district(s) affected by the program or project. Enter in the format: 2 characters state abbreviation – 3 characters district number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th district, CA-012 for California 12 district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103 district. If all congressional districts in a state are affected, enter “all” for the district number, e.g., MD-all for all congressional districts in Maryland. If nationwide, i.e. all districts within all states are affected, enter US-all. If the program/project is outside the US, enter 00-000. This optional data element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s) affected are likely to be different than place(s) of performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. Attach an additional list of program/project congressional districts, if needed.
5b.	Federal Award Identifier: For new applications, enter NA. For a continuation or revision to an existing award, enter the previously assigned federal award identifier number. If a changed/corrected application, enter the federal identifier in accordance with agency instructions.
6.	Date Received by State: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the state, if applicable.
7.	State Application Identifier: Leave this field blank. This identifier will be assigned by the state, if applicable.
8.	Applicant Information: Enter the following in accordance with agency instructions:
	a. Legal Name: (Required) Enter the legal name of applicant that will undertake the assistance activity. This is the organization that has registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Information on registering with CCR may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.		17.	Proposed Project Start and End Dates: (Required) Enter the proposed start date and end date of the project.
	b. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN): (Required) Enter the employer or taxpayer identification number (EIN or TIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. If your organization is not in the US, enter 44-4444444.		18.	Estimated Funding: (Required) Enter the amount requested, or to be contributed during the first funding/budget period by each contributor. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate lines, as applicable. If the action will result in a dollar change to an existing award, indicate only the amount of the change. For decreases, enclose the amounts in parentheses.
	c. Organizational DUNS: (Required) Enter the organization’s DUNS or DUNS+4 number received from Dun and Bradstreet. Information on obtaining a DUNS number may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.		19.	Is Application Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process? (Required) Applicants should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal Executive Order 12372 to determine whether the application is subject to the State intergovernmental review process. Select the appropriate box. If “a.” is selected, enter the date the application was submitted to the State.
	d. Address: Enter address: Street 1 (Required); city (Required); County/Parish, State (Required if country is US), Province, Country (Required), 9-digit zip/postal code (Required if country US).		20.	Is the Applicant Delinquent on any Federal Debt? (Required) Select the appropriate box. This question applies to the applicant organization, not the person who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of federal debt include; but, may not be limited to: delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes. If yes, include an explanation in an attachment.
	e. Organizational Unit: Enter the name of the primary organizational unit, department or division that will undertake the assistance activity.		21.	Authorized Representative: To be signed and dated by the authorized representative of the applicant organization. Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix. Enter title, telephone number, email (Required); and fax number. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for you to sign this application as the official representative must be on file in the applicant’s office. (Certain federal agencies may require that this authorization be submitted as part of the application.)
	f. Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application: Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix, title. Enter organizational affiliation if affiliated with an organization other than that in 7.a. Telephone number and email (Required); fax number.
9.	Type of Applicant: (Required) Select up to three applicant type(s) in accordance with agency instructions.
	A.     State Government B.     County Government C.     City or Township Government D.     Special District Government E.     Regional Organization F.     U.S. Territory or Possession G.    Independent School District H.     Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education I.      Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized) J.     Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized) K.     Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization L.     Public/Indian Housing Authority	M.    Nonprofit N.     Private Institution of Higher Education O.    Individual P.     For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business) Q.    Small Business R.     Hispanic-serving Institution S.     Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) T.     Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.     Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions V.     Non-US Entity W.    Other (specify)

[U.S Department of Education note: As of spring, 2010, the FON discussed in Block 12 of the instructions can be found via the following URL: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp.]

OMB Approval No. 0348-0040

ASSURANCES - NON-CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0040), Washington, DC 20503

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. SEND IT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED BY THE SPONSORING AGENCY.

Note: Certain of these assurances may not be applicable to your project or program. If you have questions, please contact the awarding agency. Further, certain Federal awarding agencies may require applicants to certify to additional assurances. If such is the case, you will be notified.

As the duly authorized representative of the applicant I certify that the applicant:

1. Has the legal authority to apply for Federal assistance, and the institutional, managerial and financial capability (including funds sufficient to pay the non-Federal share of project cost) to ensure proper planning, management, and completion of the project described in this application.

2. Will give the awarding agency, the Comptroller General of the United States, and if appropriate, the State, through any authorized representative, access to and the right to examine all records, books, papers, or documents related to the award; and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or agency directives.

3. Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their positions for a purpose that constitutes or presents the appearance of personal or organizational conflict of interest, or personal gain.

