Title V, Part B, Subpart 2– Apportionment Overview

Program Description

Title V, Part B, Subpart 2, Rural and Low-Income School Program, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Public Law 114–95), provides funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve instruction and achievement for children in rural and low-income schools. Activities supported by this program include teacher recruitment and retention, teacher professional development, educational technology, parental involvement, or any activities authorized under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; or Title IV, Part A, pursuant to Section 5222(a) of the ESEA.

Allocations and Apportionments

LEA Eligibility

In accordance with ESSA, as described in Section 2.8.4 – RLIS Subgrant Award Determination Prompt, an LEA is eligible for Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program if:

• 20 percent or more of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes below poverty and
• All the schools served by the LEA are designated with a school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43 by the National Center for Education Statistics.

LEA Allocations

• The California Department of Education awards RLIS funds to eligible LEAs through a formula-based apportionment on a semi-annual basis; 50 percent in the fall based on preliminary allocations and the remaining funds in the spring based on final allocations.
• Final allocations are calculated following the close of the ConApp window. LEAs that do not meet the ConApp Requirement forfeit their eligibility amount. Funds forfeited by LEAs that fail to meet the ConApp Requirement are redistributed to eligible LEAs that have met the ESSA ConApp Requirement.

Consolidated Application (ConApp)

To receive an allocation each fiscal year, an LEA must Submit a ConApp in the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) and certify the FY 2026–27 Application for Funding page by December 15, 2026.

• The certified ConApp must be eligible for State Board of Education (SBE) approval. LEAs with unresolved long-term federal program monitoring (FPM) issues are not eligible for SBE approval.
• LEAs that do not resolve long-term outstanding FPM issues by October 23, 2026, in time for submission to the November SBE meeting, will forfeit their allocation.

For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 4126, ESEA (ESSA): Title V, Part B, Rual & Low-Income School Program, and Revenue Object Code 8290, All Other Federal Revenue.

Grant Award Identification

The United States Department of Education (ED) grant award number for this funding is S358B260005. The Assistance Listing Number is 84.358 (Rural and Low-Income Schools). The funding is appropriated in Item 6100‑137-0890 of the Budget Act of 2026 Assembly Bill 109 (Chapter 19, Statutes of 2026). The California sub-allocation (pass-through) number is program cost account (PCA) 14356.

Applicable Rules and Regulations

This grant is subject to the provisions of Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 of the ESEA of 1965, as amended by the ESSA. This grant is also subject to the provisions of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR Parts 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98 and 99; the OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 3485; and the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR 200 as revised at 89 Federal Register (FR) 30136-30208 (April 22, 2024).

Grant Award Period and Special Rules

Under the federal Tydings Amendment, Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act, any funds that are not obligated at the end of the federal funding period, July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, shall remain available for obligation for an additional period of 12 months, through September 30, 2028.

Pursuant to 2 CFR, Section 200.305(b)(12), interest earned up to $500 per year may be retained by the non-Federal entity for administrative expense. Any additional interest earned on Federal advance payments deposited in interest-bearing accounts must be remitted annually. LEAs should forward interest payments for remittance to the ED to:

California Department of Education
Cashier’s Office
P.O. Box 515006
Sacramento, CA 95851

To ensure proper posting of payments, please include the program’s PCA number (PCA 14356) and identify the payment as “Federal Interest Returned.”

LEAs have the option to consolidate and use Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 funds with other federal, state, and local funds for schoolwide programs pursuant to Section 1114 of the ESEA and 34 CFR, Part 200, Subpart A, sections 200.25 through 200.29.

Additional information, such as program purposes, eligibility of schools, core elements, components, and benefits of a schoolwide program, is posted on the CDE’s Title I Schoolwide Program web page.

Contacts

Program Questions: Patricia Ramirez, Education Programs Consultant, Student Achievement and Support Division, email: REAP@cde.ca.gov

Fiscal Questions: Categorical Allocations & Audit Resolutions Office, email: CAAR@cde.ca.gov