EDGAR Part 1: Administrative Procedures

EDGAR Part 1: Administrative Procedures

April 1, 2024 | Charter Administration, Grants Management

No doubt, Federal grant funds can provide great benefits for your students. From additional interventions to added technology, the possibilities are many, but programs funded by the USDE-issued grants such as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and IDEA-B are regulated by many rules that can be difficult to understand. As a savvy administrator, you want awesome programs and to follow all the requirements at the same time. If you are new to federal programs, returning after a break, or are just looking for deeper understanding, you have come to the right place. Our Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) four-part series provides complete training of the fiscal side of federal grants.

The CSS federal team works directly with clients to implement strong federal programs and monitor fiscal and programmatic requirements.

EDGAR, also known as Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2CFR) Part 200 was incorporated into general federal regulations on December 26, 2014.  These regulations govern all grants issued by the United States Department of Education (USDE).  Charter schools and school districts who received federal grants from the USDE were expected to have all regulations in place by July 1, 2015.

CLICK HERE to register now for the EDGAR Part I: Administrative Procedures Online Course!

Fiscal Regulations

EDGAR provides the basis for fiscal requirements for federal grant funds issued by the USDE. LEAs who receive these grants must follow all applicable rules as listed in the EDGAR guidelines. EDGAR guidelines and resources are available on the TEA website at this link: EDGAR.

In addition to EDGAR guidelines, charters who receive ESSA grant funds, must also be knowledgeable about allowable/unallowable expenditures; supplement, not supplant guidelines; time and effort keeping for salaries; and federal travel reimbursement guidelines.

Each grant recipient must have a written federal administrative procedures manual (APM) that is aligned with EDGAR, and involved staff must be trained in its contents. The procedures for spending grant funds will spell out internal controls that help ensure purchases from federal grant funds are allowable, approved by multiple staff, and will pass the scrutiny of audits.

Did you know that all of your ESSER grants, including certain TCLAS projects are subject to EDGAR guidelines?

Documentation is also key when keeping records of federal grants. The APM manual will include how the organization keeps track of purchasing documents, inventory, and personnel records. Basically, every purchase with federal grant funds must be documented and ready for audit.

Program Requirements for ESSA & IDEA-B

Along with fiscal guidelines, ESSA and IDEA-B grants are accompanied by detailed program requirements. The focus of the EDGAR training series is not on the program side, but each Title program has a program guide to explain the requirements for the activities you plan to implement for students. The combination of fiscal and programmatic compliance is crucial for the proper administration of federal grant funds.

After completing the EDGAR Part 1: Administrative Procedures online course, take further action to make sure you continuously stay “in the know” by signing up for Charter School Success’ list-serve of weekly “Tips.”  You can sign up to receive these FREE updates by clicking here and entering your information in the black box.

Have questions?