AUTHORIZATION:

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, Title I, Part A, 20 U.S.C 6301.

OBJECTIVES:

To help local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools improve the teaching and learning of children failing, or most at-risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic achievement standards.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Formula Grants Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Use of funds varies, depending on whether a school is operating a schoolwide program under Section 1114 of Title I of the ESEA or a targeted assistance program under Section 1115 of the ESEA. A school with at least a 40 percent poverty rate may choose to operate a schoolwide program under Section 1114 that allows Title I funds to be combined with other Federal, State, and local funds to upgrade the school's overall instructional program. Schoolwide program schools must receive the amount of non-Federal resources they would have received in the absence of Title I funds. All other participating schools must operate targeted assistance programs, which provide extra instruction to those children failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic achievement standards. Targeted assistance programs must ensure that Title I services supplement, not supplant the regular education programs normally provided with non-Federal funds by local educational agencies. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564-76.569. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Indirect Cost Group on (202) 708-7770.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   State educational agencies (SEAs) and the Secretary of the Interior. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and Indian tribal schools are subgrantees.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic standards.

Credentials/Documentation:   OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Pre-application Coordination:   Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. SEAs apply for funds as part of Title I, Part A, State plans submitted to the Department of Education in accordance with Section 1111 of ESEA or as part of a consolidated State plan submitted under Section 9302 of ESEA. The plan remains in effect for the duration of the State's participation in Title I, Part A, but must be updated to reflect substantive changes. Participating LEA's must file an approved plan with their SEAs.

Award Procedure:   The Department of Education (ED) makes grants through SEAs to LEAs using statutory formulas based primarily on Census Bureau estimates of the number of children from low-income families in each LEA.

Deadlines:   Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

Varies with each State.

Appeals:   

If an LEA's plan is disapproved by the SEA it may appeal to the SEA and then to the Department of Education under Section 432 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA).

Renewals:   

Not Applicable.

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

Statutory Formula: Title I, Part A. Matching Requirements: The statute includes four separate formulas for allocating Title I Grants to LEAs. Under the statute, Basic and Concentration Grants are funded at the 2001 appropriation level. Basic Grants are allocated to almost all local educational agencies based on each State's per-pupil expenditure for education and the number of school-aged children from low-income families. Concentration Grants are allocated to LEAs having more than 6,500 children from low-income families or a poverty rate of more than 15 percent. In addition, funds appropriated in excess of the fiscal year 2001 level are allocated as Targeted Grants, which make higher payments to LEAs with higher numbers or percentages of poor children. The law also includes a separately authorized Education Finance Incentive Grants formula, which incorporates factors designed to measure a State's commitment to provide sufficient education funding, as well as how equitably that funding is distributed across districts. Allocations from all four formulas are combined into a single award to eligible LEAs. Within LEAs, funds are targeted to schools with the greatest percentages of poor children. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The maintenance of effort requirements in sections 1125A(e) and 9521 of the ESEA apply to Title I, Part A.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

Generally, awards to States are made from July 1 to September 30 of the following year. In addition, funds remain available to States for an additional fiscal year for obligation and expenditure under section 421(b) of GEPA, subject to the carryover limitation of section 1127 of the ESEA. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: The information is contained in the award documents.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   States submit annual performance reports. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in the Appendix to 34 CFR, Part 80, requires State and local governments that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more within the State's fiscal year have an audit made for that year. State and local governments that receive between $25,000 and $500,000 within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made in accordance with the Appendix to Part 80, or in accordance with Federal laws and regulations governing the programs in which they participate.

Records:   In accordance with section 443(a) of the General Education Provisions Act, States and LEAs must maintain certain program records for 3 years.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

91-0900-0-1-501.

Obligations:   (Formula Grants) FY 08 $13,898,875,000; FY 09 est $492,401,000; FY 10 est $12,992,401,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

The range of awards to states in FY 2008 is $31,515,777 - $1,698,808,133. The average award is $264,538,364. The estimate range of awards in FY 2009 is $33,594,004 - $1,636,280,566. The average award is $275,836,865. The estimated range of awards in FY 2010 is $29,984,004 - $1,457,618,134. The average award is $247,179,173.

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