Public Charter Schools Startup Grant

1
Public Charter Schools Start-up Grant

• Cycle 13

2
PCS Start-up Grant

• Authorized by Title V, Part B of the No Child
  Left Behind Act
  
• Grants awarded to State educational agencies
  under this statute shall be for a period of not
  more than 3 years.

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Subgrants to Eligible Applicants

• Grants awarded to eligible applicants shall be
  for a period of not more than 3 years, of which
  the applicant may use
  
• Not more than 18 months for planning and program
  design
  
• Not more than 2 years for the initial
  implementation of a charter school

4
Eligibility for Start-up Funds

• Planning and Program Design
• Grant funds may be used for planning and program
  design from the beginning date of the grant
  (February 1) until the school begins serving
  students.
• Initial Implementation
• Initial implementation phase begins when services
  to students begin.

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Eligibility for Start-up Funds

• What does this mean?
• Federal statute allows new charters to use
  start-up funds for up to 18 months for program
  design and planning. However, once a school
  begins serving students, or if the school is
  already serving students at the time start-up
  funds are available, the grantee is considered to
  be in the Implementation phase. The maximum
  amount of time grantees may use funds for the
  initial implementation of the school is 2 years.
• NOTE THESE MAXIMUM TIME PERIODS ARE ALLOWED BY
  STATUTE. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED THAT
  GRANTS TO SCHOOLS WILL BE FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF
  TIME ALLOWED BY THE FEDERAL STATUTE. The grant
  periods established for each generation or cycle
  of funding is dependent upon the life of the
  federal funds.

6
Use of Funds

• ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES
• An eligible applicant receiving a grant or
  subgrant under this subpart may use the grant
  funds only for the activities listed on the
  following two slides.

7
Use of Funds

• Post-award planning and design of the educational
  program, which may include
  
• refinement of the desired educational results
  and of the methods for measuring progress toward
  achieving those results and
  
• professional development of teachers and other
  staff who will work in the charter school and
  

8
Use of Funds

• Initial implementation of the charter school,
  which may include
  
• informing the community about the school
• acquiring necessary equipment and educational
  materials and supplies
  
• acquiring or developing curriculum materials
  and
  
• other initial operational costs that cannot be
  met from State or local sources.
  

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Cycle 13 Start-up Grant Application

• The grant application is set-up in four parts
• Part 1 General and Fiscal Guidelines
• Part 2 Program Guidelines
• Part 3 Schedule Instructions
• Part 4 Standard Application System

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Part 1 General and Fiscal Guidelines

• This section is applicable to all discretionary
  grants administered by TEA. It describes the
  application process, submission procedures, the
  review process, and general directions regarding
  the process to be used for distribution of grant
  funds.

12
Part 2 Program Guidelines

• This section of the application describes any
  background information pertaining to this
  specific program, eligibility criteria, program
  goals and requirements, review criteria, and
  critical dates.

13
Part 3 Program Guidelines

• This section of the application contains the
  instructions necessary to complete the schedules
  (i.e., forms) of the grant application.
  
• Note that pertains to all parts applications
  are built from a standard template so not all
  information will necessarily apply. This is also
  true of section(s) that deal with allowability of
  costs. Just because a cost is mentioned doesnt
  necessarily mean that it is allowable. Grant
  funds may be used only for activities that are
  allowed by the authorizing statute.

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Part 4 Standard Application System (SAS)

• This section of the application contains the
  schedules (i.e., forms) necessary to submit a
  grant application for the start-up grant program.
  Included in the forms are needs assessment
  schedules, program description schedules, the
  evaluation schedule, budget schedules, and
  provisions and assurances associated with the
  grant program.

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Completing the Application

• Schedule 1 General Information
• This schedule is fairly self-explanatory.
• Applicant Organization Information
• Subchapter CCampus Charters should enter the
  campus charters authorizing school districts
  information. The application must be signed by
  the superintendent or his/her designee that is
  authorized to bind the school in a contractual
  agreement.

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Schedule 1-General Information

• Applicant Organization Information continued
• Subchapter DOpen-enrollment charter schools
  should enter the charter schools information on
  Part 1. The grant application must be signed by
  the chief financial officer for the school or
  charter holder or other person authorized to bind
  the school in a contractual agreement.

