1. Rural Education Achievement Program
Understanding Rural Low Income Schools and Small, Rural Schools Achievement Grants

2. Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) initiatives that are designed to help rural districts that may lack the personnel and resources to compete effectively for Federal competitive grants and that often receive grant allocations in amounts that are too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.
REMEMBER THAT REAP IS DESIGNED TO HELP RURAL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SOME GRANTS MORE EFFECTIVE.

3. The two formula grants are:
The Small, Rural School Grant Program (CFDA no A)
Authorizes the Secretary to award formula grants directly to eligible LEAs to carry out activities authorized under other specified Federal programs.
those LEAs eligible under the alternative uses of funds program may uses SRSA monies as support to activities under ESEA Title Programs.
TWO GRANTS - SRSA AND RLIS

4. The Rural and Low-income Schools Program
(CFDA no B) is designed to address the needs of rural, low-income schools.
The Secretary awards formula grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs)
The SEA awards subgrants to eligible LEAs either competitively or on a Formula basis.
Pennsylvania opts to distribute funds on a Formula basis.

5. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SRSA AND RLIS?
TOPIC
RLIS
SRSA
ALTERNATIVE USE OF FUNDS
DUAL-ELIGIBLE LEAs may participate
All eligible LEAs may participate
AWARD DISBURSEMENT
SEA disburses RLIS funds to LEAs
ED disburses SRSA funds to LEAs
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
SEA provides TA for RLIS
ED Provides TA for SRSA
APPLYING FOR THE GRANT
SEA creates and maintains grant applications on eGrants
LEAs use ED’s application procedures
OBLIGATION PERIOD
27-months (e.g. for 2017 grant awards, obligation period is from July 1, 2017 – Sept. 2019)
15-months (e.g. FY 2017 obligation period is July 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018)
The Alternative Use of Funds flexibility, ED maintains SRSA and the Obligation period for SRSA is 15 month, while RLIS is 27 months with carryover.

6. ARE THERE ANY FUNDING LIMITS FOR REAP GRANTS?
TOPIC
RLIS
SRSA
IMPACT OF OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS ON GRANT AWARDS
LEA grant awards are based on the SEA’s procedures for awarding RLIS funds
LEA grant awards are reduced by the amount of Title II-A and Title IV-A funds the LEA received in the preceding fiscal year.
FUNDING LIMITS
Federal statute does not set a limit on the amount of funds an LEA may receive each grant period.
The maximum amount of funds an LEA may receive, by statute, is $60,000.

7. WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE USE OF FUNDS AUTHORITY?
The alternative use of funds authority provides flexibility to SRSA-eligible LEAs to use Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A formula funds to support local activities under an array of Federal programs in order to assist them in addressing local academic needs more effectively.
IF AN LEA RECEIVES AN SRSA ALLOCATION, DOES
THE LEA HAVE TO APPLY TO USE THIS AUTHORITY?
Alternative Use of Funds is for SRSA eligible LEAs. LEA may use Title II, Part A aand Title IV Part A funds to support activities in order to assist in addressing academic needs. Eligible SRSA LEAs do not have to submit an application in order to use this authority.
An SRSA-eligible LEA does not have to apply to exercise the alternative use of funds authority.

8. WHAT IS A DUAL-ELIGIBLE LEA?
This is a classification of LEAs for REAP eligibility. Some LEAs are eligible to receive either an SRSA grant, or RLIS grant. They cannot receive both!
The LEA will decide which grant they wish to receive.
ALL Dual-Eligible LEAs may exercise the Flex Authority – Alternative Use of Funds regardless of which grant that they decide to receive!
ED reviews LEA data to determine if the LEA qualifies for SRSA and RLIS.
The LEA selects the grant that they want to apply for,
Dual Eligible LEAs may use Alternative Use of Funds regardless of the grant that they wish to apply for.

