OAR 581-017-0809: Early Literacy Success School District Grants: Fund Administration

(1) For each biennium, The Oregon Department of Education will determine the amount of grant funds from the Statewide Education Initiatives Account to be apportioned among eligible applicants. (2) For the 2024-2025 school year, the Oregon Department of Education shall determine the portion of funds available to each eligible applicant, using K-5 data. In calculating the portion available to each eligible applicant, the Oregon Department of Education shall use the most current finalized ADMw from the State School Fund from the prior year. (3) For the 2025-2026 school year and thereafter, the Oregon Department of Education shall determine the portion of funds available to each eligible applicant, using K-3 data. In calculating the portion available to each eligible applicant, the Oregon Department of Education shall use the most current finalized ADMw from the State School Fund from the prior year. (4) The department will determine floor funding for each biennium while ensuring eligible applicants with an ADMw of 50 or less, but not greater than 350 ADMw, will receive a minimum grant award. (5) If an eligible applicant does not apply for the Early Literacy Success School Grant by the close of the application period, the amount of their grant funds will revert to the Statewide Education Initiatives Account. (6) Following approval of the grant agreement, an eligible recipient will receive payments of at least 25 percent on a quarterly basis per annual allocation. If adjustments to installment payments are required, a lower percentage may be used. (7) Grant recipients will be eligible to expend funds until June 30 of year two of the biennium. Any allocated funds that are not used by a grant recipient by June 30 in year two of the biennium will be returned to the Statewide Education Initiatives Account for distribution in the next biennium. (8) Funds received by a grant recipient under this section must be separately accounted for and must be used in accordance with the recipient’s grant agreement for the Early Literacy Success School Grant. A grant recipient may use funds for administrative costs, including indirect costs, directly related to allowed expenditures as provided in the grant agreement. Administrative costs are limited to five percent of the total expenditures. (9) The Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction shall resolve any issues arising from the administration of the Early Literacy Success School Grants not specifically addressed by this rule. The Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction's determination shall be final. (10) In the case of a public charter school closure that impacts a sponsoring district’s allocation, the Department will determine the best way to reapportion funds based on the timing of the closure, context, and communication with the closing charter school and the sponsoring district. The Department may: (a) Allocate what have been apportioned to the charter school to the sponsoring district at the same time as the district allocations are made. (b) Allocate what would have been apportioned to the charter school to the charter schools successor entity. (c) Return the apportioned amount to the Statewide Education Initiatives Account for reallocation in a subsequent fiscal year. (11) Rules will be applied by ODE for fund administration of the Early Literacy Success Initiative beginning immediately after temporary OAR’s 581-017-0800 and 581-017-0810 expire March 29, 2024.