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Schedule 1-General Information

• Part 2 List of Attachments
• Current proof of nonprofit status Required for
  all Subchapter D charter schools sponsored by a
  nonprofit organization. (documentation of
  nonprofit status, i.e., IRS letter, must be dated
  with the past 5 years)
• Subchapter D charters must submit a sample ledger
  report or other documentation that the
  school/charter holder has an TEA-approved
  financial accounting system. If the
  school/charter holder does not have an approved
  financial accounting system, grant funds must be
  budgeted for this purpose.

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Schedule 1-General Information continued

• List of attachments continued
• Campus charters authorized under Subchapter C,
  Section 12.052 must provide documentation that
  the charter was approved as a result of a
  petition signed by
• The parents of the majority of the students at
  that campus and
  
• A majority of the classroom teachers at that
  school campus.

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Schedule 1-General Information

• Part 3 Application Information
• Organization Information this should be for the
  applicant organization which will be either the
  school district or the charter holder, not the
  campus or school.
• Applicant contacts the primary contact should
  be the person that has responsibility for the
  grant application.

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Schedule 3Purpose of Amendment

• This schedule should not be submitted with the
  original grant application. It must be submitted
  when requesting changes to the grant application.
  (This form and the amendment process will be
  discussed in more detail later.)

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Schedule 4Program Requirements

• Purpose and Goals The purpose and goals of the
  PCS Start-up grant program is to increase
  national understanding of charter schools by
  
• Providing financial assistance for the planning,
  program design, and initial implementation of
  charter schools
  
• Evaluating the effects of such schools, including
  the effects on students, student achievement,
  staff, and parents
  
• Expanding the number of high-quality charter
  schools available to students.

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Schedule 4 continued

• Allowable Activities PCS funds are intended to
  support the one-time start-up costs associated
  with completing the planning, design, and initial
  implementation of a new charter school. The
  grant is not intended to support ongoing, daily
  operational costs such as salaries, building
  leases, and utilities.

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Schedule 4, Part 2Charter Authorization

• Applicants must indicate under which statutory
  authority the charter was authorized.
  
• TEC Chapter 12, Subchapter C, 12.052
• Parent/teacher petition
• TEC Chapter 12, Subchapter C, 12.0521
• New campus, contracted program, other facility
• TEC Chapter 12, Subchapter D, 12.101
• Open-enrollment charter school approved by SBOE

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Schedule 4, Part 3 Requirements Checklist

• Each applicant must address the requirements that
  are applicable to the type of charter entity.
  
• Subchapter D, Open-enrollment charters will only
  address the requirements that have not been
  previously addressed in their application to the
  SBOE to become a state-approved charter.
• Subchapter C, Campus charters must address all of
  the requirements listed on this schedule.

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Schedule 4, Part 3 continued

• Selected Requirement
• Describe how grant funds will be used, including
  a description of how such funds will be used in
  conjunction with other Federal programs
  administered by the US Secretary of Education.
• Provides narrative of description of how the
  funds will be used so there is an understanding
  of why the item/activity is necessary for or a
  benefit to starting-up the school.

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Schedule 4, Part 3 continued

• Selected Requirement (Subchapter C)
• Describe (1) the objectives of the charter
  school and (2) the methods by which the charter
  school will determine its progress toward
  achieving those objectives.
• Describe the objectives of the school why was
  this school established and how do you know that
  you are accomplishing the objectives?

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Schedule 4, Part 3 continued

• Selected Requirement (Subchapter C)
• Provide an assurance that the campus charter is
  designated as a campus charter in the TEA
  organizational database AskTED and in PEIMS.
  
• Dont provide the assurance unless you have
  physically confirmed that it has been designated
  as a campus charter in AskTED.

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Schedule 4, Part 3 continued

• Common Mistake
• If a requirement asks that you describe how
  something will be done, provide a description!
  Dont simply repeat the requirement as an action
  statement. If the requirement asks for an
  assurance then you can simply make a statement
  that the charter assures it will comply with the
  requirement.)

