Wading through the abundance of government funding that has become available in response to the COVID pandemic can feel like swimming in an ocean. Every time you turn around, a new wave is coming. Staying afloat is a challenge, but CSS is here to assist you with today’s lifesaving article that provides the basics about … Read More
Contribution to TRS: New Minimum Salary Schedule increase
Although charter schools are not subject to paying their teachers based on the minimum salary schedule, HB3 requires that open enrollment charter schools pay the state’s contribution on the portion of a member’s TRS eligible salary that exceeds the statutory minimum or the “state minimum.” Members include classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time counselors certified under … Read More
Federal Financial Drawdown
Federal Risk Level The Federal Fiscal Monitoring Division conducts an annual risk assessment of all charters, to determine their potential risk of noncompliance. Based upon the outcome of the risk assessment, charters are assigned a risk level of low, medium, or high. The division updates the risk assessment model annually to ensure that risk indicators … Read More
Food Benefits for Families through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program
Many families still may be struggling financially from the COVID-19 crisis, and the P-EBT program that was made available last May is available again. By simply communicating information about the P-EBT program to your families, you can help them obtain a one-time payment for each eligible child. Even if your Charter District has continued to … Read More
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Among other provisions, ARPA created a 100% COBRA premium subsidy and additional COBRA enrollment rights for certain employees (and their families) including employees who lost group health plan coverage due to an involuntary termination (gross misconduct does not apply) or reduction of hours. Who is eligible? A … Read More
Cares Act – Prior Purchase Reimbursement Program (PPRP) UPDATE
UPDATE: The PPRP program dates have been extended. Please see the updates on the Prior Purchase Reimbursement Program (PPRP) here on the CRF Reimbursement programs webpage. The PPRP application will reopen this month, with any new applications or amendments due by 1/31/21. The new deadline for receiving devices is 2/28/21. This may mean that your … Read More
Program Checkup – Title II, Part A
This is the second in a series of program checkups. Click here for the first article on Title I, Part A. New Year’s is a time to get healthy, so why not take a look at the health of your LEA’s federal programs? CSS continues its series of program checkups regarding federal program requirements with … Read More
HB 3 Required School Board Plans and Goals
Has your Texas Charter School Board adopted the two required plans under House Bill 3 – Early Childhood Literacy/Math Plan (EC-LM) and College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) Plan? The original timeline was for both plans to be adopted and in place by the end of the 2019-20 school year, but the deadline has been … Read More
Program Checkup: Title I, Part A Schoolwide Program Elements
This is the first in a series of program checkups to ensure compliance. Random validations were conducted early this year. If you were not one of the 80 LEAs selected statewide in October (4 per region), consider it an early Christmas gift! However, audits and compliance reporting are still in your future, so CSS will … Read More
Audit Update: Submitting Your Annual Financial Report
It’s Audit Time! In Today’s Tip, we’ll be discussing the steps you need to take to submit/upload your Annual Audit — also referred to as the Annual Financial Report (AFR). At CSS, we help review and assist in the completion and submission of the audit for our Charter School Success clients. On-time audits are required to Pass FIRST, … Read More