- What is the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP)?
The REAP initiatives are designed to help small,
rural school districts that lack the personnel and resources to compete
effectively for federal competitive grants and that receive grant allocations
in amounts that are too small to be effective in meeting their intended
purposes.
- What are the criteria for school districts to be eligible for REAP?
To be eligible for REAP, a school district
must have a Locale Code of 7 or 8 AND an average daily attendance (ADA)
of less than 600 OR be located in a county that has a population density
of less than 10 people per square mile. A list of eligible school districts
can be found on DPI’s website at
Alternative Uses of Funds Authority
- What is the Alternative Uses of Funds Authority under the REAP?
It is a flexibility initiative that allows
eligible school districts to combine their Titles II A (Teacher and
Principal Training and Recruiting), II D (Enhancing Education Through
Technology), IV A (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities), and/or
V (Innovative Programs) allocations for authorized activities under:
- Title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged Children)
- II A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting)
- II D (Enhancing Education Through Technology)
- III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant
Students)
- IVA (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities)
- IVB (21st Century Community Learning Centers), or
- V (Innovative Programs).
- How does an eligible school district take advantage of this flexibility
option?
An eligible school district completes the appropriate
information regarding REAP on its Consolidated Application for Federal
Title Funding (SFN 50847) and submits the application to DPI. DPI will
approve the application after all the required information has been
submitted and will issue a grant award to the school district. <
- How does an eligible school district receive reimbursement for
the funds put into REAP?
The school district is reimbursed for REAP expenditures
by submitting the Rural Education Achievement Program and Schoolwide
Co-mingling Request for Funds form (SFN 52148) to DPI. If the Request
for Funds is a final request, the Consolidated Final Report must also
be submitted before payment is made.
- Must a school district continue to participate in REAP in subsequent
years?
The U.S. Department of Education expects participating
school districts to participate in REAP at least three years. However,
if a school district chooses not to participate after one or two years,
that school district may not participate later. For instance, if a school
district participates in REAP the first year and chooses not to participate
the second year, it will not be allowed to participate the third year.
- What are the reporting requirements for school districts participating
in REAP?
School districts that participate in REAP must
report the amount of funds that are spent on authorized activities in
any of the seven programs that are allowable. To do this, school districts
complete the REAP section of the Consolidated Final Report for Federal
Title Programs (SFN 53276) at the end of the school year and submit
the entire Consolidated Final Report to DPI.
- What accountability requirements apply to participating school
districts?
Participating school districts must administer
an assessment that is consistent with section 1111(b)(3) of Title I.
After the third year that a school district participates in REAP and
on the basis of the results of the assessments, DPI must determine whether
the school district has made Adequate Yearly Progress. Only the school
districts that have made Adequate Yearly Progress may continue to participate.
The school districts that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress after
the third year may continue to participate only if they use the applicable
funding to carry out the requirements of section 1116 (Title I school
improvement provisions).
Small, Rural School Grant Program
- What is the Small, Rural School Grant program?
It is another initiative under REAP for an additional
funding program (over and above the formula title programs) that authorizes
the U.S. Department of Education to award grants directly to eligible
school districts to carry out authorized activities under Title I Part
A, Title II Part A, Title II Part D, Title III, Title IV Part A, Title
IV Part B, and/or Title V Part A.
- What are the criteria for school districts to be eligible for this
program?
A The criteria is listed above under REAP.
- How does a school district access this funding?
Eligible school districts must apply electronically
directly to the U.S. Department of Education’s E-grant system. The deadline
for applying for funds for the 2002-2003 school year was July 24, 2002.
The deadline for the following year will be announced later.
- How much funding will an eligible school district receive?
The U.S. Department of Education will determine
the amounts that school districts receive for this program. An estimated
amount can be determined by the following formula: $20,000 for the first
50 ADA plus $100 per ADA over 50 less the total amount received last
year from Titles II, IV, VI, and Class-Size Reduction less approximately
20%.
- What can this funding be used for?
This funding can be used for authorized activities
under Title I, Title II Part A, Title II Part D, Title III, Title IV
Part A, Title IV Part B, or Title V Part A.
- What accountability requirements apply to school districts participating
in this program?
Participating school districts must administer
an assessment that is consistent with section 1111(b)(3) of Title I.
Based on the results of the assessments, DPI must determine whether
the school district has made Adequate Yearly Progress. Only the school
districts that have made Adequate Yearly Progress may continue to participate.
The school districts that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress may
continue to participate only if they use the applicable funding to carry
out the requirements of section 1116 (Title I school improvement provisions).
Transferability
- What is Transferability?
Transferability is a new flexibility initiative
that allows school districts to transfer up to 50 percent of Titles
II A, II D, IV Part A, and/or V Part A for authorized activities under
Titles I Part A, II Part A, II Part D, IV Part A, or V Part A.
- Under what circumstances would be advantageous for a school district
to transfer funds?
It would be advantageous for a school district
to transfer funds into another applicable program if it is not eligible
for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) and if it needs additional
funds in an area to more effectively address its unique needs.
- Which school districts may not transfer funds?
School districts that have been identified for
program improvement under Section 1116(c) may not transfer more than
30 percent of its allowable funds under this transferability authority.
School districts that have been identified for corrective action may
not transfer funds under this transferability authority.
- What requirements govern any funds that are transferred?
Any transferred funds are subject to the requirements
of the programs to which they are transferred. For instance, if a school
district transfers funds from its Title II Part A allocation to its
Title II Part D program, the total amount of the Title II Part D allocation
and the transferred amount is subject to the 25 percent requirement
for professional development in technology.
- How does a school district take advantage of this transferability
authority?
An eligible school district completes the appropriate
information regarding Transferability on its Consolidated Application
for Federal Title Funding (SFN 50847) and submits the application to
DPI. DPI will approve the application after all the required information
has been submitted and will issue a grant award to the school district.
- How does a school district receive reimbursement for funds under
transferability?
The school district is reimbursed for transferability
expenditures by submitting the Request for Funds form (SFN 14660) to
DPI.
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