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Schedule 4, Part 4Assurance of Compliance with
Federal Definition

• This schedule provides assurance that the charter
  meets the federal definition of a charter. Only
  schools that meet all of the criteria are
  eligible to receive the charter school start-up
  grant funds.

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Schedule 4, Part 4 continued

• The public charter school or campus charter, in
  accordance with TEC, Chapter 12, is exempt from
  significant State or local rules that inhibit the
  flexible operation and management of the school,
  but not from any rules relating to the other
  requirements identified in PL 107-110
• The school is created by a developer as a public
  school, or is adapted by a developer from an
  existing public school, and is operated under
  public supervision and direction.
• The school operates in pursuit of a specific set
  of educational objectives determined by the
  schools developer and agreed to by the
  authorized public chartering agency.
• The school provides a program of elementary or
  secondary education, or both. (Must be a stand
  alone schoolnot a school within a school.)
  

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Schedule 4, Part 4 continued

• The school is nonsectarian in its programs,
  admission policies, employment practices, and all
  other operations, and is not affiliated with a
  sectarian school or religious institution.
• The school does not charge tuition.
• The school complies with the Age Discrimination
  Act of 1975, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
  1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of
  1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
  1973, and Part B of the Individuals with
  Disabilities Education Act.
• The school is a school to which parents choose to
  send their children, and that admits students on
  the basis of a lottery, if more student apply for
  admission than can be accommodated.

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Schedule 4, Part 4 continued

• The school agrees to comply with the same Federal
  and State audit requirements as do other
  elementary schools and secondary schools in the
  State, unless such requirements are specifically
  waived for the purposes of this program.
• The school meets all applicable Federal, State,
  and local health and safety requirements.
  
• The school operates in accordance with State
  law.
  
• The school has a written performance contact with
  the authorized chartering agency in the State
  that includes a description of student
  performance that will be measured in charter
  schools pursuant to State assessments that are
  required of other schools and pursuant to any
  other assessments mutually agreeable to the
  authorized public charter agency and the charter
  school.

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Schedule 4, Part 5Program Eligibility

• Indicate the date the charter was approved.
• Subchapter C, Campus Charters should indicate the
  date the local board of trustees approved the
  campus charter
  
• Subchapter D, Open-enrollment Charters should
  enter the date the SBOE approved the charter

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Schedule 4, Part 5 continued

• Indicate the month and year services to students
  began or will begin.
  
• Enter the date that the school first began or
  will begin serving students.

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Schedule 4AProgram Abstract

• Target Population
• Enter the current enrollment or the projected
  enrollment through the life of the grant.
  
• Needs and Objectives
• Methods Used to Assess Needs
• Local Needs
• Local Objectives
• This schedule should be used to identify your
  students and schools needs. The information
  should be used for developing your program
  services as well as to determine the kinds of
  things or services for which this grant will be
  used.

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Schedule 4BProgram Description

• Narrative
• This schedule should be used to address the
  program requirements.

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Schedule 4C Performance Assessment and
Evaluation

• Ongoing Monitoring/Correction of
  Deficiencies/Continuous Improvement
  
• Describe how you will monitor progress on an
  ongoing basis.
  
• How will you use the information to correct
  deficiencies?

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Schedule 4C continued

• Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection
• Describe the process/methods you will use to
  collect/analyze data related to performance
  measures.
  
• Formative Evaluation
• Describe how evaluation information will be
  obtained to determine quality measures according
  to the purpose and objectives of the project.

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Schedule 4D Equitable Access and Participation

• The schedule is used to identify any barriers the
  school may have that may prevent students,
  teachers, or other beneficiaries from full and
  equitable participation in the grant program and
  the strategies that may assist with eliminating
  the barriers.

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Schedule 5 Program Budget Summary

• Program Planning Cost
• Grant funds may be used for not more than 18
  months for planning and program design.
  
