ACTION REQUIRED

 

April 28, 2011

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

SUBJECT: Discontinuation of the 10-Day Grace Process and Reminder of Expenditure Reporting Requirements

The purpose of this letter is to inform local educational agencies (LEAs) and education service centers (ESCs) of the discontinuation of the 10-day grace process as well as to remind grantees of expenditure reporting requirements.  Please share this information with program directors and your business office.

Discontinuation of 10-Day Grace Process

For the past several years, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has implemented a 10-day grace process by which grantees that missed an application deadline for a formula-funded grant were sent correspondence providing such grantees with an additional 10 business days to submit the grant application.  If the grantees did not submit the grant application by the revised deadline, the funding opportunity was forfeited.

Effective for 2011-2012 formula funding applications, TEA will no longer provide an automatic 10-day extension of the grant application deadline for grantees that missed the original deadline.  TEA will not send advisory letters to LEAs that missed the application deadline to inform them that they missed the deadline.  TEA advises grantees to carefully monitor upcoming deadlines, and plan appropriately to apply for the funding by the specified date.  As a reminder, grant application deadlines are published through the following sources:

·         Grant Announcement Letter

·         Grant Application Guidelines

·         2-Month Calendar of Due Dates located at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147487920&menu_id=951

·         eGrants Grantee Profile page

In the event that the grantee misses an application deadline for a 2011-2012 formula grant, the grantee can contact the appropriate program division to request consideration for a late application submission. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

Reminder of Expenditure Reporting Requirements

On May 13, 2010, the TEA posted the following correspondence:  “Fiscal-Related Changes for Formula-Funded Grants” located at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/formfund051310.html.  This correspondence specifically addressed expenditure reporting requirements for grants covered under the 27-month period of obligation as well as expenditure reporting requirements for those grants not covered under the 27-month period of obligation. 

Grantees are encouraged to review this correspondence as a reminder of the expenditure reporting requirements.  Below are brief highlights pertaining to expenditure reporting requirements:

·         For grants covered under the 27-month period of obligation, grantees must submit a final expenditure report within 30 days after the ending date of the grant.  There is no opportunity to submit a final expenditure report after that date.  An expenditure report, including a revised expenditure report, received more than 30 days after the ending date of the grant will not be processed or paid by TEA.

·         For those grants not covered under the 27-month period of obligation, the revised final expenditure report will be due 60 days after the ending date of the grant.

·         Grantees must adhere to expenditure reporting requirements; the decision is final, and there will be no opportunity for appeal.

TEA advises grantees to carefully monitor upcoming expenditure reporting deadlines.  As a reminder, expenditure reporting deadlines are available through the following sources:

·         Grant Announcement Letter

·         Grant Application Guidelines

·         Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) Letter

·         2-Month Calendar of Due Dates located at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147487920&menu_id=951

Information and Assistance

If you have any questions, please email the Division of Formula Funding at FormulaFunds@tea.state.tx.us.

Sincerely,

 

Yolanda Cantu

Senior Director, Division of Formula Funding