Title I Comparability Documenting comparability of services is an annual requirement for each district receiving Title I, Part A funds, and must be completed near the beginning of the school year. Per federal law, districts may only receive Title I funds if they use state and local funds to provide services in Title I schools that, taken as a whole, are at least comparable to the services provided in schools that do not receive Title I funds. When all schools receive Title I funds, districts must ensure that state and local funds are used to provide services that, on the whole, are substantially comparable in each school.   FY23 Title I comparability forms and instructions can be found here. These forms should be completed as soon as possible and at least by the end of November (and kept on file at your district, DESE does not collect). If schools are found not to be comparable, prompt adjustments in staffing in the non-comparable schools must be made in collaboration with the district business manager and district personnel responsible for staffing. Districts with only one school for each grade span or a district with only one school, such as a charter school or a regional vocational school, are exempt from the comparability requirement.

Federal Grants Conference   Join us on November 15 from 8 AM-3 PM for our fall conference at the Best Western Hotel in Marlborough, MA. This conference is designed to showcase best practices in implementation of ESSA entitlement grants. The day’s program will enhance understanding for Title I, IIA, III, and IVA Directors, and other staff members involved in the planning and implementation of ESSA federal grant programs. We look forward to working with School Business Administrators on these topics, through a finance and operations lens, at future events. Please complete the registration form below if you have not already done so: https://forms.office.com/g/3T5xNZCfzu

State Summit on Strengthening Family School Partnership Registration is now open for the Better Together: Strengthening Family School Partnership State Summit. The summit will be on Friday, October 28 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center and will offer a great lineup of sessions from district, state, and national family engagement organizations and DESE staff sessions. In the spirit of partnership, please consider registering a district team that includes educators and family members. More information about the summit is posted online.

FY23 Federal Grant Reviews   The federal grants office has been working diligently to review all grant submissions in a timely manner. Please know that if you submitted your grant in EdGrants, it is in our queue, and we are reviewing all grants in the order they were received. Your liaison will be in touch with you once they review your grant submission. Grants will be given start dates that reflect the day on which a substantially approvable application was submitted. Thank you for your patience as we work through all the applications.

FY23 Special Education Conditions for Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certifications All LEAs are required to submit signed Conditions for Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certifications (formerly known as the Special Education Program Plan Statement) for FY23. These must be approved by DESE’s Office of Special Education Planning and Policy before your FY23 IDEA grants can be approved. Please email the signed Conditions for Assistance to specialeducation@doe.mass.edu. If you have any questions regarding the Conditions for Assistance, please see the Department’s SEPPS webpage or contact the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy at specialeducation@doe.mass.edu.

October Claim Status Report   Please review the October claim status report for fund codes 113/115/119/140/180/240/252/262/264/305/309/400. Select your district from the dropdown menu to view allocations, claims, and available balances. We will continue to send this out monthly to support you with timely draw downs in accordance with cash management rules. Be sure to expend your FY22 funds first before drawing down FY23 funds. Please note this report is a snapshot in time, and some payments may still be in process and have not fully cleared to show on this report. All questions regarding submission of final reports or requesting funds in EdGrants should be directed to Grants Management at: edgrants@mass.gov.