Every Thursday, REL-NEI highlights state-based resources, press releases, and news around the Northeast and Islands Region related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For a listing of REL Issues & Answers Reports categorized under ARRA topics and domains, click here.
ED Issues Guidance on ARRA Spending
Last week, ED released this “uses” guidance which includes framing questions and examples of potential uses. The Secretary of Education announced last week that the RFPs for the upcoming programs will likely be released in July for the Race to the Top and later in the summer or fall for Investing in What Works. The RFPs for the other RFP-type programs (Title I School Improvement, Enhancing Education through Technology, Vocational Rehabilitation, Statewide Data Systems, Teacher Incentive Fund, Teacher Quality Enhancement) will be ready in the fall. Where has ED distributed ARRA funds? See a list of approved state applications.
On April 29th, Education Sector hosted an event discussing governance and accountability structures accompanying the ARRA funds called “Ensuring Accountability for Federal Incentive and Innovation Funds.” View the agenda.
On May 1st, Maine released its “State Agency Weekly Reports on American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Activities” for the week ending April 24th. Three main activities were included in the report. First, the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Application was approved by the US Department of Education. Second, “Maine received further guidance on the maintenance of effort [MOE] calculations for IDEA and have been given permission by the US Department of Education to look at more recent data to base the school administrative units compliance determinations.” It is anticipated that the new determinations will allow more SAUs to receive the benefit of the MOE adjustment, which allows a ratable reduction in the state and local effort for special education. Finally, Commissioner Gendron invited all Superintendents and Child Development Services regional site directors to a statewide conference on May 4, concerning the Development of Early Childhood Public Preschool Programs and the ARRA guidelines around this topic.
On April 30th, Rhode Island held its “Annual CRP Application Update & Federal Stimulus Funds Application Rollout Meeting.” View the agenda. On the same day, RIDE released its State Fiscal Stabilization Funds assurances affirmation and presented its CRP & Federal Stimulus Rollout (PPT).
On April 29th in Vermont, the DOE discussed the feasibility of implementing a statewide student information system as part of a competitive grant opportunity from ED. To secure funds to meet the assurances, the commissioner must apply for funds under ARRA Title XIII, Institute of Education Sciences, for the purpose of creating a student information system serving each supervisory union, member district and regional technical education district. On May 13th, (3:30–4:30 p.m.) there will be an “IDEA-B/ARRA Funds Conference Call,” which will provide a question & answer opportunity For Special Education Administrators, EEE Coordinators, Superintendents & Principals. (To send questions in advance of the call, e-mail karin.edwards@state.vt.us. NOTE: There will be another call scheduled in a month when guidance is updated. Call 1-866-642-1665 and use passcode 196408 to participate in the Q & A opportunity. Contact: Marcy Martin at marcy.martin@state.vt.us.)
On April 23rd, Massachusetts laid out the procedures to enable a small number of districts who need to have a portion of their IDEA-American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (IDEA-ARRA) funds available for “recovery” expenditures before July 1, 2009. See them here.
On April 17th, 2009, Governor Lynch of New Hampshire signed SB 39 into law, which permits New Hampshire towns, village districts and school districts to conduct special meetings to vote on the appropriation of funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As a result, New Hampshire towns, village districts and school districts that receive funds from the ARRA, may call a special meeting to authorize the appropriation of such funds within the town, village district or school district by following the laid out procedures.
For more information, visit these Recovery.gov websites across the Northeast & Islands Region:
Connecticut
http://www.recovery.ct.gov/recovery/site/default.asp
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2703&Q=322296
Maine
http://www.maine.gov/recovery/
http://www.maine.gov/education/recovery/index.html
Massachusetts
www.mass.gov/recovery
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/
New Hampshire
http://www.nh.gov/recovery/
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/recovery/index.htm
New York
http://uspeny.nysed.gov/arra/
Rhode Island
http://www.recovery.ri.gov/
http://www.ride.ri.gov/Finance/Funding/ARRA/
Vermont
http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/dept/recovery_act.html
Puerto Rico
http://www.buengobiernopr.com/arra/index.html
U.S. Virgin Islands
http://www.governordejongh.com/recovery/index.html
US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html
Knowledge Alliance
http://www.knowledgeall.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=34
Council of State Governments: StateRecovery.org
http://www.staterecovery.org/education