9. IF DUAL ELIGIBLE, HOW DOES THE LEA SELECT THE GRANT THAT THEY WISH TO APPLY FOR?
If the LEA decides to apply for SRSA, then the LEA must apply for SRSA before the application deadline. (Eligible SRSA LEAs will be contacted by ED regarding the opening and closing dates for the grant.)
PDE does not release RLIS applications for LEAs to complete until after the SRSA grant has closed.
PDE removes Dual Enrollment LEAs from the RLIS eligibility list who have selected SRSA when calculating the LEA allocations.
If an LEA, who is dual eligible, does not apply for SRSA, then the LEA will be added to the list of eligible RLIS recipients.
The LEA selects the SRSA grant to apply for prior to the SRSA grant closing date.
If the LEA does not apply for SRSA, then the LEA will be added to the RLIS eligibility list.

10. Both grants are designed to supplement funding to help rural local education agencies (LEAs) increase student academic achievement.

11. Small, Rural Schools Achievement Program
Who is eligible to receive an SRSA award?
1a. The total number of students in average
daily attendance at all of the schools served
by the LEA is fewer than 600 OR
1b. Each county in which a school served by the LEA
is located has a total population density of fewer than
10 people per square mile;

12. Each county in which a school served by the LEA is located, has a total population density of fewer than 10 people per square mile.
1 Square Mile
1 mile
The illustration shows what the population distribution would look like when calculating density.
1 Mile

13. Small, Rural Schools Achievement Program
Average Daily Attendance for all schools served by the LEA is fewer than 600.
PDE collects average daily attendance information for all schools served by LEAs as a part of the PIMS data collection. The ADA information is sent to ED.
ADA is collected through PIMS and is sent to ED, annually.,

14. 2a. All of the schools served by the LEA are designated with a
AND
2a. All of the schools served by the LEA are designated with a
school locale code of 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the
Secretary of Education; OR
2b. The LEA is located in an area determined to be “rural” by
a governmental agency of the state.
Refer to the eligibility spreadsheet.

15. LEA SRSA ELIGIBILITY AT A GLANCE
Average Daily Attendance for all schools is fewer than 600
Population Density Less than 10 people per square mile
School Locale Code of 41, 42, or 43
SEA Rural Designation
SRSA Eligible
Yes No
The LEA must have at least one of the green boxes as a Yes and one yellow box selected as Yes in order to receive SRSA.

16. LEA ELIGIBILITY SPREADSHEET
District Name ST
SRSA Eligible
SRSA Hold Harmless
RLIS Eligible
DUAL Eligible
SRSA Application Received - Final
School Locale Codes (SRSA and RLIS)
Defined as Rural by State (SRSA and RLIS)
Locale codes of 41,42,or 43 (SRSA Rural)
Average Daily Attendance (SRSA Small)
County pop density < 10 (SRSA Small)
SRSA rural eligible
SRSA Small Eligible
SRSA eligible
RLIS rural eligible
RLIS pov. Eligible
RLIS eligible
Dual
Austin Area SD PA
SRSA -
Yes 42 NA
YES
160.5 NO 1
Avella Area SD
508.4
Bear Creek Community CS 41
425.1
Commodore Perry SD
RLIS
DUAL
457.7
The spreadsheet contains eligibility data for both grants. If your LEA is not listed on the spreadsheet, please refer to the online document.
To view your district’s data, please refer to the handout for RLIS/SRSA Eligibility. The entire list is located on ED’s website.

17. SRSA ALLOCATION FORMULA
SRSA grant funds are allocated to eligible LEAs based on the following formula:
The number of students in average daily attendance, minus 50.
Multiply this number by $100.
Add $20,000.
If the total is above $60,000, this amount is capped at $60,000.
From the amount above, subtract the sum of the allocations received by the LEA during the prior fiscal year under:
Title II-A.
Title IV-A.
This is the SRSA formula. You would need your ADA, Title II-A allocation. Next year, you will need to know what your Title II-A and Title IV – A allocations are.

