ESSA Consolidated Grant Application

While others are off enjoying summer vacation, federal staff are busy planning and writing grants to receive funds for the upcoming school year. At CSS, we have been working with our clients to help them understand the changes in the grant application.  The ESSA Consolidated Grant Application is the TEA-required application for LEAs and charters … Read More

Real Property Survey Due July 21, 2023

Surprises can be nice, but not when they come in the form of an unexpected report! TEA Grant Compliance announced a new survey requirement that is due July 21, 2023. The last time this survey was done was Oct 2019! It’s been a while, so you will have to do some digging to complete this … Read More

Basic Grants Management

Grants can be a great way to add funds to your school budget, but dealing with grants is not simple. The payoff of receiving grants can be worth it if you are cognizant of the regulations and rules of the grant. Before you venture too far into the grant waters, take the time to understand … Read More

Travel Pay from Federal Grant Funds

As summer approaches, many staff will plan to attend professional development to get ready for next year! If you are considering funding travel for PD out of federal grant funds, please read today’s article to refresh or familiarize yourself with the rules for paying travel out of federal grants. You can avoid mishaps with reimbursements … Read More

Campus Improvement Plan or Charter Instructional Plan

Would you travel to a destination without a plan or a road map? Probably not. And just like a road map, your Campus Improvement Plan or Charter Instructional Plan (CIP) provides your team with a pathway to define your goals, create evidence-based strategies to target the goals, and determine how they will be monitored and … Read More

Title I Paraprofessional Requirements

Hiring season is quickly approaching! As you look to acquire new talent, please be aware of the qualifications that Title I-funded instructional paraprofessionals must possess. The “highly qualified” requirements for Title I-funded instructional paraprofessionals were retained when NCLB was reauthorized as ESSA, and TEA has forms to complete when hiring Title I instructional paraprofessionals. Today’s … Read More

When to Amend Federal Grants

It is spring cleaning time! Now is the time to review and clean up any changes needed in your federal grants to finish up the year. CSS recommends that you make sure the remaining funds are budgeted where you need them before the grant ends. You may find that summer plans have changed, an added … Read More

College Exam Fees Reimbursements 2022-23

Senior year of high school is full of incidental expenses, but paying for college exam fees doesn’t have to be one! Thankfully, HB3 removed barriers to college access by providing funding for the administration of the SAT/ACT/and TSIA once per student. Charter districts have already been given estimated funding for this in the Summary of … Read More

ESSA Required Meetings for 2023-24

A few weeks ago, CSS published an article about the Collaborative Comprehensive Needs Assessment. Today’s article is closely related to this topic as it involves preparations for next year’s federal grants. The focus for this week will be the end of year meetings that are required for ESSA so that you can plan your grants … Read More