4. Will initiate and complete the work within the applicable time frame after receipt of approval of the awarding agency.

5. Will comply with the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. §§4728-4763) relating to prescribed standards for merit systems for programs funded under one of the 19 statutes or regulations specified in Appendix A of OPM's Standards for a Merit System of Personnel Administration (5 C.F.R. 900, Subpart F).

6. Will comply with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. These include but are not limited to: (a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin; (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§1681-1683, and 1685-1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; (c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. §794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps; (d) the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 6101-6107), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; (e) the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-255), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse; (f) the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-616), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism; (g) §§ 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C. §§ 290 dd-3 and 290 ee 3), as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records; (h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §3601 et seq.), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing; (i) any other nondiscrimination provisions in the specific statute(s) under which application for Federal assistance is being made; and (j) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the application.

7. Will comply, or has already complied, with the requirements of Titles II and III of the uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-646) which provide for fair and equitable treatment of persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of Federal or federally assisted programs. These requirements apply to all interests in real property acquired for project purposes regardless of Federal participation in purchases.

8. Will comply, as applicable, with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. §§1501-1508 and 7324-7328) which limit the political activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds.

9. Will comply, as applicable, with the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. §§276a to 276a-7), the Copeland Act (40 U.S.C. §276c and 18 U.S.C. §§874) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. §§327-333), regarding labor standards for federally assisted construction subagreements.

10. Will comply, if applicable, with flood insurance purchase requirements of Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-234) which requires recipients in a special flood hazard area to participate in the program and to purchase flood insurance if the total cost of insurable construction and acquisition is $10,000 or more.

11. Will comply with environmental standards which may be prescribed pursuant to the following: (a) institution of environmental quality control measures under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190) and Executive Order (EO) 11514; (b) notification of violating facilities pursuant to EO 11738; (c) protection of wetlands pursuant to EO 11990; (d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains in accordance with EO 11988; (e) assurance of project consistency with the approved State management program developed under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. §§1451 et seq.); (f) conformity of Federal actions to State (Clear Air) Implementation Plans under Section 176(c) of the Clear Air Act of 1955, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§7401 et seq.); (g) protection of underground sources of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, as amended, (P.L. 93-523); and (h) protection of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, (P.L. 93-205).

12 Will comply with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 U.S.C. §§1721 et seq.) related to protecting components or potential components of the national wild and scenic rivers system.

13. Will assist the awarding agency in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. §470), EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties), and the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. §§469a-1 et seq.).

14. Will comply with P.L. 93-348 regarding the protection of human subjects involved in research, development, and related activities supported by this award of assistance.

15. Will comply with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (P.L. 89-544, as amended, 7 U.S.C. §§2131 et seq.) pertaining to the care, handling, and treatment of warm blooded animals held for research, teaching, or other activities supported by this award of assistance.

16. Will comply with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. §§4801 et seq.) which prohibits the use of lead- based paint in construction or rehabilitation of residence structures.

17. Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 and OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.

18. Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other Federal laws, executive orders, regulations and policies governing this program.

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICIAL	TITLE
APPLICANT ORGANIZATION		DATE SUBMITTED

Standard Form 424B (Rev. 7-97) Back

The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a provision in the Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law (P.L.) 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new grant awards under this program. ALL APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

(If this program is a State-formula grant program, a State needs to provide this description only for projects or activities that it carries out with funds reserved for State-level uses. In addition, local school districts or other eligible applicants that apply to the State for funding need to provide this description in their applications to the State for funding. The State would be responsible for ensuring that the school district or other local entity has submitted a sufficient section 427 statement as described below.)

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. This provision allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local circumstances, you should determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from such access or participation in, the Federally-funded project or activity. The description in your application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with Section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment.

(4) An applicant that proposes a project to increase school safety might describe the special efforts it will take to address concern of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, and efforts to reach out to and involve the families of LGBT students

We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of this provision.

Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA Requirements

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.5 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (Public Law 103-382. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0005.

Legal and Regulatory Information

Application Notice

Program Statute

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965

TITLE V — FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

PART B — RURAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE

SEC. 5201. SHORT TITLE. (20 U.S.C. 7341)

This part may be cited as the "Rural Education Achievement Program".

SEC. 5202. PURPOSE. (20 U.S.C. 7341a)

It is the purpose of this part to address the unique needs of rural school districts that frequently—

(1) lack the personnel and resources needed to compete effectively for Federal competitive grants; and

(2) receive formula grant allocations in amounts too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.

