2009 Charter School Program Application Guidelines and Instructions
Program Purpose
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has received a Charter School Program grant from the United States Department of Education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title V, Part B) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The primary purpose of the Charter School Program (CSP) funds is to expand the number of high-quality charter schools available to students. CSP grant funds may be used for:
- Planning and program design of the charter school educational program, which may include:
- Refinement of the desired educational results and of the methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results, and
- Professional development of teachers and other staff who will work in the charter school.
- Initial implementation of the charter school which may include:
- Informing the community about the school,
- Acquiring necessary equipment and educational materials and supplies,
- Acquiring or developing curriculum materials, and
- Other initial operating costs that cannot be met from State or local sources.
Federal Charter School Program guidelines may be found at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/cspguidance03.doc
Program Period
The length of the grant is dependent on the type of grant applied for as follows:
- Planning and program design grant only -- up to18 months prior to the charter school’s opening date.
- Implementation grant only -- up to 24 months after the charter school’s opening date.
- Planning and implementation grant -- up to 36 months, with no more than 18 months used for planning and program design, and no more than 24 months used for implementation.
Applicants are eligible for only one grant. Therefore, applicants seeking funding for both planning and implementation activities are advised to submit a single application for a grant for up to 36 months for both activities.
Applicants must clearly indicate on the Application Cover Page the type and duration of the grant being applied for. If the applicant fails to specify the type and duration of the project, a twelve-month duration will be assumed. No further award will be possible at the end of that twelve-month grant period. A FS-20 budget must be submitted annually for a multi-year grant. Go to http://www.oms.nysed.gov/cafe/forms.html for the FS-20 form. Budget amounts do not have to be split equally between the budget periods as long as the expenditures are allowable and reasonable.
Charter schools that opened in August or September 2008 are eligible to apply for an implementation grant only under this RFP. The FS-20 budget periods will be:
- September 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010 for schools that opened August 2008.
- September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010 for schools that opened September 2008.
Charter schools opening in August or September 2009 are eligible to apply for an implementation grant only with FS-20 budget periods as follows:
- September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010 and September 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011 for schools that open August 2009.
- September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010 and September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011 for schools that open September 2009.
Charter schools opening in August or September 2010, are eligible to apply for a planning and implementation grant with FS-20 budget periods as follows:
- September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010; September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011; and September 1, 2011 through July 31, 2012 for schools that open in August 2010.
- September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010; September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011; and September 1, 2011 through August 31, 2012 for schools that open in September 2010.
Application Due Date
Submit 1 original and 3 copies postmarked by May 8, 2009.
Questions and Answers
All questions must be emailed to emsccsp@mail.nysed.gov no later than close of business April 6, 2009. A Questions and Answers summary will be posted at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm no later than April 16, 2009.
No questions will be answered by telephone.
Eligible Applicants
Approved charter schools, and developers that have (1) applied to an authorized public chartering authority to operate a charter school, and (2) provided adequate and timely notice to that authority of its application for CSP funds (i.e., copy of application) are eligible to apply for a grant. Awardees will not be able to receive their grants until their charters have been issued. For-profit entities and not-for-profit agencies or their employees are not eligible to apply for this grant.
Note: Charter schools authorized by The State University of New York Charter School Institute (SUNY CSI) must contact them for grant funding at http://www.newyorkcharters.org. Applications submitted by SUNY authorized schools will be automatically disqualified.
Definitions
“Developer” means an individual or group of individuals which may include teachers, administrators and other school staff, parents, or other members of the local community in which a charter school project will be carried out.
The term “authorized public chartering agency” refers to the approved charter entities operating in New York State, including: the Board of Regents, the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, local school district boards of education, and the Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools. The term “charter school” means a public school that conforms to all requirements of the Charter Schools Program and Article 56 of the New York State statutes.
Allowable Expenditures
Expenditures must be for the costs of planning and designing, and initially implementing the school’s program. Funds can not be used for ongoing costs (i.e. costs associated with a charter school’s operational budget). The start-up phase ends June 30 of the year in which the charter school opens for instruction. Allowable expenditures include:
- Supplies, materials, furniture, computers and other equipment.
- Salaries and benefits for key staff during the start-up phase only which would include pre-charter planning.
- Copying, printing, mailing, travel and legal costs associated with the planning and initial implementation of the school.
- Staff and student recruitment materials and activities.
- Initial staff training.
- Consultant services to help develop curriculum, assist in developing the school's health program, assessments, policies, etc; which also includes pre-charter planning.
- Installation of purchased equipment.
- Website development.
- Start-up utility costs (heat, light, telephone, etc…) during the start-up phase only.
- Start-up rental or lease costs (equipment, desks, phone, copier, preliminary office space) during the start-up phase only.
- Conference attendance (attendance at the charter school conference, professional development workshops, etc.).
- Supplemental student transportation (e.g., extended school days, or when the district is not in session)
- Minor remodeling such as wiring for computer/media rooms, or installing ramps to bring the building into compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Library books
Non-Allowable Activities and Costs:
Funds may not be used for operational costs, capital expenses, salaries, benefits, utilities, or other costs that should be borne by the school’s operational budget. The operational budget begins July 1 of the charter school’s first year of instruction. Examples of non-allowable expenses include:
- Salaries and fringe benefits for individuals involved in the school's ongoing operational program.
- Salaries, fringe benefits, or other costs of any employee of an educational management organization or any institutional partner of the school.
- Rentals or leases once the operational budget begins. .
- Indirect costs.
- Fees for an external payroll agency.
- Liability insurance premiums.
- Ongoing nursing services.
- Uniforms for students.
