Category: Funding

Bureau of Justice Assistance Announces Two Grant Opportunities Under the STOP School Violence Act

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), alongside the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is inviting state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to apply for grant funding under the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) Violence Act Program. This act seeks to support and assist those jurisdictions in increasing the safety of their school personnel and students. To these ends, the BJA has announced two competitive grants: The Prevention and Mental Health Training Program and the Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program. Applications for both grants are due July 23, 2018.

The Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program would support and assist state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions as they work to improve efforts to reduce violent crime, focusing on the creation of threat assessment teams for schools and the use of technology to create anonymous reporting systems for suspicious activity related to violence in schools.  More information on the Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program grant competition can be found at: https://www.bja.gov/funding/SSVthreat18.pdf

The Prevention and Mental Health Training Program would support and assist state, local, and tribal jurisdictions as they work to improve efforts to reduce violent crime, focusing on the creation of school safety training and mental health programs related to violence in schools for school personnel and students. More information on the Prevention and Mental Health Training Program grant competition can be found at: https://www.bja.gov/funding/SSVtraining18.pdf

For more information, contact Pat.Hinckley@maine.gov or support@grants.gov.

EPA Releases Diesel Emissions Grant Information for Tribal Applicants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the Clean Diesel Tribal Grant Competition, a grant competition for tribal applicants with projects that reduce diesel emissions in high-impact areas. Each applicant may request up to $800,000 in federal funding, with $2.0 million available for the grant competition overall.

Key Points

  • The grant competition will give priority to projects based on significant reduction in diesel emissions and exposure in areas with poor air quality, as well as areas that are exposed to a disproportionately high amount of air pollution from diesel fleets.
  • Eligible applicants for a Clean Diesel Tribal Grant are intertribal consortiums, tribal governments, and Alaskan native villages.
  • Funding may be used for projects involving eligible diesel vehicles, engines and equipment, which may include:
    • School buses
    • Class 5-Class 8 heavy-duty highway vehicles
    • Locomotive engines
    • Marine engines
    • Nonroad engines, equipment, or vehicles used in construction, cargo handling including at airports and ports, agriculture, mining, or energy production including stationary generators and pumps.

Webinars

Webinars will be available for applicants to learn more about this grant opportunity. Information regarding webinar time/date, access, links to the webinars, and webinar topics is included below.

  • Webinar dates:
  • Webinar access:
    • Call-in Number: 1-202-991-0477
    • Access Code: 414-9804#
  • Webinar Topics:
    • Overview of Funding Opportunity: Source, Eligibility
    • Eligible Vehicles, Engines, and Equipment
    • Eligible Projects
    • Cost Share Requirements
    • DERA Option Eligible Mitigation Action for Volkswagen Settlement
    • Funding Restrictions
    • Submission Requirements
    • Evaluation Requirements
    • Tools and Resources
    • Question & Answer Period

If you have any questions, please contact CleanDiesel@epa.gov, pat.hinckley@maine.gov, or visit the Clean Diesel Tribal Grants web page for more information.

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made; Review Q318 Reports by June 29, 2018

The recovery of Q318 MaineCare Seed will occur in the July 2018 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking districts to review their reports by June 29, 2018 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. District staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q318 by June 29, 2018.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

  1. Log into NEO: https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard
    • Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.
    • As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.
  2. Click on the Student Data tab
  3. Click on the Student Report tab
  4. Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
  5. Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
  6. Click view report button
  7. Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.  You may export the reports to Excel but, please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with the following to Denise.towers@maine.gov.

  • Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
  • State Student ID
  • Service provided dates (to and from)
  • Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise.towers@maine.gov.

 

 

School funding update: Department will distribute funding amounts in 18/19 ED 279s until legislature acts

Included in the bills that have not yet been acted upon by the 128th legislature in the 2018 legislative session, there was an appropriations bill LD 1869 that, among other things, finalized specific figures used for calculating school funding in the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) formula, the formula used to distribute funds to districts throughout the State.

If the legislature does not reconvene and act upon school funding appropriations by July 1, 2018 (start of the next fiscal year), the Department will distribute subsidy amounts estimated in the 2018/19 ED 279 subsidy print-outs until the legislature acts.