18. BEGINNING WITH THE 2019 – 2020 YEAR, ED WILL DEDUCT THE SUM OF BOTH TITLE II AND TITLE IV ALLOCATIONS FROM THE LEA’S APPLICATION WHEN CALCULATING THEIR SRSA ALLOCATION.
Please note: This allocation formula calculation provides an estimate only; the actual SRSA award amount may be higher or lower than the calculation, depending on the amount Congress appropriates for the program, as well as the number of LEAs nationwide that are eligible to receive SRSA grant funding in a given fiscal year; and (2) not every eligible LEA will receive an SRSA grant, because there are instances where the allocation formula described above may result in an award of $0 (e.g., an LEA that received a particularly large amount of Title II-A or Title IV-A funds, such as $60,000 or more, would receive $0 under the formula).

19. HOLD HARMLESS LEAs for SRSA
In FY 2018, FY 2015 grantee LEAs that were ineligible for an SRSA grant in FY 2017 as a result of the new locale code methodology in ESSA and who are also not dually eligible for RLIS will receive 50% of the SRSA award amount they received in 2015.
This is the Hold Harmless eligibility criteria for SRSA.

20. USE OF FUNDS - SRSA
Grantees may use SRSA funds to carry out activities authorized under any of the following federal programs:
Title I-A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Education Agencies) Example: A school district develops an entrepreneurial education program to supplement its civics curriculum.
Title II-A (Supporting Effective Instruction) Example: A school district pays the stipend for a prospective teacher to work alongside an effective teacher, who is the teacher of record, for a full academic year.
Title III (Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students) Example: A school district offers an afterschool enrichment program for English learners.
Title IV-A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) Example: A school district purchases a bully prevention program for all schools.
Title IV-B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) Example: A school district purchases instruments to supplement schools’ band and orchestra programs.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ALTERNATIVE USE OF FUNDS. THIS IS ONLY THE SRSA USE OF FUNDS.

21. LEA REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SRSA AND RLIS DUAL- ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS
Regardless of which program the LEA chooses, the LEA must notify its SEA on an annual basis on or before the notification deadline established by the SEA of its intent to exercise the Alternative Use of Funds authority.
Once PDE Receives the list of SRSA applicants, PDE will be sending an to the SRSA and RLIS Dual Eligible LEA contacts.
The will contain a survey asking if the LEA is exercising this authority for this granting year.
All LEAs who are using this authority are required to notify PDE of their intent to use the Alternative Use of Funds authority.
SRSA recipients will be receiving an alternative use of funds , on Monday, May 7. PDE will open after ED provides us with an allocation.

22. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE RLIS?
Twenty percent or more of the children ages 5 through 17 years served by the LEA are from families with incomes below poverty
AND
All of the schools served by the LEA are designated with a school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43.
LEAs must have the correct locale codes and have a low-income percentage above 20%.

23. RLIS ELIGIBILITY SPREADSHEET
Wayne Highlands SD PA
YES
22.299 1
West Branch Area SD
25.880
Austin Area SD
17.857 NO
Avella Area SD
11.429
Albert Gallatin Area SD PA NO
28.966
YES 1 -
Aliquippa SD
46.492
LEAs must have the correct locale codes and have a low-income percentage above 20%.
To view your district’s data, please refer to the handout for RLIS/SRSA Eligibility

24. X RLIS ALLOCATION FORMULA LEA RLIS ALLOCATION
STATE PER PUPIL
ALLOCATION
ED ALLOCATION TO PDE FOR RLIS
SUM OF ALL ELIGIBLE LEAs AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE
STATE PER PUPIL ALLOCATION
LEA AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE X
Calculate the Per Pupil allocation.
Multiply the per pupil amount by the LEA ADA to get the LEA RLIS allocation.
LEA RLIS ALLOCATION

