IMPORTANT SFSF REPORTING INFORMATION

December 11, 2011

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADRESSED:

SUBJECT:     Update to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Title XIV State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) Evaluation Report

The purpose of this letter is to provide local educational agencies (LEAs) with updated information regarding the 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report. The 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report and the 2009–2010 SFSF Evaluation Report, completed in November 2010, are survey tools used by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to collect information required by the US Department of Education (USDE) regarding LEA uses of SFSF funds. 

On October 31, 2011, TEA posted an announcement on the TEA ARRA website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=4570&menu_id=934&menu_id2=941 and an update to the TEA ARRA SFSF Evaluation Report website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
index4.aspx?id=2147487354&menu_id=934&menu_id2=941 indicating that the 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report would not be made available to LEAs during November 2011, as previously anticipated, and that further information would be forthcoming. USDE has not released the definitive requirements for its Final Annual Report under the SFSF Program, so TEA postponed, and continues to postpone, the Evaluation Report data collection.

TEA is providing the information in this letter to inform LEAs about the anticipated requirements for the Evaluation Report and to help LEAs to complete the Evaluation Report once it is made available. USDE has indicated that this year’s reporting requirements will be largely similar to last year’s, so TEA is recommending that LEAs be prepared to report the following on the 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report:

• Descriptions of all final LEA expenses under the 2009–2010 SFSF grant application, including any amendments, made from February 17, 2009, through September 30, 2011
• Descriptions of all final LEA expenses under the 2010–2011 SFSF grant application, including any amendments, made from September 1, 2009, through September 30, 2011

Because TEA extended the project period for the 2009–2010 SFSF grant application to September 30, 2011, the agency is recommending that LEAs be prepared to report all final expenses for both the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 SFSF grants (separately). This will allow LEAs and TEA to include any changes or amendments made to either grant during the entire project period in the upcoming Final Evaluation Report to USDE. TEA is also recommending that LEAs review all final ARRA Section 1511 reports and ARRA Section 1512 Quarterly reports and Continuous Corrections Period reports for SFSF grants to confirm consistency between these reports and the uses of SFSF funds reported on the 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report. Lastly, TEA is recommending that LEAs gather this information in advance of the holidays, if possible, or in early January as TEA anticipates that the reporting deadlines for LEAs may be as early as mid-January 2012.

TEA will continue to keep LEAs informed of any further developments regarding the 2010–2011 SFSF Evaluation Report, including any changes to the anticipated requirements given in this letter. New announcements will be published on the websites mentioned above. TEA encourages all LEAs to check these websites on a regular basis.

For further information and assistance, please contact the Division of Federal and State Education Policy at (512) 463-9414 or sfsfnclb@tea.state.tx.us.

Sincerely,
Gene Lenz
Director
Division of Federal and State Education Policy