A Microsoft Word version of this letter is available for download and PRINTING.

October 19, 2011

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

SUBJECT:  Amendment to Extend Time Period for Obligating Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Funds and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funds

The United States Department of Education (USDE) is allowing states to request a waiver, that if granted by USDE, would extend the September 30, 2011, deadline for local educational agencies (LEAs) to obligate any remaining regular federal and ARRA funds for fiscal year (FY) 2009 grants under certain ESEA grant programs.  At this time, TEA is determining whether to request the waiver.  

 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) may request an extension for one or more grants.  In order to request a waiver, TEA must provide all LEAs affected by the potential waiver with notice and a reasonable opportunity to comment on the request. The list of eligible ESEA state-administered formula grant programs that received FY 2009 funds under the regular federal appropriation or ARRA is as follows:

CFDA	Program
84.010A	Title I, Part A Grants to Local Educational Agencies
84.389A	Title I, Part A Grants to Local Educational Agencies (Recovery Act)
84.213A	Title I, Part B, Subpart 3 Even Start
84.011A	Title I, Part C Migrant Education State Grants
84.013A	Title I, Part D State Agency Neglected and Delinquent Program
84.367A	Title II, Part A Improving Teacher Quality State Grants
84.366A	Math Science Partnerships
84.318X	Title II, Part D Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed-Tech) State Program
84.386A	Title II, Part D Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed-Tech) State Program (Recovery Act)
84.365A	Title III, Part A English Language State Grants
84.186A	Title IV, Part A Safe and Drug Free Schools and Community Grants
84.287C	Title IV, Part B 21st Century Community Learning Centers
84.369A	State Assessment Grants

TEA records indicate most of these grant funds were obligated by LEAs by the required September 30, 2011, obligation deadline.  Therefore, if the waiver is requested and granted, TEA anticipates that a minimal amount of funds will be available. Any LEA seeking to obligate funds pursuant to the extension would be required to comply with significant reporting requirements and other administrative burdens.  This significant administrative impact on LEAs would come without the availability of any new funding to comply with these mandates and would affect all LEAs regardless of whether LEAs appropriately spent money by the deadline of September 30, 2011.  This administrative impact on LEAs could include the following:

 

·         additional applications

·         additional amendments

·         additional federal program and expenditure reporting

·         additional jobs reporting on all grants (ARRA and non-ARRA)

·         assurances and reporting on how funds were used toward program objectives and to increase the quality of education and improve student academic achievement

·         additional participation in sub-recipient fiscal monitoring and audit work

·         continued efforts to assure state annual measurable objectives are met

·         simultaneous management of multiple overlapping grants and budgets that are duplicative in nature

·         compliance with additional federal requirements that  have not been announced

 

The deadline for TEA to apply for this extension is October 31, 2011.  To provide comments, please send an email with your name, title, comments, and an indication of whether you will comply with all reporting and other administrative requirements to thomas.howe@tea.state.tx.us by Tuesday, October 25, 2011.   If you have questions about this letter or the opportunity for the extension, please contact Thomas Howe at the email address above.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Robert Scott

Commissioner of Education

 

RS/rf