Application Deadline for Fiscal Year 2019; Small, Rural School Achievement Program

Citation84 FR 8846
Record Number2019-04519
Published date12 March 2019
SectionNotices
CourtEducation Department
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 8846-8849]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-04519]
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                DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                Application Deadline for Fiscal Year 2019; Small, Rural School
                Achievement Program
                AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
                Education.
                ACTION: Notice.
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                SUMMARY: Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program,
                Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CDFA) number 84.358A, the U.S.
                Department of Education (Department) awards grants on a formula basis
                to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique
                needs of rural school districts. In this notice, we establish the
                deadline and describe the submission requirements and procedures for
                fiscal year (FY) 2019 SRSA grant applications.
                 All LEAs eligible for FY 2019 SRSA funds must submit an application
                electronically via Grants.gov by the deadline in this notice.
                DATES:
                 Applications Available: February 20, 2019.
                 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 26, 2019.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Hitchcock, U.S. Department
                of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 3E-218, Washington, DC
                20202. Telephone: (202) 260-1472. Email: [email protected].
                 If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf or a text
                telephone, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-
                8339.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                I. Award Information
                 Type of Award: Formula grant.
                 Available Funds: $90,420,000.
                 Estimated Range of Awards: $0-$60,000.
                 Note: Depending on the number of eligible LEAs identified in a
                given year and the amount appropriated by Congress for the program,
                some eligible LEAs may receive an SRSA allocation of $0 under the
                statutory funding formula.
                 Estimated Number of Awards: 3,900.
                II. Program Authority and Eligibility Information
                Under what statutory authority will FY 2019 SRSA grant awards be made?
                 The FY 2019 SRSA grant awards will be made under title V, part B,
                subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
                amended (ESEA).
                Which LEAs are eligible for an award under the SRSA program?
                 For FY 2019, an LEA (including a public charter school that meets
                the definition of LEA in section 8101(30) of the ESEA) is eligible for
                an award under the SRSA program if it meets one of the following
                criteria:
                 (a)(1) The total number of students in average daily attendance at
                all of the schools served by the LEA is fewer than 600; or each county
                in which a school served by the LEA is located has a total population
                density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile; and
                 (2) All of the schools served by the LEA are designated with a
                school locale code of 41, 42, or 43 by the Department's National Center
                for Education Statistics (NCES); or the Secretary has determined, based
                on a demonstration by the LEA and concurrence of the State educational
                agency, that the LEA is located in an area defined as rural by a
                governmental agency of the State;
                 (b) The LEA is a member of an educational service agency (ESA) that
                does not receive SRSA funds, and the LEA meets the eligibility
                requirements described in (a)(1) and (2) above; or
                 (c) The LEA meets the requirements for a hold harmless award as
                described in section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA. These are LEAs that are no
                longer eligible for the SRSA program because of amendments made under
                the Every Student Succeeds Act to the locale code methodology and
                designations referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the ESEA.
                However, these LEAs may receive an FY 2019 award of 25 percent of the
                amount such agency received for FY 2015, as provided in section
                5212(b)(4) of the ESEA.
                 Note: The ``Choice of Participation'' provision under section
                5225 of the ESEA gives LEAs eligible for both SRSA and the Rural and
                Low-Income School (RLIS) program authorized under title V, part B,
                subpart 2 of the ESEA the option to participate in either the SRSA
                program or the RLIS program. LEAs eligible for both SRSA and RLIS
                are henceforth referred to as ``dual-eligible LEAs.''
                Which eligible LEAs must submit an application to receive an FY 2019
                SRSA grant award?
                 Under 34 CFR 75.104(a), the Secretary makes a grant only to an
                eligible entity that submits an application.
                 In FY 2019, all LEAs eligible to receive an SRSA award are required
                to submit an SRSA application in order to receive SRSA funds,
                regardless of whether the LEA received an award or submitted an
                application in any previous year. This includes LEAs eligible to
                receive an FY 2019 award under the hold harmless provision, dual-
                eligible LEAs that choose to participate in the SRSA program instead of
                the RLIS program, and SRSA-eligible LEAs that are members of ESAs that
                do not receive SRSA funds. In the case of SRSA-eligible LEAs that are
                members of SRSA-eligible ESAs, the respective LEAs and ESAs must
                coordinate directly with each other to determine which entity will
                submit an SRSA application, as both entities may not apply for or
                receive SRSA funds. Additionally, we note that dual-eligible LEAs that
                apply for SRSA funds in accordance with these application
                [[Page 8847]]
                submission procedures will not be considered for an RLIS award.