• Costs during the planning phase must be allowable
  under federal statute
  
• Refinement of the desired educational results and
  of methods for measuring progress towards
  achieving results
  
• Professional development of teachers and other
  staff who will work in the charter school

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Schedule 5 continued

• Initial Implementation
• Grant funds may be used for up to two years for
  the initial implementation of a charter school
  
• Informing the community about the school
• Acquiring the necessary equipment and educational
  materials and supplies
  
• Acquiring or developing curriculum materials
• Supporting other initial operating costs that
  cannot be met from State or local sources
  
• Start-up funds are intended to support the
  one-time costs associated with completing the
  planning, design, and initial implementation of
  the school

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Schedule 5BPayroll Costs (6100)

• Allowable costs
• Payroll for positions necessary to implement the
  grant program
  
• Extra-duty pay for staff participating in grant
  activities outside their contracted working
  hours
  
• Substitute pay for teachers while they attend
  grant-funded professional development
  
• Fringe benefits for positions funded by grant

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Schedule 5B Payroll Costs continued

• Unallowable costs
• Charter holder staff
• Board members
• Superintendents salary
• Principals salary
• Salary of other positions that will be an
  on-going, daily operating cost, i.e., teachers

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Schedule 5B Payroll Costs continued

• Time and Effort Documentation
• Applicants must ensure that federally-funded
  grants bear their fair share of the cost.
  Charges to payroll must be documented according
  to federal requirements.

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Schedule 5C Professional Contracted Services
(6200)

• Allowable costs
• Legal services, i.e., to review contracts, etc.
  (shall not be used for retainers)
  
• Consultants, i.e., professional development,
  curriculum, grant related services (financial
  accounting)
  
• Services obtained from the ESC
• Maintenance Repair of Equipment purchased with
  grant funds
  
• Rental/lease of equipment or building space
  (under certain circumstances)

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Schedule 5C Professional Contracted Services
continued

• Unallowable costs
• Required annual audit
• Legal Retainers
• Utilities
• Building/classroom leases
• Construction costs

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Schedule 5D Supplies and Materials (6300)

• Allowable costs
• Maintenance/Operations supplies and materials
• Textbooks and other reading materials
• General Supplies and Materials
• Software
• Hardware and Equipment Not Capitalized
• Classroom Furniture

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Schedule 5E Other Operating Costs (6400)

• Allowable costs
• Travel for conferences/workshops/ seminars,
  including required board training
  
• Registration Fees
• Bid Notices, Newspaper Advertisements for student
  and personnel recruitment
  
• Food/refreshments with limitations
• Incentives
• Membership Dues/Fees
• Property Insurance for grant purchased hardware,
  furniture and equipment

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Schedule 5E Other Operating Costs continued

• Unallowable costs
• Student transportation to/from school
• Food and refreshments for staff meetings,
  workshops
  
• Field trips, including field lessons,
  educational camps, etc.
  
• Costs related to grant writing or fund raising
• Professional/personal liability insurance

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Schedule 5G CapitalOutlay (6600/1000)

• Allowable costs
• Technology hardware and software
• School buses
• Other capital assets (items with per unit cost
  over 5000)
  
• Library Books catalogued and controlled by library

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Schedule 5G CapitalOutlay continued

• Unallowable costs
• Land purchases or improvements to land
• Building purchase, construction, or improvement
  costs
  

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Schedules 6A-6E Provisions, Assurances, and
Certifications

• Legal provisions, assurances, and certification
  schedules are provided for each grant
  application. Applicants should carefully review
  all of the included schedules.
• By signing Schedule 1 of the application, the
  authorized official (or designee) has read and
  agrees to comply with all terms outlined.

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Grant Processing and Approval

• Once you submit the application to TEA, a Grant
  Specialist will review the application and
  contact the person listed as the primary contact
  to negotiate any necessary changes.
• After the initial review and negotiations are
  complete, the grant application is forwarded to a
  Grant Manager for legal and fiscal compliance
  review.
• Grants are then forwarded through a sequence of
  upper management for final approval and signature.

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Grant Processing and Approval

• After the grant is approved by the commissioner
  or his designee, you will be issued a Notice of
  Grant Award (NOGA).
  
• The NOGA, along with a transmittal letter and a
  copy of the final approved application, will be
  mailed to the Authorized Official.

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Making Changes to your Grant

• If changes to the narrative program description
  or the budget become necessary, an amendment must
  be submitted. It is not necessary to submit an
  amendment to make minor programmatic/narrative
  changes

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Amending the Budget

• Grant funds shall only be used for the purposes
  and activities approved in the budget.
  