Subpart 1 — Small, Rural School Achievement Program

SEC. 5211. USE OF APPLICABLE FUNDING. (20 U.S.C. 7345)

(a) ALTERNATIVE USES.—(1) IN GENERAL. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an eligible local educational agency may use the applicable funding that the agency is eligible to receive from the State educational agency for a fiscal year to carry out local activities authorized under any of the following provisions:

(A) Part A of title I.

(B) Part A of title II.

(C) Title III.

(D) Part A or B of title IV.

(2) NOTIFICATION. An eligible local educational agency shall notify the State educational agency of the local educational agency’s intention to use the applicable funding in accordance with paragraph (1), by a date that is established by the State educational agency for the notification.

(b) ELIGIBILITY.—(1) IN GENERAL. A local educational agency shall be eligible to use the applicable funding in accordance with subsection (a) if—

(A)(i)(I) the total number of students in average daily attendance at all of the schools served by the local educational agency is fewer than 600; or

(II) each county in which a school served by the local educational agency is located has a total population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile; and

(ii) all of the schools served by the local educational agency are designated with a locale code of 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary; or

(B) the agency meets the criteria established in subparagraph (A)(i) and the Secretary, in accordance with paragraph (2), grants the local educational agency’s request to waive the criteria described in subparagraph (A)(ii); or

(C) the local educational agency is a member of an educational service agency that does not receive funds under this subpart and the local educational agency meets the requirements of this part.

(2) CERTIFICATION. The Secretary shall determine whether to waive the criteria described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) based on a demonstration by the local educational agency, and concurrence by the State educational agency, that the local educational agency is located in an area defined as rural by a governmental agency of the State.

(c) APPLICABLE FUNDING DEFINED. In this section, the term "applicable funding" means funds provided under any of the following provisions:

(1) Part A of title II.

(2) Part A of title IV.

(d) DISBURSEMENT. Each State educational agency that receives applicable funding for a fiscal year shall disburse the applicable funding to local educational agencies for alternative uses under this section for the fiscal year at the same time as the State educational agency disburses the applicable funding to local educational agencies that do not intend to use the applicable funding for such alternative uses for the fiscal year.

(e) APPLICABLE RULES. Applicable funding under this section shall be available to carry out local activities authorized under subsection (a).

SEC. 5212. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. (20 U.S.C. 7345a)

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to award grants to eligible local educational agencies to enable the local educational agencies to carry out activities authorized under any of the following provisions:

(1) Part A of title I.

(2) Part A of title II.

(3) Title III.

(4) Part A or B of title IV.

(b) ALLOCATION.— (1) ALLOCATION.—(A) IN GENERAL. Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), the Secretary shall award a grant under subsection (a) to a local educational agency eligible under section 5211(b) for a fiscal year in an amount equal to the initial amount determined under paragraph (2) for the fiscal year minus the total amount received by the agency under the provisions of law described in section 5211(c) for the preceding fiscal year.

(B) SPECIAL DETERMINATION. For a local educational agency that is eligible under section 5211(b)(1)(C) and is a member of an educational service agency, the Secretary may determine the award amount by subtracting from the initial amount determined under paragraph (2), an amount that is equal to that local educational agency’s per-pupil share of the total amount received by the educational service agency under the provisions described in section 5211(c), as long as a determination under this subparagraph would not disproportionately affect any State.

(2) DETERMINATION OF INITIAL AMOUNT.—(A) IN GENERAL. The initial amount referred to in paragraph (1) is equal to $100 multiplied by the total number of students in excess of 50 students, in average daily attendance at the schools served by the local educational agency, plus $20,000, except that the initial amount may not exceed $60,000.

(B) SPECIAL RULE. For any fiscal year for which the amount made available to carry out this part is $265,000,000 or more, subparagraph (A) shall be applied—

(i) by substituting "$25,000" for "$20,000"; and

(ii) by substituting "$80,000" for "$60,000".

(3) RATABLE ADJUSTMENT.—(A) IN GENERAL. If the amount made available to carry out this section for any fiscal year is not sufficient to pay in full the amounts that local educational agencies are eligible to receive under paragraph (1) for such year, the Secretary shall ratably reduce such amounts for such year.

(B) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS. If additional funds become available for making payments under paragraph (1) for such fiscal year, payments that were reduced under subparagraph (A) shall be increased on the same basis as such payments were reduced.

