Ltr2-16: Title VI, RLIS

Dear Select County Superintendents of Schools:

SECOND APPORTIONMENT FOR TITLE VI, PART B, SUBPART 2,
RURAL AND LOW-INCOME SCHOOL PROGRAM
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT
FISCAL YEAR 2016–17

This apportionment, in the amount of $720,326, is made from federal funds provided to the state under Title VI, Part B, Subpart 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (Public Law [PL] 107-110), in support of the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program. Entitlements for eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) are based on each LEA’s average daily attendance as of the 2014–15 Second Principal Apportionment, multiplied by an approximate rate of $23.08. The amount apportioned reflects the final payment of the 2016–17 entitlement to LEAs that applied for Title VI, Part B, Subpart 2 on the 2016–17 Consolidated Application Reporting System (CARS), and have an approved LEA plan. Allocations have been reduced for LEAs that failed to meet the federal maintenance of effort requirement applicable to 2016–17 funding and did not receive an approved federal waiver, pursuant to Section 9521 of the ESEA and Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 299, Subpart D, Section 299.5. This apportionment reflects the final 50 percent of each participating LEA’s entitlement.

These funds are to be used to improve instruction and achievement for children in rural and low-income schools by supporting activities such as teacher recruitment and retention, teacher professional development, educational technology, parental involvement, or any activities authorized under Part A of Title I or Title III (Section 6222[a] of PL 114–95).

Direct-funded charter schools must apply individually for this program. Apportionment amounts for direct-funded charter schools are identified separate from the district or county amount. All other charter schools must apply through their authorizing agency; funding associated with locally funded charter schools is included in the district or county amount.

The LEAs have the option to consolidate and use Title VI, Part B, Subpart 2 funds with other federal, state, and local funds for schoolwide programs pursuant to Section 1114 of the ESEA and Title 34 of the 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 California Department of Education (CDE) Schoolwide Programs Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/rt/.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) award number for this program is S358B160005. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance subprogram number is 84.358B. The funding is appropriated in Item 6100‑137-0890 of the Budget Act of 2016 (Chapter 23, Statutes of 2016). The California sub-allocation (pass‑through) number is Program Cost Account (PCA) 14356.

This grant award is subject to the provisions of Title VI of ESEA, as applicable; the General Education Provisions Act. This grant is also subject to the Title I regulations in 34 CFR Part 200, the General Provisions in 34 CFR Part 299, and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, and 97–99, and the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR Part 200 and 3474.

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, 2016, through September 30, 2017, shall remain available for obligation for an additional period of 12 months, through September 30, 2018.

Title 2 of the CFR, Section 200.305(b)(9), states that interest earned amounts 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.”

Warrants will be mailed to each county treasurer approximately three weeks from the date of this Notice. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 4126, NCLB: Title VI, Part B, Rural & Low Income School Program, and Revenue Object Code 8290, All Other Federal Revenue.

The county superintendents of schools were notified of this apportionment by e-mail which was sent to their CDEfisc e-mail addresses. The CDE requested that the e-mail be forwarded to all school districts and charter schools in the county, and included the links to this letter and the apportionment schedule which are on the CDE Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/.

If you have any questions regarding the Title VI program, please contact Susan Myers, Staff Services Analyst, Improvement & Accountability Division, by phone at     916-319-0652 or by e-mail at sumyers@cde.ca.gov. For questions concerning this apportionment or the Title VI, Part B, Subpart 2 entitlement amounts, please contact Sheng Her, Fiscal Analyst, Categorical Allocations & Audit Resolution Unit, by phone at 916-324-4533 or by e‑mail at sher@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Peter Foggiato, Director
Services Fiscal Services Division