Your school may have previously benefitted from the School Safety and Security grant that the State issued in an effort to prevent school violence. More safety funding is being made available with the SPAT Grant being due in the very near future. The SPAT grant is to purchase silent alert technology, and to be honest, … Read More
LASO Grant – Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities
Ready to “round up” some new funding? The latest release of post-COVID funding is called LASO (aka TCLAS II), and CSS is here to be your partner as we wrestle up all the dirt on this new grant that is due December 22, 2022. Preliminary training for LASO has already happened in October (don’t worry, … Read More
The Fingerprinting Process – Employee and Contractors
Do you ever feel like saying “Help! How do I stay in compliance with fingerprinting and background check requirements for my employees and contractors?” Especially with the recent related changes, we’re here to help answer some of your most frequently asked fingerprinting questions. Click here to register now for HR Compliance Tasks online course for … Read More
ESSA Basic Program Requirements: Fiscal and Program
Federal funds don’t just provide money to your schools. They create programs. By focusing on solid programs, you can add to your school’s repertoire and improve your ability to serve students. But programs funded by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are regulated by many rules that can seem confusing at times. As a savvy … Read More
Overview of Military Related Absence Laws
Like all US employers, charter schools have a responsibility to support our Nation’s security by providing a stable employment environment to employees called to serve in the military—and to their families, who must continue to thrive without them. The comfort and security provided by a guaranteed job to return to and benefits to rely on … Read More
Maintenance of Equity Requirement Due Dec 9, 2022
Many small charter schools are exempt from the Maintenance of Equity requirement; however, if you have multiple campuses with duplicate grade spans, your LEA will not be exempt. The MOEquity requirement is part of compliance for receiving ARP funds: ESSER III, ESSER Supplemental, or TCLAS. The purpose of checking for MOEquity is to ensure that … Read More
PEIMS Changes for 2022
Does your district have a truancy prevention plan in place? Per the 2022-23 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (https://tea.texas.gov/finance-and-grants/financial-compliance/student-attendance-accounting-handbook) “A child engages in truant conduct if the child is required to attend school under the TEC, §25.085, and fails to attend school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in … Read More
Completing the 2021-22 ESSA Compliance Report
We know compliance reporting is the least fun thing to do at the start of school, but it can’t be avoided if you have ESSA funds. Each year, LEAs who accept Federal funds must complete a compliance report to verify activities have been implemented according to the program guidelines and the approved grant application. Hopefully, … Read More
Beginning of Year Activities for Federal Programs
The sun is setting on summer even though it doesn’t feel like it in this Texas heat! There are many things you must remember to do, so CSS has created a federal checklist to help keep you organized. Stay “cool” with compliance, and start checking them off today! The CSS Federal Programs Team works directly … Read More
Action Required – ESSER III URL Update
Perhaps you have been making changes to your website to get ready for the 2022-23 school year, or your plans for ESSER III funds or COVID protocols have changed. If your charter district received ESSER III funds, the “Use of Funds” plan and the “Return to In-person Instruction (RIPICS)” plan must be posted on your … Read More