Completing the Semi-Annual Certification for Federally Funded Staff

May 22, 2024 | Grants Management

Today’s tip might sound like a repeat from January, and it is! With the end of the second semester upon us, CSS is here once again to remind you to do your time and effort for all federally-funded and State Comp Ed staff. The purpose of the Semi-Annual Certification is for the employee and supervisor to attest that the work performed during the previous semester was for the federal grant job description that was signed at the start of the year, and no other type of work was paid for by the federal funds. The Semi-annual Certification form becomes part of time and effort documentation that is frequently asked for by auditors.

The federal team assists our member schools in collecting compliant time and effort documentation to match the staff funded from federal grants. Your auditors will be impressed!

There are three types of documentation depending on if the employee is paid 100% from the grant, split funded, or has an inconsistent schedule on federal grant time.

100% paid by the federal grant all the time – use Semi-annual certification form. See pages 4-5 of most recent TEA Time and Effort Manual
Split funded (aka multiple cost objectives) – MAY use substitute system of time and effort if you are on the approved by TEA list, and employee follows a consistent split of time on their weekly schedule (ex. Always 50/50 split, etc.). If not approved, you must use a PAR.

See TEA Substitute System Website – click here

PAR – employee time on the federal grant always varies and is inconsistent. Keep a daily log of time and adjust paycheck each month according to the amount of time (%) spent working on the grant job.

Time and effort should always be done after the work is performed, and the forms should be dated as such. Be on the alert to collect it should any staff resign or leave early! This should be done before teachers leave for summer.

What about ESSER funded staff?

Time and effort is not required for ESSER funds unless it is split funded with another fund that does require time and effort (such as Title I or IDEA).

Time and effort is required for any position paid whole or in part by ANY federal grant including all Title funds, IDEA, Carl Perkins, School Improvement, or any grant fund except ESSER. CSS also recommends doing time and effort for State Comp Ed funded positions unless you have a local policy stating that your LEA will not do it for SCE. Local agencies may decide for State Comp Ed, but must have written procedures; however, it is not a local decision for federal time and effort. It is part of an overall process for documenting the time paid by a grant fund to ensure proper use of the grant funding.

CSS offers a complete time and effort webinar online at a low cost! We highly recommend it for new charters and anyone with grant-funded staffing! All our courses are 90 minutes or less!

EDGAR- Staffing, Time and Effort Online Course Registration