States and school districts have significant accountability when it comes to ensuring their ESSA funds are spent in an allowable manner.  New funding always brings higher risk.  The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes all allowable uses of funds under ESSA (as well as many other flexible options), ESSA FY18 funds are extended until 2021, and there are still FY 19 ESSA funds with FY20 funds coming in July.  Each of these funding streams must be documented and expended on allowable costs.  This virtual training will cover the current requirements and flexibilities offered by the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Education Department.  The session will review documentation best practices and discuss how States and districts can implement internal controls to assure allowability and reducing the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse.

ED released guidance outlining its interpretation of how states and districts must provide CARES Act equitable services.  Notably, ED’s guidance requires the CARES Act equitable services set-aside to be calculated on total enrollments in public verse private schools, not taking poverty into account. This appears inconsistent with the Congressional language on the way equitable services should be provided and with how allocations to States and districts are calculated, so took States and districts by surprise – and is likely to draw significant pushback. The guidance answers additional questions, such as what non-public schools are eligible for the funds, who may be served, which LEA is responsible for providing the equitable services, and how and when to begin the consultation process. This session will cover ED’s guidance and its impact on districts. We will also cover Congressional and district reactions to the guidance, and the general enforceability given the disclaimer that the contents “do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way.”

This virtual training will review the educational stimulus provisions of the CARES Act (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), including the additional funding available for ESEA and other major programs through the U.S. Department of Education and State Governors, as well as new waivers mandated by Congress.  This will include discussion of the potential uses of funds for that funding and cautions regarding fiscal requirements.

Attendees will learn about the discussion regarding providing the Secretary of Education with expanded waiver authority in areas like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Perkins Act, ESEA, and others, and what the Secretary is likely to request – as well as what Congress may or may not approve.  Existing waiver authority under ESEA, new expedited waivers, and considerations like advocate concerns will also be covered.

Finally, this session will cover major guidance issued to date regarding COVID-19 and its impact on ESEA programs.

Back by popular demand, this virtual training will review all the COVID guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education related to federal grants compliance in a question and answer format.  We will take the newest questions we have received from SEAs, LEAs, and IHEs related to federal grant allowability and actually answer them with recommendations and best practices.  Topics are limitless but will address even more questions on allowability in light of closures, cancellations, waivers, stimulus funds, contractor expenses, and more!  The same questions will not be addresses as in our original webinar unless new information changes the analysis.

This virtual training will cover COVID-19-related legislation enacted, including any supplemental appropriations or economic stimulus measures and how that legislation may impact and provide relief to federal grantees. The training will also discuss COVID-19 guidance for grantees from the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture, which may cover issues such as extended school closures, child nutrition program flexibility, and federal ESEA waivers, among others. Finally, this training will delve into precautions that grantees must take if seeking to transfer federal funds to meet local obligations as States face reduced tax revenues and increased demands on Medicaid.

The allowability of federal expenditures is one of the more common, but complex issues that grants personnel face.  This presentation will provide participants with an overview of the cost principles and selected items of cost found in Part 200 of the Uniform Grants Guidance. This presentation will also include an overview of best practices for compliant allowability procedures and review all relevant factors that non-federal entities must consider when determining allowability of costs.

In light of the current coronavirus outbreak, it is important to think ahead, plan, and prepare to ensure compliance with IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  What do extended periods of school closures mean in terms of providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities?  What considerations should be made for students who have health conditions that may put them at higher risk for a severe reaction to the virus?  During this virtual training session, we will cover considerations that need to be made in serving students with disabilities during these challenging times, including addressing common scenarios likely to arise during the next few months, as well as explore implications on the use of IDEA funds.

All non-federal entities must maintain proper cash management procedures. While most grantees and subrecipients understand that this includes proper disbursement and reimbursement procedures, non-federal entities may find themselves in hot water if they do not follow proper cash management rules related to income earned in a federal program, and applicable credits received during the award, or in tracking and recording cash and in-kind contributions for matching or cost sharing requirements. This webinar will discuss the applicable financial management rules, including how to record and use program income, applying credits to federal awards in line with the regulations, and how to properly document matching funds and services.

This virtual training will address the recent COVID guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget.  It will address issues related to the allowability of costs in light of school closures, cancellations, etc.  Topics include, but are not limited to, time and effort documentation, travel and cancellation expenses, period of allowability waivers, etc.

This webinar will discuss the general principles on classifying costs as direct or indirect, and then dive into the practical difficulties of implementing those principles. These difficulties are exacerbated by common misunderstandings and incorrect application of indirect cost rates by different federal agencies, pass-through agencies, subrecipients and contractors. We will sort through the confusion, answer your questions, and give advice on best practices moving forward.

For most federal programs, the single largest category of expenditures is salaries and wages. This means the biggest risk most grantees and subrecipients face relates to how federal funds are used to pay employees. The only way to mitigate this risk is with documentation supporting these salary and wage costs in line with the requirements of the Uniform Grant Guidance. This webinar will discuss the minimum rules to maintain time & effort documentations, as well as what flexibility exists in how such documents are maintained. In addition to discussing the specific rules, this webinar will also feature examples of compliant time distribution records and best practices for ensuring such records are supported by a system of internal controls ensuring costs are accurate and allocable to the federal program.

The Uniform Grant Guidance requires all non-federal entities to maintain effective internal control over their federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the entity is managing that award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award itself.  Such controls should be in compliance with certain standards that include assessing a non-federal entity’s risk of noncompliance.  Conducting such an assessment requires specific knowledge of applicable grant rules, a comprehensive review of internal policies and procedures, and an honest assessment of the entity’s adherences to grant rules and regulations.

This webinar will discuss the key areas that any risk assessment must include, as well as discussion of best practices for organizing and completing a risk self-assessment.  The session will cover the basics of an assessment, who should be involved, the questions everyone should be asking, and proper follow-up techniques on corrective actions.