(4) HOLD HARMLESS. For a local educational agency that is not eligible under this subpart due to amendments made by the Every Student Succeeds Act to section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii) but met the eligibility requirements under section 6211(b) as such section was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the agency shall receive—

(A) for fiscal year 2017, 75 percent of the amount such agency received for fiscal year 2015;

(B) for fiscal year 2018, 50 percent of the amount such agency received for fiscal year 2015; and

(C) for fiscal year 2019, 25 percent of the amount such agency received for fiscal year 2015.

(c) DISBURSEMENT. The Secretary shall disburse the funds awarded to a local educational agency under this section for a fiscal year not later than July 1 of that fiscal year.

Subpart 2 — Rural and Low-Income School Program

SEC. 5221. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. (20 U.S.C. 7351)

(a) GRANTS TO STATES.—(1) IN GENERAL. From amounts appropriated under section 5234 for this subpart for a fiscal year that are not reserved under subsection (c), the Secretary shall award grants (from allotments made under paragraph (2)) for the fiscal year to State educational agencies that have applications submitted under section 5223 approved to enable the State educational agencies to award grants to eligible local educational agencies for local authorized activities described in section 5222(a).

(2) ALLOTMENT. From amounts described in paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each State educational agency for that fiscal year an amount that bears the same ratio to those amounts as the number of students in average daily attendance served by eligible local educational agencies in the State for that fiscal year bears to the number of all such students served by eligible local educational agencies in all States for that fiscal year.

(3) SPECIALLY QUALIFIED AGENCIES.—(A) ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION. If a State educational agency elects not to participate in the program under this subpart or does not have an application submitted under section 5223 approved, a specially qualified agency in such State desiring a grant under this subpart may submit an application under such section directly to the Secretary to receive an award under this subpart.

(B) DIRECT AWARDS. The Secretary may award, on a competitive basis or by formula, the amount the State educational agency is eligible to receive under paragraph (2) directly to a specially qualified agency in the State that has submitted an application in accordance with subparagraph (A) and obtained approval of the application.

(C) SPECIALLY QUALIFIED AGENCY DEFINED. In this subpart, the term "specially qualified agency" means an eligible local educational agency served by a State educational agency that does not participate in a program under this subpart in a fiscal year, that may apply directly to the Secretary for a grant in such year under this subsection.

(b) LOCAL AWARDS.—(1) ELIGIBILITY. A local educational agency shall be eligible to receive a grant under this subpart if—

(A)(i) 20 percent or more of the children ages 5 through 17 years served by the local educational agency are from families with incomes below the poverty line; and

(ii) all of the schools served by the agency are designated with a school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary; or

(B) the agency meets the criteria established in clause (i) of subparagraph (A) and the Secretary, in accordance with paragraph (2), grants the local educational agency’s request to waive the criteria described in clause (ii) of such subparagraph.

(2) CERTIFICATION. The Secretary shall determine whether to waive the criteria described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) based on a demonstration by the local educational agency, and concurrence by the State educational agency, that the local educational agency is located in an area defined as rural by a governmental agency of the State.

(3) AWARD BASIS. A State educational agency shall award grants to eligible local educational agencies—

(A) on a competitive basis;

(B) according to a formula based on the number of students in average daily attendance served by the eligible local educational agencies or schools in the State; or

(C) according to an alternative formula, if, prior to awarding the grants, the State educational agency demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the alternative formula enables the State educational agency to allot the grant funds in a manner that serves equal or greater concentrations of children from families with incomes below the poverty line, relative to the concentrations that would be served if the State educational agency used the formula described in subparagraph (B).

(c) RESERVATIONS. From amounts appropriated under section 5234 for this subpart for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve—

(1) one-half of 1 percent to make awards to elementary schools or secondary schools operated or supported by the Bureau of Indian Education, to carry out the activities authorized under this subpart; and

(2) one-half of 1 percent to make awards to the outlying areas in accordance with their respective needs, to carry out the activities authorized under this subpart.

SEC. 5222. USES OF FUNDS. (20 U.S.C. 7351a)

(a) LOCAL AWARDS. Grant funds awarded to local educational agencies under this subpart shall be used for any of the following:

(1) Activities authorized under part A of title I.

(2) Activities authorized under part A of title II.

(3) Activities authorized under title III.

(4) Activities authorized under part A of title IV.

(5) Parental involvement activities.

(b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. A State educational agency receiving a grant under this subpart may not use more than 5 percent of the amount of the grant for State administrative costs and to provide technical assistance to eligible local educational agencies.