• If you wish to use grant funds for purposes or
  activities that are not budgeted, PRIOR approval
  must be obtained through the amendment process.

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Schedule 3A-Purpose of Amendment

• Reasons for Amendment
• Addition of a class/object code not previously
  budgeted on the Budget Summary.
  
• Increase or decrease the amount approved in any
  class/object code on Schedule 5Budget Summary
  by more than 25 of the current amount approved
  in the class/object code.
• Addition of a new line item on any of the
  supporting budget schedules.
  
• Increase or decrease in the number of positions
  budgeted on Payroll Costs.
  
• Addition of a new item of computer
  hardware/equipment (not capitalized) approved on
  Supplies and Materials.

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Schedule 3A-Purpose of Amendment

• Addition of a new item or increase in quantity of
  capital outlay item(s) 5,000 approved on
  Capital Outlay for articles costing 5,000 or
  more.
• Addition of a new item of capital outlay items
  approved on Capital Outlay for articles costing
  less than 5,000.
  
• Reduction of funds allotted for training costs.
• Change in scope of objectives, regardless of
  whether there is an associated budget revision
  requiring prior approval.
  
• Request to extend the ending date of the grant.

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Grant Timeline

• Upcoming cycle of grant funding is available
  for
  
• open-enrollment charters (Subchapter D) approved
  by the SBOE in September, 2007
  
• new campus charters (Subchapter C) approved by
  the local board of trustees no later than
  November 14, 2007

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Grant Timeline

• Grant application will be available on or about
  November 29, 2007.
  
• Deadline date to submit grant application will be
  in late December/early January except for
  Subchapter D open-enrollment that will not have
  cleared all contingencies by the deadline date.

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Grant Timeline (Exceptions)

• Subchapter D charters should not submit the grant
  application until contingencies have been cleared
  and a contract is issued by TEA.
  
• The effective begin date of the grant will be the
  date contingencies are cleared or the date the
  grant is stamped-in at the TEA Document Control
  Center, whichever is later.

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Grant Timeline

• Grant applications that were submitted by the
  established deadline will have an effective start
  date of February 1, 2008.
  
• Grant applications submitted after the
  established deadline will be effective on the
  date the completed application is stamped-in to
  the TEA Document Control Center or the date
  charter contract is issued, whichever is later.
• The grant end date will be January 31, 2010.

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Grant Reporting

• Expenditure Reporting and Payment Requests
• Only expenditures that occur during the effective
  grant period may be reimbursed by the grant
  program.
  
• Grantee may report expenditures at any time to
  receive payment, as long as the request for cash
  does not exceed three days cash needs pursuant
  to cash management requirements. (Funds should
  be requested on a reimbursement basis.)
• Grantees must record expenditures at least
  semi-annually or as specified in the Program
  Guidelines
  
• Grantees are encouraged to draw down funds at
  least monthly to avoid the impression by TEA that
  grant activities and expenditures are not
  occurring.

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Grant Reporting continued

• Grantees may enter cumulative expenditures in the
  ER system, up to 90 percent of the total grant
  award.
  
• You have 30 days after the end date of the grant
  to submit the final expenditure report and then
  an additional 30 days to submit any revised
  requests.
• TEA reserves the right to require supporting
  documentation (i.e., accounting ledger) that
  lists individual expenditures, as well as
  invoices, receipts, travel vouchers, etc.

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Grant Reporting

• Progress Reports and Final Evaluation
• By submitting the grant application, the
  applicant agrees to submit written
  activity/progress reports as requested by TEA.
  
• Mid-project progress report
• A final program evaluation must be submitted no
  later than 30 days after the grant ends.

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Grant Reporting

• The final payment, or the 10 placed on hold,
  will not be released until the grantee complies
  with all reporting requirements, i.e., submit the
  final expenditure report and the final program
  evaluation.

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Contact Information

• Mona.Corbett_at_tea.state.tx.us
• Donnell.Bilsky_at_tea.state.tx.
• Grant Managers
• Discretionary Grants
• Texas Education Agency
• 512-463-9269