Memo Text
On July 2, 2021, Ian Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs, U.S. Department of Education, released a letter offering flexibility regarding federal funds due to COVID-19. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Education is offering:
(1) a waiver for an SEA to be able to approve a local educational agency (LEA) to carry over more than 15 percent of its fiscal year (FY) 2020 Title I, Part A funds (i.e., the Title I, Part A funds that will become carryover funds on October 1, 2021), even if the LEA has received a waiver from its SEA to exceed this limitation for its FY 2018 or FY 2019 Title I, Part A funds; and
(2) flexibility to each SEA to be able to extend for itself and its subgrantees the period of availability of FY 2019 funds for programs included in the state’s consolidated state plan to allow additional time to obligate those funds.
DESE requested public comment as noted in the Commissioner’s Memo COM-22-004. On August 9, 2021, the DESE submitted these waivers. On August 25, 2021, the DESE received an approval letter from Ian Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs, approving the waiver request for Arkansas.
Learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/public-school-accountability/every-student-succeeds-act-essa