To view the 2018/19 ED 279 subsidy print-outs visit: http://www.maine.gov/doe/eps/

Districts that have questions regarding subsidy print-outs can contact the School Finance Team: Tyler Backus at tyler.backus@maine.gov; Paula Gravelle at paula.b.gravelle@maine.gov; or Ida Batista at ida.batista@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Students to perform at 5/8 launch of “Maine Kids Rock!” initiative to expand music education in Maine

Governor Paul R. LePage will join students from 10 Maine schools for a May 8th concert as they celebrate a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment in music education in Maine schools.

On May 8, 2018, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Governor Paul R. LePage are holding a kickoff concert to celebrate the official launch of, “Maine Kids Rock!”, a multi-year initiative supported by national nonprofit, Little Kids Rock. The partnership will help ensure that schools across Maine have access to high quality, culturally responsive music education as well as musical instruments and cutting edge curriculum.

The pilot phase of Maine Kids Rock started in August 2017 with support through free music instruments for 10 Maine public schools, and free professional development for over 30 Maine schools. The success of the pilot program has generated the interest of other schools, and prompted Maine DOE and Little Kids Rock to expand the program.

The concert will celebrate an initial investment of approximately $450,000 worth of instruments, training and curriculum which will expand music education in 30 Maine school districts. Funding for Maine Kids Rock is being provided by the Maine Department of Education and Little Kids Rock.

“The goals of Maine Kids Rock are quite ambitious,” says Dave Wish, CEO and Founder of Little Kids Rock. “ Our ultimate goal is to supply over $2,000,000 worth of support that will benefit up to four hundred Maine public schools. The Maine DOE and Little Kids Rock are working together to identify other partners to help us reach hundreds more schools across the state.”

WHAT: The Concert at the Capitol is a free concert that is open to the public and features student performances by Little Kids Rock bands from 10 the Maine Public Schools that have been participating in the Maine Kids Rock pilot program thus far. During the concert, Governor LePage will be presented with a student-signed guitar as a thank you for his commitment to music education.

WHO: Governor Paul R. LePage, Maine DOE staff, parents and supporters, in addition to students, teachers and administrators from the 10 Maine Kids Rock pilot schools:

  • Central Community Elementary School, RSU 64
  • Crescent Park and Woodstock Elementary Schools, RSU 44
  • East End Community School, Portland Public Schools
  • Hitchborn Middle School and Penobscot Valley High School, RSU31
  • Houlton Middle/High School, RSU 29
  • Katahdin Elementary, Middle and High Schools, RSU 50
  • Medway Middle School, Medway School Department
  • Meroby and Rumford Elementary Schools, RSU 10
  • Troy Howard Middle School, RSU 71
  • Waterville Senior High School, AOS 92

WHERE: Governor Hill Mansion, 136 State Street, Augusta, ME 04330

WHEN: Tuesday, May 8th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Media are encouraged to attend. Interview and photo opportunities will be available at the event. For further information, please contact Maine DOE Director of Communications, Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov or (207) 624-6747.

Maine DOE publishes preliminary Title IV, Part A allocations for 2018-2019

The Maine Department of Education, in an effort to assist local districts plan for the coming school year, has issued preliminary allocations for the federal Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program.

Enacted under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the SSAE program provides formula grant awards to eligible school districts.  The purpose of this funding is to raise student academic achievement by increasing the capacity of local education agencies and schools to

  • Provide all students with access to a well-rounded education;
  • Improve school conditions for student learning by fostering safe and healthy students; and
  • Support the effective use technology in schools and classrooms.

States, local education agencies, and schools are all currently within the first year of administering SSAE programs and activities, with relatively limited funding compared to other ESEA programs.  In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, federal funding for the SSAE program is slated to see a rather significant increase, which would in turn result in funding increases for many eligible school districts nationwide.  It is due to this significant change in funding that the Department has made these available statewide.

The Department would also like to remind all eligible Title IV, Part A recipients of the requirements under Section 4106 of ESSA, which states that local education agencies, as part of a comprehensive needs assessment, must examine the needs for improvement of:

  • access to, and opportunities for, a well-rounded education for all students;
  • school conditions for student learning in order to create a healthy and safe school environment; and
  • access to personalized learning experiences supported by technology and professional development for the effective use of data and technology.

In order to comply with federal law, any local education agency receiving an allocation of $30,000 or more in Title IV, Part A funding, must include the pieces outlined above as part of their Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA)/SAU Consolidated Plan.  All CNA/SAU Consolidated Plans are due to the Department by July 1, 2018.

