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

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

Federal End of Year Activities for Charter Districts

Welcome to our handy end of year checklist! It contains all things federal that you need to finish up the activities for year! The purpose of this document is to keep you informed of all the documents that are required this time of year and the deadlines that they are due to TEA. This will … Read More

District Accreditation Status for 2022-23

The grace period from COVID is over, and, after two years of accreditation statuses being on hold, TEA has resumed issuing ratings. On January 26, 2023, TEA issued a memo announcing the release of ratings on February 9, 2023. For the previous two years, all LEAs were rated “Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster;” however, … Read More

Mid-Year Federal Grants Review (ESSA & IDEA-B)

Check ups are important! They keep us on track. The middle of the school year is a good time to check up on your federal grants by conducting a mid-year review. How would I go about doing that you ask? CSS has an excellent training resource in our Mid-Year Federal Grants Review Online Course – … 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

ESSA Grant Application 

Summer is not vacation time in the federal world. 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 Grant Application is the TEA required application for LEAs … Read More

Indirect Cost Rate Request for 2022-23

Money! Now that we have your attention, did you know you can claim indirect costs on your federal grant awards and keep the money no strings attached? To do so, Charter Districts must first request an indirect cost rate, and today’s article is about how to go about obtaining one. Indirect Costs are the costs … Read More

Bilingual/ESL Allotment (PIC 25/35) and Written Policy and Procedures

New audit requirements can be a “spooky” topic, but here at CSS, we don’t want to leave you in the dark! Beginning with fiscal year 2022, you will be required to attest that you have written policies and procedures for your bilingual and/or ESL program. Although the same will be required for your State Compensatory … Read More