Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)/Federal Title Programs

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently authorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, is federal legislation that promotes student achievement through school and district reform. ESSA requires each state to develop and implement a system for holding all districts and schools accountable for the education of students.

Federal ESEA Program Application

Allocations for the 2018-19 school year are available in SERVS Financial. Districts and charter schools must accept funds and initiate applications for FIN 401 – Title I, FIN 406 –Title I Part D, FIN 414 – Title II, and FIN 417 – Title III by June 30, 2018. The guides below provide information to complete the required process. Contact your Area Director if you have questions.

ESEA Federal Program Electronic Update

Subscribe to our ESEA Federal Program Update. These updates provide timely information regarding administration of federal programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Waiver Limitation for Title I Carryover (Balance Forward) Funds

Local educational agencies (LEAs) with current year (2018-19) Title I, Part A, allocations of $50,000.00 or more are required to allocate and spend, at a minimum, 85 percent (85%) of this allocation by September 30, 2019. Any funds transferred from FIN414 (Title II, Part A) and/or FIN433 (Title IV, Part A) become part of the Title I, Part A, allocation and apply to the 15 percent carryover limitation.

The carryover limitation is calculated by taking the amount of the current year award plus transfers and subtracting the total expenditures incurred by September 30 of the following year. Any amount in excess of the calculated 15 percent (15%) limitation amount would be deducted from the LEA’s allocation by MDE.

LEAs carrying forward more than 15 percent (15%) of the current year (2018-19) Title I, Part A, allocation plus transfers may request, once every three years, to waive the 15 percent limitation.

LEAs should review their Title I, Part A, budgets and anticipated spending at this time to determine if a waiver request will be required. Waivers for the 2019-20 school year must be submitted to MDE by June 30, 2019.

NOTE: The percentage limitation does not apply to any local educational agency that receives a Title I, Part A, allocation less than $50,000 for any fiscal year and spending limitations apply only to Title I, Part A, allocations and not to other federal awards such as Title II, Part A; Title III or Title IV, Part A.

Contact the Equity and Opportunity Division at 651-582-8579 if you have questions.

Title I, Part A, Carryover Guidance
FY19, 15 Percent Waiver Limitation Amount
Approved Title I, Part A, Waivers for FY17, FY18 and FY19
 

ESEA Parent Notification

Required ESSA parent notifications and other translated communication are located on TransACT.com. This website provides Minnesota schools and districts with access to required parent notification letters in English and multiple other languages. Schools and districts are required to ensure that all communication with parents is in a language and format accessible to them. For languages not provided here, the English version may be translated as needed. These documents can be customized for individual local educational agencies (LEAs) and students as needed. Translations for the entire ESSA collection are provided in Spanish, Arabic, Hmong, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese and Karen translations.
  • Area Director List for Districts and Charter Schools FY18-19 - 10/24/18
    Contact list for districts to call with questions regarding the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) application process.
  •  - 6/6/18
  •  - 3/13/17
    This document outlines the process to follow if an organization or individual has reason to believe that the state or district is not correctly administering an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Program.
  •  - 2/1/17
    This document contains definitions and eligibility considerations concerning federal Title funds for certain charter schools in their first year of operation or charter schools experiencing significant expansion of enrollment.