Stronger Connections Grant Overview

#TNBestforAll

Brinn Obermiller

FY24 Stronger

Connections Grant

Senior Director of ESEA Oversight

Federal Programs and Oversight

PLEASE NOTE: This presentation was prepared for informational purposes only

and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Awardees are responsible for

compliance and monitoring of the grant award in accordance with the Grant

assurances and applicable state and federal law. Please contact your board

attorney for specific legal guidance.

STUDENT READINESS

TENNESSEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE

EQUIPPED TO SERVE THE ACADEMIC

AND NON-ACADEMIC NEEDS OF ALL

STUDENTS IN THEIR CAREER PATHWAYS

ACADEMICS

ALL TENNESSEE STUDENTS WILL HAVE

ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION,

NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE

EDUCATORS

TENNESSEE WILL SET A NEW PATH FOR

THE EDUCATION PROFESSION AND BE

THE TOP STATE IN WHICH TO BECOME AND

REMAIN A TEACHER AND LEADER FOR ALL

We will set all students on a path to success.

Agenda

 FY24 Strong Connections Grant

Overview

 SCG Reminders

 SCG Revisions

 Equitable Services

 Other Reminders

 Resources

 Closing

FY24 Strong Connections

Grant Overview

Background

 On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities

Act (BSCA)

, which includes $1 billion through Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for state educational agencies (SEAs) to competitively

award subgrants to high-need local education agencies (LEAs).

 The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has designated this component of the BSCA

the Stronger Connections Grant (SCG) program.

 The purpose of the SCG is to establish safer and healthier learning environments,

and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate that impact school

communities at individual and systemic levels, among other programs and activities.

 Detailed information regarding the SCG can be found in ED’s Stronger Connections

Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions.

SUPPORTING WORK

In Tennessee:

SCG by the Numbers

18 LEAs

were

awarded

SCGs.

$49 million

in SCG

requests.

43 LEAs

submitted

an

application.

53 LEAs

submitted

an intent to

apply.

71 LEAs

were

eligible to

apply.

Stronger Connections Grant- Awarded LEAs

Anderson County Schools Knox County Schools

Bledsoe County Schools Lake County Schools

Bristol City Schools Macon County Schools

Carter County Schools Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Cleveland City Schools Murfreesboro City Schools

Fayetteville City Schools Robertson County Schools

Hancock County Schools Sumner County Schools

Hawkins County Schools Van Buren County Schools

Johnson City Schools Warren County Schools

SCG Reminders

Funding Timeline

 The SCG is one-time funding: LEAs will have until Sept. 30, 2026, to obligate all

grant funds.

 LEAs who are granted an award will receive their total SCG allocation in FY24.

 LEAs will be able to submit a multi-year budget and then carry over the remaining

funds into the next fiscal year (including funds for equitable services) through the

annual completion of the SCG application in ePlan.

FY24 (2023-24):

SCG allocations

awarded (Year 1)

FY25 (2024-25):

Remaining

carryover funds

available (Year 2)

FY26 (2025-26):

Remaining

carryover funds

available (Year 3)

Allowable Uses of Funds

In Tennessee, the SCG will be structured around allowable

activities in four (4) focus areas:

1. Mental Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Supports for

Students

2. Mental Health/SEL Professional Development (PD) for Educators,

SROs, Administrators, and Other Staff

3. Parent and Family Engagement (e.g., training and resources for

families focused on mental health/SEL)

4. Improving School Climate and Culture

Stakeholder Involvement

 Engaging students, parents, families, and community members is critical to

the successful implementation of activities supported by SCG funds.

 LEAs must provide ongoing and meaningful opportunities for educators and

staff to be involved in the selection of evidence-based strategies and activities

implemented under the SCG.

 Documentation of stakeholder involvement must be collected and

maintained throughout the life of the SCG. Examples of documentation may

include, but are not limited to:

– Meeting invitations, agendas, sign-in sheets, minutes, etc.

– Survey and survey results

– Printed material or other communications regarding the SCG

SCG Revisions

Revision Timeline

Event Deadline

FY24 SCG budgets and other revisions

due in ePlan

Sept. 1, 2023

FY24 SCG Equitable Services Affirmation

and Agreement forms due in ePlan

Sept. 1, 2023

Ongoing revisions after initial approval Submit as needed

Sections to Revise

Revision Steps

 Based on your allocation amount, build out your final budget.

– Enter the budget on the Budget page of the application.

– See pp. 16-20 of the SCG Technical Application Guide for assistance with

the Budget page.

 Revise the Spending Plan, Personnel, and LEA Program

Administration pages as needed to align with the final budget.

 If the LEA has participating non-public schools, complete the

Equitable Services page.

– See pp. 11-13 and 25-26 of the SCG Technical Application Guide for

assistance with this section of the application.

Budget Page Reminders

 Budget tags are a required step in the SCG application and will populate the

amount to be spent in each focus area on the Spending Plan page.