- Large equipment purchases (e.g., furnaces, air conditioners, computers and or furniture for the entire school, playgrounds, fences).
- Ongoing equipment maintenance contracts.
- Capital expenditures including the construction of new facilities, the purchase of land or buildings, installation of elevators, etc.
- Purchase or lease of motor vehicles.
- Routine student transportation (day-to-day transportation for students).
- Ongoing staff development and/or other training that is required by a charter school's management company.
- Fundraising including financial campaigns, solicitation of gifts and bequests, etc.
- Leadership and/or supervision certification programs for the executive director.
- College tuition for staff and students.
- Field trips for students since they are part of the existing educational program.
Vendor Responsibility
State law requires that the award of state contracts be made to responsible vendors. Before an award is made to a not-for-profit entity, a for-profit entity, a private college or university or a public entity not exempted by the Office of the State Comptroller, the Department must make an affirmative responsibility determination. The factors to be considered include: legal authority to do business in New York State; integrity; capacity- both organizational and financial; and previous performance. Before an award of $100,000 or greater can be made to a covered entity, the entity will be required to complete and submit a Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire.
Vendors are invited to file the required Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire online via the New York State VendRep System. To enroll in and use the New York State VendRep System, see the VendRep System instructions at: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/vendrep/systeminit.htm or go directly to the VendRep System online at https://portal.osc.state.ny.us.
For direct VendRep System user assistance, the OSC Help Desk may be reached at 866-370-4672 or 518-408-4672 or by email at helpdesk@osc.state.ny.us.
Vendors opting to file a paper questionnaire can obtain the appropriate questionnaire from the VendRep website: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/vendrep/templates.htm or will receive it with the award letter.
Review and Rating of Applications
Each application will be reviewed by two reviewers and scored according to the points indicated in the Project Narrative. The scores of the two reviewers will be averaged to obtain the final average score. A third review will be performed if there is a difference of at least twenty points between the two scores. In cases where a third review is necessary, the three scores will be averaged to obtain the final average score. Applicants must receive a final average score of 75 or higher, not including priority points, to be eligible to receive an award. Ten priority points will be added to the score of applications from secondary charter schools who achieve a final average score of 75 or higher.
FS-20 budgets must contain only allowable and appropriate proposed expenditures. SED will eliminate any non-allowable or inappropriate expenditure(s) from the budget and score the budget accordingly. The FS-20 Budget form must be signed by the chief administrative officer of the charter school (e.g., principal, director). Applications signed by any other person will be automatically disqualified.
Awards will be made to applicants in order of final average scores, including priority points, until funds are insufficient to fully fund the next ranking applicant. The next ranking applicant will be given the opportunity to operate a smaller project using the remaining funds. In the event of tie scores, proposals with the highest score on item #7 in the Project Narrative will be ranked higher.
Award Recipient’s Fiscal Responsibilities
Projects must operate under the jurisdiction of the school’s charter and the board of trustees, and are subject to at least the same degree of accountability as all other expenditures of the charter school. The board of trustees is responsible for the proper disbursement of and accounting for project funds. Written agency policy concerning wages, mileage and travel allowances, overtime compensation, or fringe benefits, as well as State rules pertaining to competitive bidding, safety regulations, and inventory control must be followed. Supporting or source documents must be on file for all project related transactions entered into the charter school’s recordkeeping system. Source documents that authorize the disbursement of grant funds consist of purchase orders, contracts, time & effort records, delivery receipts, vendor invoices, travel documentation and payment documents, including check stubs. Supporting documentation must be kept on file by the charter school for at least six years after the last payment was made unless otherwise specified by program requirements. Additionally, audit or litigation will "freeze the clock" for records retention purposes until the issue is resolved. All records and documentation must be available for inspection by State Education Department officials or its representatives. Equipment purchased with federal funds must be inventoried and tagged as such. The inventory must include a description, the location and use of the equipment. The record for each item must also include the fund source(s), date of receipt, and, should the equipment be disposed of, the manner in which the equipment was disposed.
If equipment purchased with these funds is no longer needed for this program or for other activities currently or previously supported by a federal agency, it may be sold or discarded without compensation to NYSED. However, if the current per unit market value of the equipment is more than $5,000, NYSED has a right to its share of the current market value or the proceeds of a sale, and it is the responsibility of the grantee to inform NYSED of the disposition. If unused supplies purchased with these funds cannot be used for another federally-funded activity and have a market value in total of more than $5,000, NYSED has a right to its share of the current market value of the group of supplies, and it is the responsibility of the grantee to inform NYSED.
Required Reports
CSP award recipients must submit an annual performance report describing the progress that has been made toward meeting the project goals. CSP award recipients will be provided with copies of the report format and the submission information.
Project Monitoring
The State Education Department is responsible for monitoring the activities of the award recipients to ensure that federal funds are used for authorized purposes in compliance with the federal program laws, regulations and grant agreements and that performance goals are achieved. Monitoring can include document reviews, onsite visits, training, telephone calls and other activities. Award recipients receiving and expending $500,000 or more in federal funds during their fiscal year must have an audit performed in accordance with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. All award recipients are required to provide State Education Department staff and state auditors with access to records and financial statements as necessary to perform their monitoring responsibilities.
Application Submission Instructions
One (1) original and three (3) copies of the application package must be postmarked by May 8, 2009 and submitted to the following address. No faxes will be accepted.
New York State Education Department
Grants Management Room 674 EBA Albany, NY 12234
The Project Narrative must be no longer than 10 single-spaced pages with no smaller than 12pt font. The application must include the Application Checklist and all of the items listed on the checklist in the order listed.
APPLICATION FORM (in Word)
SCORING RUBRIC (in Word)