25. RLIS AND SRSA USE OF FUNDS
GUIDANCE
RLIS
SRSA
EXAMPLE
Title I, Part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs) 
A district develops a business education program to supplement its curriculum
Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction)
A school district hires an aide to work alongside a teacher for an academic year.
Title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students)
A school district offers an afterschool enrichment program for English learners.
Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment)
An LEA purchases an upgrade in its internet service for all of the schools in the district.
Parental Involvement Activities
An LEA pays for bus service to transport families to its annual “open house”.
Title IV, Part B (21st-Century Community Learning Centers)
The major difference between the two is with Parent Involvement and Title IV. SRSA can’t be used for parent involvement and RLIS can’t use monies in Title IV.

26. RLIS GRANT APPLICATION SECTIONS
The grant consists of three narrative sections, one assurance section and two budget sections.
Carryover – LEAs can carry over funds from the previous year’s grant.
Use of Funds – LEAs must declare how they will spend their funds and provide an explanation on how the funds will be used.
Performance Goals – UGG requires that grant recipients provide performance goals.
UGG Assurances – LEA will answer each assurance question.
Budget Detail – LEA will specifically declare how the funds are spent.

27. CARRYOVER
A survey will be sent when the grant opens, asking if the LEA will be using previous year’s carryover.

28. USE OF FUNDS
LEAs must describe the use of their RLIS funds. Please include specific details of how you will use your funds.

29. PERFORMANCE GOALS SECTION
UGG requires that you have performance goals for your RLIS grant.

30. REQUIRED PERFORMANCE GOAL REPORT
The performance goal report will open in October and close in December. This is on the eGrant system. You will receive an with instructions on how to access this report.

31. Assurances
The following assurances represent changes in grants administration requirements that were issued in the new Uniform Grant Guidance on December 26, 2014.  The requirements pertain to all federal grant awards issued after that date.  Please review each statement carefully and check “yes” to indicate that you have reviewed and agree to implement the requirement.  The written policies, etc., will be collected and reviewed during future monitoring visits and/or single audits.
LEA agrees to establish written procedures for procurement of goods/services, as defined in the Uniform Grant Guidance. 
LEA agrees to establish written policies pertaining to travel approval and reimbursement, as defined in the Uniform Grant Guidance.
LEA agrees to establish written policies pertaining to determining the allowability of costs in accordance with Cost Principals in order to meet the intent of all federal grant awards, as defined in the Uniform Grant Guidance
LEA  agrees to establish written procedures for implementing the requirements related to Cash Management, in accordance with the Cash Management Act, and defined by the Uniform Grant Guidance (b).
LEA agrees to submit required performance reports for each federal grant awards as often as required but no less frequently than annually and no more frequently than quarterly for the duration of the grant, in accordance with Uniform Grant Guidance and defined by the State Department of Education.  Annual reports shall be due 90 calendar days after reporting period and quarterly reports shall be due 30 days after reporting period.
LEA agrees to seek prior written approval from awarding agency (PDE) in advance of incurring special or unusual costs in order to avoid subsequent disallowances in accordance with Uniform Grant Guidance

32. Budget Detail
Break down you budget description, when possible.
You must select a Function and Object code that best describes the use of funds.
Please provide an accurate description for the purchased line item.

33. BUDGET SUMMARY

34. RLIS USE OF FUNDS SURVEY WILL BE SENT AFTER THE RLIS GRANT HAS CLOSED FOR THE SURVEY WILL INCLUDE HOW YOU SPENT YOUR RLIS MONIES AND IF THE LEA IS CARRYING OVER FUNDS FROM

35. RESOURCES
Grants.gov SRSA application website
G5 Site where LEAs access SRSA grant funds
System for Award Management (SAM) Required registration of DUNS number
REAP eligibility spread sheet
(Copy and paste web address into browser address bar.)
SRSA/RLIS Comparison Chart Tool that shows similarities and differences between SRSA and RLIS
(Copy and paste web address into browser address bar.)