Once available, the Department will be posting final FY19 allocations for the Title IV, Part A program.  Please note that preliminary allocations for all other ESEA title programs are not available at this time.

For more information on the SSAE program under Title IV, contact the Department’s Federal Grant Coordinator Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Maine DOE announces alternative rural and low-income federal allocation formula; more districts now eligible for funds

The Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) received notification that its proposed Title V, Part B, Sub Part 2 allocation formula, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) in November 2017, has been approved. The approved alternative formula provides increases funding through the Title V Rural Low-Income Schools (RLIS) grant to districts that have higher poverty rates.

Contained in their April 5, 2018 approval email the U.S. DOE indicated the following:

“We appreciate your patience as we carefully considered whether Maine’s proposed alternative RLIS funding formula meets the standard under ESEA section 5221(b)(3)(C) that an alternative formula better target RLIS funds to LEAs serving the highest concentrations of children from families below the poverty line.  We have determined that your proposed formula meets this standard given that, in general, LEAs with the highest percentages of low-income children will receive higher awards than they would under the current ADA-based formula under ESEA section 5221(b)(3)(B).”

The new RLIS formula divides the Title V, Part B, Sub part 2 state allocation between poverty (70%) and Average Daily Attendance ADA (30%). Under the alternative distribution, there are some districts that will receive less funding under Title V, however, overall more districts and students will be served. The alternative formula provides a more equitable distribution of the funds across the State, including:

  • 71 Districts (up from 55) will receive funding from the RLIS grant
  • 67,608 students (up from 64,740) will be served by RLIS grant funds

The Title V RLIS grant will be included in the ESEA Consolidated Application with Title IA, II, III, and IVA for FY19.

Further questions regarding the formula or to better understand the calculation process contact Maine DOE Title V Coordinator, Daniel Weeks, at 207-624-6749 or daniel.r.weeks@maine.gov.

Maine Education Financial System to update identification numbers for uploads

The Maine Education Financial System will be moving from MEDMS IDs to ORG IDs on July 1, 2018. Over the past few years the Maine Department of Education data collection systems have been migrating towards using ORG IDs to identify School Administrative Units, and other organizations, in their data collection systems.

Starting on July 1, 2018 the Maine Education Financial System will also use the new ORG IDs for all uploads from the school accounting systems.

ORG ID can be located at the top of the ED 279, on each page, to the left of the SAU name. ED 279s can be located here: http://www.maine.gov/doe/eps/

School units should work with their vendor to update this field for the export that their local accounting system creates. Starting July 1, 2018 if a school administrative unit is still using the MEDMS ID their file will not upload to the Maine Education Financial System.

For further information contact Tyler Backus, School Finance & Compliance Coordinator at 207-624-6635 or Tyler.Backus@maine.gov.

Preparation for April Attending Student Report

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is in the process of preparing an April Attending Student Report for the purpose of calculating tuition rates. In preparation for this report, it is vital that each school administrative unit (SAU) keeps their attendance data accurate as well as complete.

The April Attending Student Report will be based on the SAUs attending students as of April 1st and will be due by June 30, 2018.

It is expected that the report will be available mid to late April. Once it is ready, the Attending Report will be available in the Maine DOE’s NEO system within the student data link-under the student reports tab with the title “April Attending Student Report”.

Please continue to monitor future DOE updates in the Maine DOE Newsroom about instructions and webinars regarding this reporting requirement.

If you are unable to login to NEO, contact the Helpdesk 624-6896 for assistance.

If you have questions about the report please contact Travis Wood at 624-6742.

MaineCare Seed adjustments to be made, review Q218 reports by April 13, 2018

The recovery of Q218 MaineCare Seed will occur in the April 2018 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking Districts to review their reports to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q218 by April 13, 2018.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

  1. Log into NEO using the link below

https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard

Anyone who currently has permissions to the Special Education modular, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.

As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this modular, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary.

  1. Click on the Student Data tab
  1. Click on the Student Report tab
  1. Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
  1. Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
  1. Click view report button
  2. Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel but, please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with the following to Denise.towers@maine.gov.

  • Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
  • State Student ID
  • Service provided dates (to and from)
  • Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise.towers@maine.gov.