                 We also note that a separate application must be submitted for each
                eligible LEA. For example, if a rural community has two distinct LEAs--
                one composed of its elementary school(s) and one composed of its high
                school(s)--each distinct LEA would have to submit its own SRSA
                application.
                 A list of LEAs eligible for FY 2019 SRSA grant funds is available
                on the Department's website at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. All LEAs on this list must submit an electronic
                application via Grants.gov in order to receive an FY 2019 SRSA grant
                award. The list identifies those LEAs that meet the eligibility
                requirements for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) SRSA
                program, those LEAs that meet the eligibility requirements for the REAP
                RLIS program, those LEAs that are dual-eligible, and those LEAs that
                are eligible to receive an SRSA award pursuant to the hold harmless
                provision.
                 If an LEA on the Department's list of LEAs eligible to receive an
                FY 2019 SRSA award is no longer in existence as of the 2018-19 school
                year or will close prior to the 2019-2020 school year, the LEA is no
                longer eligible to receive an FY 2019 SRSA award and should not apply.
                 An LEA eligible to receive FY 2019 SRSA funds that fails to submit
                an FY 2019 SRSA application or fails to submit an application in
                accordance with the application submission procedures is at risk of not
                receiving an FY 2019 SRSA award. Such LEAs may receive an award only to
                the extent funds become available after awards are made to all eligible
                LEAs that complied with the application procedures.
                How must LEAs eligible for an FY 2019 SRSA grant award submit an
                application?
                 LEAs must use the Grants.gov site for submitting SRSA applications.
                LEAs should review closely the next section titled Application and
                Submission Information for specific information about how to apply for
                SRSA FY 2019 funds.
                III. Application and Submission Information
                Electronic Submission of Applications Using Grants.gov
                 All LEAs eligible for FY 2019 SRSA grant funds are required to
                submit an electronic application using the Grants.gov Apply site at
                www.Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on April 26, 2019. SRSA
                applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov unless
                you qualify for an exception to this requirement, in accordance with
                the instructions in this section. You may not email an electronic copy
                of a grant application to us.
                 A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared
                environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and
                edit different webforms within an application. An applicant can create
                an individual Workspace for each application notice and, thus,
                establish for that application a collaborative application package that
                allows more than one person in the applicant's organization to work
                concurrently on an application. The applicant can, thus, assign other
                users to participate in the Workspace. The system also enables the
                applicant to reuse forms from previous submissions; check them in and
                out and complete them; and submit its application package. For access
                to complete instructions on how to apply, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
                 We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
                unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
                the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
                later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
                statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
                exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
                is two weeks
                 before the application deadline date is provided later in this
                section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
                 Please note the following:
                 When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
                information about submitting an application through the site, as well
                as the hours of operation.
                 Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
                stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
                be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than
                11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on April 26, 2019. Except as otherwise
                noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is
                received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system--
                after 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on April 26, 2019. We do not
                consider an application that does not comply with the deadline
                requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we
                will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was
                date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 11:59:59 p.m.,
                Eastern Time, on April 26, 2019.
                 The amount of time it can take to upload an application
                will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
                application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we
                strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
                date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
                 You should review and follow the Education Submission
                Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
                included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
                submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
                You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
                Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home
                page at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures
                for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the
                Grants.gov website at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
                 You must submit all documents electronically, including
                all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
                Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-
                Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
                certifications.
                 When you submit your application electronically, you must
                upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your
                application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or
                Microsoft Word. Although applicants have the option of uploading any
                narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in
                either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all
                documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files
                must be saved and submitted as nonfillable PDF files and not as
                interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are
                processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner. If you
                choose to submit your application in Microsoft Word, you may do so
                using any version of Microsoft Word (i.e., a document ending in a .doc
                or .docx extension). If you upload a file type other than PDF or
                Microsoft Word or if you submit a password-protected file, we will be
                unable to review that material. Please note that this will likely
                result in your application not being considered for funding. The
                Department will not convert material from other formats to PDF or
                Microsoft Word.
