Archived FedPro Message
SUBJECT: Flexibility Waiver/NCLB Budget Changes
LISTSERVE MESSAGE DATE: July 6, 2012
On Friday June 29, 2012 the U.S. Department of Education approved Missouri’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver giving the state flexibility from some No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Missouri’s flexibility waiver will go into effect immediately for the 2012-2013 school year, although there will be some implementation and phase in throughout the year. Currently served SIG priority schools will continue implementing their already approved plans. The planning phase for newly identified non-SIG priority schools will begin upon identification, with implementation starting at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. The planning phase for focus schools will begin upon identification, and focus schools must begin implementation of the plan no later than the end of the first semester of the 2012-2013 school year.
Many of you have already submitted your NCLB Consolidated Application for the 2012-2013 school year. The flexibility allowed through the waiver may cause changes to the application previously submitted. The Department will not place School Improvement sanctions on Districts or Buildings, therefore; you will no longer have a District or School Improvement Level. Because of this change:
- You will not be required to spend 10% of your Title I funds on Professional Development nor will you be required to offer School Choice Transportation or Supplement Education Services.
- You may choose to continue to provide Choice Transportation or work with SES providers; however; you won’t necessarily budget those activities on the same function code line as before.
- You will not be required to spend 10% of your Title I funds for professional development at the district level or the building level. We would always encourage you to provide high quality professional development for your staff, if you should choose to provide PD with your Title I funds it will have to be for Title I approved buildings only. You would not set aside PD funds on Step 3 of your BOA but you would continue to budget building level PD on Function Code 2200 Professional Development.
- If you choose to continue to offer Choice Transportation you would need to Set Aside those funds on Step 3 of the BOA and continue to budget that same amount on Function Code 2557 School Choice Transportation in the Title I budget grid.
- If you choose to continue to contract with an outside agency to provide after school tutoring you could only provide services in approved Title I buildings therefore; there would be no need to set aside those funds on Step 3 of the BOA, you would budget this activity on Function Code 1200 Supplemental Instruction.
Our Federal Compliance Supervisors are working on the applications currently submitted. If you know you need to make changes to your application please contact your FC supervisor and ask him or her to disapprove your initial application so that changes can be made. Disapproval of the application will not affect your substantially approvable date.
Our IT section is addressing the changes needed in ePeGS. If you receive edits, please contact your Federal Compliance Supervisor for help.
Julia Cowell
Director Federal Compliance
Ph. 573-751-8289
Fax 573-526-6698