1. IDEA Part B Grants 101 Bonnie Douglas Penny Kelly

2. IDEA Programs Flow-Through – provides supplemental funds to ensure that all children ages 3-21 with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education Preschool – provides supplemental funds for a comprehensive special education program for children ages 3-5 with disabilities Discretionary – leadership grants for improving special education services in Illinois

3. Purpose To supplement state, local and other federal funds; not to supplant those funds To pay excess costs of special education

4. Important terms Supplanting is presumed to occur when the Local Education Agency (LEA) use funds to: provide services required under other federal, state or local law provide services that it provided with non federal funds in the immediate prior years to provide services for eligible children that it provides to other children with non-federal funds.

5. Another … Excess cost requirement – prevents an LEA from using Part B funds to pay all of the cost directly attributable to the education of a child with a disability

6. And another … Maintenance of Effort (MOE) – The LEA must ensure that the amount of local funds budgeted for the education of children with disabilities in the current year is at least the same, either in total or per capita, as the amount spent in the previous year.

7. Grant Cycle February/March – projected allocations April/May – grant applications available May 1 - suggested due date July 1 through June 30 - Fiscal year July 1 – grant applications must be submitted for a July 1 start date

8. Grant Cycle May to August – applications reviewed in the order received Fall – Allocations are finalized and carryover funds are released Oct., Jan., Apr., June - Quarterly reports are due Amendments – as needed, but no later than 30 days before the end of the grant period

9. Grant Requirements IDEA Part B Grant Program Information booklet IDEA Grant information on ISBE Website: http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/idea_part-b.htm State Grant Information: http://www.isbe.net/funding/html/general_grant_info.htm Federal Grant Information (EDGAR): http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edlite- table.html

10. Grant troubles (that became audit findings) Inadequate financial records No internal controls to support financial reports No inventory of equipment Inadequate monitoring of subgrants Salaries are not properly tracked Grant funds are not segregated and restricted No supervisory review of expenditure reports

11. Division of Special Education Services 217-782-5589 Bonnie Douglas bdouglas@isbe.net Penny Kelly gkelly@isbe.net

12. Help Desk ISBE Call Center is the first point of contact (217) 558-3600 or helpdesk@isbe.nethelpdesk@isbe.net Call Center staff will : Perform password resets for IWAS (Self-help preferred) Observe webpage performance (Consulting Status) Bypassing pop-up blocker (to view the Checklist – hold down Ctrl key and click Review Checklist button) Forward Program or Fiscal questions to appropriate division

13. HELP! ISBE HELP DESK (IWAS & eGrants Questions) 217/558-3600 or helpdesk@isbe.nethelpdesk@isbe.net Special Education Services (IDEA Questions) Bonnie Douglas/Penny Kelly 217/782-5589 Funding & Disbursement Services (FRIS/Allocation Questions) Kim Lewis/Sharon Conrath 217/782-5256