Completing the Semi-Annual Certification for Federally Funded Staff

Completing the Semi-Annual Certification for Federally Funded Staff

May 16, 2025 | Grants Management

It may seem just like you just did time and effort in January, but it is almost time to do it again! With the end of the second semester imminent, 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.

  1. 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
  2. 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 (personnel activity report).
    See TEA Substitute System Website – click here
  3. 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 staff leaves for summer.

Time and effort is required for any position paid whole or in part by ANY federal grant including all Title funds, IDEA, Carl Perkins, or School Improvement/ESF. State grants such as LASO usually use the same fiscal guidelines as the federal grants, so time and effort is required as well. CSS also recommends completing 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. Time and effort is part of an overall process for documenting the payroll time paid for by a grant fund to ensure proper use of the funding.

CSS offers a complete time and effort webinar online at a low cost! We highly recommend it for anyone with grant-funded staffing! The course is 60 minutes or less and comes with free resources! CLICK HERE to register for EDGAR- Staffing, Time and Effort Online Course.

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