                [[Page 8848]]
                 After you electronically submit your application, you will
                receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
                contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates
                receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department. Grants.gov
                will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all
                the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors
                (such as submission of your application by someone other than a
                registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an
                attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will
                be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you
                must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
                 Once your application is successfully validated by
                Grants.gov, the Department will retrieve your application from
                Grants.gov and send you an email with a unique PR/Award number for your
                application.
                 These emails do not mean that your application is without
                any disqualifying errors. While your application may have been
                successfully validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the
                Department's application requirements as specified in this notice and
                in the application instructions. Disqualifying errors could include,
                for instance, failure to submit a required part of the application; or
                failure to meet applicant eligibility requirements. It is your
                responsibility to ensure that your submitted application has met all of
                the Department's requirements.
                 We may request that you provide us original signatures on
                forms at a later date.
                Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues With
                the Grants.gov System
                 If you are experiencing problems submitting your application
                through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll
                free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
                Number and must keep a record of it.
                 If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
                application by the application deadline date because of technical
                problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
                until 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the following business day to enable
                you to transmit your application electronically. You also may mail your
                application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere
                in this notice.
                 If you submit an application after 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on
                the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and provide an explanation of the
                technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the
                Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if
                we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov
                system and that the problem affected your ability to submit your
                application by 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline
                date. We will contact you after we determine whether your application
                will be accepted.
                 Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
                only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
                Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
                to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
                the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
                you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
                Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement
                 You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
                requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you
                are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system
                because--
                 You do not have access to the internet; or
                 You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
                the Grants.gov system; and
                 No later than two weeks before the application deadline
                date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
                application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
                day following the Federal holiday), you send a letter or email with a
                written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two
                grounds for an exception prevents you from using the internet to submit
                your application.
                 If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
                postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
                date. Address and mail your statement to: Mr. Robert Hitchcock, U.S.
                Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E-218,
                Washington, DC 20202. Or email your statement to [email protected]
                 Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
                mail instructions described in this notice.
                Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
                 We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is
                not possible (e.g., you do not have access to the internet), you must
                provide a written statement that you intend to submit a paper
                application. Send this written statement no later than two weeks before
                the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth
                calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal
                holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday). Please
                send this statement to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                CONTACT.
                 If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
                requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
                commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
                the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
                application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
                U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
                (CFDA Number 84.358A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
                Washington, DC 20202-4260.
                 You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
                 (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
                 (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
                U.S. Postal Service.
                 (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
                carrier.
                 (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
                U.S. Department of Education.
                 If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
                not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
                 (1) A private metered postmark.
                 (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
                 Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
                dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with
                your local post office.
                 We will not consider applications postmarked after the application
                deadline date.
                 Note for Mail of Paper Applications: If you mail your application
                to the Department--
                 (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
                Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number (84.358A) of the
                program under which you are submitting your application; and
                 (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification
                of receipt
                [[Page 8849]]
                of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification
                within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should
                call the Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
                IV. Other Submission Requirements
                Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number,
                and System for Award Management
                 To do business with the Department of Education, you must:
                 a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
                Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
                 b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award
                Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant database;
                 c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
                 d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information
                while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
                are awarded a grant, throughout the grant performance period.
                 You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet at the
                following website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be
                created within one to two business days.
                 If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
                organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
                If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
                Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
                new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
                 The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
                days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the
                completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM.gov
                database. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal
                financial assistance under a program administered by the Department,
                please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number
                and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early. If you are
                unable to submit an application on Grants.gov by the application
                deadline because you do not have an active SAM registration, you may
                not be considered for funding.
                 Note: Once your SAM.gov registration is active, it may be 24 to
                48 hours before you can access the information in, and submit an
                application through, Grants.gov
                 .If you are currently registered with SAM.gov, you may not need to
                make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated
                with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to
                update your registration annually. This may take three or more business
                days.
                 Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
                assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
                SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
                Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
                 In addition, if you are submitting your SRSA application via
                Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an
                Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself
                with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
                following Grants.gov web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
                V. Acessibility Information and Program Authority
                 Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
                document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
                (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
                the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                CONTACT.
                 Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
                document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
                access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
                Federal Regulations via the Federal Digital System at www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other
                documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text
                or PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                available free at the site.
                 You may also access documents of the Department published in the
                Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
                www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
                feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
                by the Department.
                 Program Authority: Sections 5211-5212 of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C.
                7345-7345a.
                 Dated: March 7, 2019.
                Frank Brogan,
                Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education.
                [FR Doc. 2019-04519 Filed 3-11-19; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
                

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