 The SCG budget tags are based on the subgrant focus areas:

– Mental Health/SEL Supports for Students

– Mental Health/SEL PD for Staff

– Parent and Family Engagement

– Improving School Climate and Culture

– SCG Administration (2% max)

Budget Page Reminders

In addition to being allowable under ESSA § 4108 and meeting the intent of one or more of

the SCG focus areas, activities funded with SCG funds must meet the following fiscal

requirements:

1. Be reasonable and necessary for the performance of the grant;

2. Be allocable to the grant;

3. Supplement and not supplant other non-Federal funds (i.e., state and local funds)

that would otherwise be used to pay for authorized activities;

4. Not be of the prohibited activities in ESEA § 4001(b) or § 8526; and

5. Be consistent with any other applicable Uniform Guidance provisions

(see 2 C.F.R. 200 et seq., in particular, 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E).

Note: Narrative descriptions within the application and budget pages must contain details making it evident that all

purchases and programs meet the above requirements.

Spending Plan Page Reminders

 The amount tagged for each focus area will populate the amount to be spent in that area

on the Spending Plan page.

 Please remove any unneeded narrative information regarding the proposed amount of

funds and update the information to reflect the final budget.

Revising the Spending Plan and Budget Pages

 As you are revising the Spending Plan and Budget pages, please

remember:

– Each narrative on the Spending Plan page must be complete and include

all requested information.

– Be sure all purchases are discussed in full on the Spending Plan page.

– The final Spending Plan/Budget pages must address the needs identified in

the initial needs assessment.

– If a project will span multiple years, please provide these details on the

Spending Plan/Budget pages.

Personnel Page Reminders

 Revise the Personnel pages as needed based on any changes to

your budget.

 Enter both a headcount and a full-time equivalent (FTE) for staff

supported with SCG funds.

 System-wide staff are employees not assigned to a building and

work across the LEA in multiple school sites as necessary, but

not as part of a planned assignment.

 Round FTEs to the nearest hundredth as necessary.

Note: FTEs must match FTEs identified in budget narratives (individually and sum). Titles of

staff must

match titles identified within the budget narratives and Spending Plan page.

LEA Program Administration Reminders

 Program Administration: The reasonable and necessary costs to

manage the federal grant in a compliant and effective manner.

 Awarded LEAs may charge up to 2% of grant funds as direct

administrative costs.

 Indicate whether:

– The LEA is utilizing grant funds to administer the SCG (maximum of 2%).

Complete the table and narrative prompt; or

– The LEA is not utilizing grant funds to administer the SCG. Provide information

on how the grant program will be administered, including the title of the staff

responsible for the grant administration, the FTE(s), and the other funding

sources that will contribute to administrative staff salaries/benefits.

Equitable Services

Equitable Services Overview

 Funding for the SCG program is provided through ESEA Title IV, Part A; therefore,

LEAs receiving grant funds must provide equitable services to eligible non-public

school students and educators.

 ESEA § 8501(a)(4) requires an LEA to ensure that its expenditures for equitable

services for eligible non-public school students and educators under covered

ESEA programs are equal on a per-pupil basis to the expenditures for

participating public school students and educators, taking into account the

number and needs of the eligible non-public school students and educators.

 In other words, the proportionate share for participating non-public schools

must be based on the

total enrollment of the non-public school—just as it works

for equitable services under Title IV, Part A.

Equitable Services

Requirements for

LEAs

Awarded SCG Funds

Consultation requirements:

 Continue to engage participating non-public school public officials in ongoing, timely, and

meaningful consultation.

 LEAs may choose to utilize the

Stronger Connections Grant Affirmation and Agreement

Form

to document the consultation process or may design their own method.

 Provide equitable services to eligible non-public school students and educators, ensuring

that expenditures for equitable services for eligible non-public school students and

educators under the SCG are equal on a per-pupil basis to the expenditures for

participating public school students and educators, taking into account the number and

needs of the eligible non-public school students and educators.

Within the funded

SCG application:

 Provide a list of participating non-public schools and allocation amounts.

 Describe the process and timeline the LEA will utilize to conduct timely and meaningful

consultation with non-public school officials.

 Describe the services that will be provided to non-public school students with SCG and:

 How the activities connect to one or more of the SCG focus areas, and

 How the activities will be evaluated/assessed.

 Upload documentation of meaningful consultation (e.g., affirmation forms, final

agreements, meeting agendas/minutes) to the SCG application in ePlan by Sept. 1, 2023.

 Provide a detailed budget for all non-public school purchases.

Equitable Services Templates

 Documentation of ongoing and meaningful consultation with

non-public school officials will be required throughout the SCG.

 LEAs are encouraged to edit these documents and develop

other documents/processes as applicable to ensure the needs

of the LEA and non-public school(s) are met and proper

documentation is maintained.

– Stronger Connections Grant Intent to Participate Form

– Stronger Connections Grant Affirmation and Agreement Form

Equitable Services Page

 If there are no participating non-public schools in the LEA, check

the box indicating that this page is not applicable. No more

information is needed on this page.

Equitable Services Page

Formula to Determine Amount for SCG Equitable Expenditures

Equitable Services Page

 Describe the consultation process between the LEA and eligible

non-public school(s). In the response, include:

1. Important dates,

2. Modes of communication, and

3. The information provided to non-public school representatives.

(Upload affirmation of consultation(s) and other documentation

in Related Documents).

 Describe the process used to evaluate/assess SCG non-public

school activities and/or services.

Equitable Services Page

 List the non-public schools participating in the SCG program. Provide each

school’s allocation amount, a brief description of the activities and services that

will be provided to each non-public school, and the applicable SCG focus area(s)

for the activities.

 Information provided in this section should align with the information provided

on the Budget page.