SEC. 5223. APPLICATIONS. (20 U.S.C. 7351b)

(a) IN GENERAL. Each State educational agency or specially qualified agency desiring to receive a grant under this subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.

(b) CONTENTS. Each application submitted under subsection (a) shall include information on—

(1) program objectives and outcomes for activities under this subpart, including how the State educational agency or specially qualified agency will use funds to help all students meet the challenging State academic standards;

(2) if the State educational agency will competitively award grants to eligible local educational agencies, as described in section 5221(b)(3)(A), the application under the section shall include—

(A) the methods and criteria the State educational agency will use to review applications and award funds to local educational agencies on a competitive basis; and

(B) how the State educational agency will notify eligible local educational agencies of the grant competition; and

(3) a description of how the State educational agency will provide technical assistance to eligible local educational agencies to help such agencies implement the activities described in section 5222.

SEC. 5224. REPORT. (20 U.S.C. 7351c)

Each State educational agency or specially qualified agency that receives a grant under this subpart shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary. The report shall describe—

(1) if the report is submitted by a State educational agency, the method the State educational agency used to award grants to eligible local educational agencies, and to provide assistance to schools, under this subpart;

(2) how local educational agencies and schools used funds provided under this subpart; and

(3) the degree to which progress has been made toward meeting the goals and objectives described in the application submitted under section 5223, including having all students in the State or the area served by the specially qualified agency, as applicable, meet the challenging State academic standards.

SEC. 5225. CHOICE OF PARTICIPATION. (20 U.S.C. 7351d)

(a) IN GENERAL. If a local educational agency is eligible for funding under both this subpart and subpart 1, such local educational agency may receive funds under either this subpart or subpart 1 for a fiscal year, but may not receive funds under both subparts for such fiscal year.

(b) NOTIFICATION. A local educational agency eligible for funding under both this subpart and subpart 1 shall notify the Secretary and the State educational agency under which of such subparts the local educational agency intends to receive funds for a fiscal year by a date that is established by the Secretary for the notification.

Subpart 3 — General Provisions

SEC. 5231. ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE DETERMINATION. (20 U.S.C. 7355)

(a) CENSUS DETERMINATION. Each local educational agency desiring a grant under section 5212 and each local educational agency or specially qualified agency desiring a grant under subpart 2 shall—

(1) not later than December 1 of each year, conduct a census to determine the number of students in average daily attendance in kindergarten through grade 12 at the schools served by the agency; and

(2) not later than March 1 of each year, submit the number described in paragraph (1) to the Secretary (and to the State educational agency, in the case of a local educational agency seeking a grant under subpart (2)).

(b) PENALTY. If the Secretary determines that a local educational agency or specially qualified agency has knowingly submitted false information under subsection (a) for the purpose of gaining additional funds under section 5212 or subpart 2, then the agency shall be fined an amount equal to twice the difference between the amount the agency received under this section and the correct amount the agency would have received under section 5212 or subpart 2 if the agency had submitted accurate information under subsection (a).

SEC. 5232. SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT. (20 U.S.C. 7355a)

Funds made available under subpart 1 or subpart 2 shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local education funds.

SEC. 5223. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. (20 U.S.C. 7355b)

Nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit a local educational agency that enters into cooperative arrangements with other local educational agencies for the provision of special, compensatory, or other education services, pursuant to State law or a written agreement, from entering into similar arrangements for the use, or the coordination of the use, of the funds made available under this part.

SEC. 5234. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. (20 U.S.C. 7355c)

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part $169,840,000 for each of the fiscal years 2017 through 2020, to be distributed equally between subparts 1 and 2.

[END]

1 Throughout this document, unless otherwise indicated, citations to the ESEA refer to the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.

2 SRSA grant amounts are based on a statutory formula that takes into account several factors, including the amount of funds an LEA received during the preceding fiscal year under the Title II, Part A program and the newly authorized Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment program). The first awards for Title IV, Part A will be made with FY 2017 funds. Therefore, for purposes of calculating SRSA grant awards, the Department will not take into consideration Title IV, Part A funds until the FY 2018 grant cycle.

3 Educational service agency, as defined in Title VIII, section 8101(18) of the ESEA, means a regional public multiservice agency authorized by State statute to develop, manage, and provide services or programs to local educational agencies.

4 For more information about the National Center for Education Statistics’ Local Education Agency Universe Survey data, please visit the following website: http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/pubagency.asp.