34 CFR § 299.5 - What maintenance of effort requirements apply to ESEA programs?

§ 299.5 What maintenance of effort requirements apply to ESEA programs?

(a) General. An LEA receiving funds under an applicable program listed in paragraph (b) of this section may receive its full allocation of funds only if the SEA finds that either the combined fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of State and local funds with respect to the provision of free public education in the LEA for the preceding fiscal year was not less than 90 percent of the combined fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures for the second preceding fiscal year.

(b) Applicable programs. This subpart is applicable to the following programs:

(1) Part A of title I (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies).

(2) Part D of title I (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk).

(3) Part A of title II (Supporting Effective Instruction).

(4) Part A, subpart 1 of title III (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement), except for section 3112.

(5) Part A of title IV (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants).

(6) Part B of title IV (21st Century Community Learning Centers).

(7) Part B, subpart 2 of title V (Rural and Low-Income School Program).

(8) Part A, subpart 1 of title VI (Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies).

(c) Meaning of “preceding fiscal year”. For purposes of determining if the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section is met, the “preceding fiscal year” means the Federal fiscal year, or the 12-month fiscal period most commonly used in a State for official reporting purposes, prior to the beginning of the Federal fiscal year in which funds are available for obligation by the Department.

(1) Example. For fiscal year 2018 funds that are first made available on July 1, 2018, if a State is using the Federal fiscal year, the “preceding fiscal year” is Federal fiscal year 2017 (which began on October 1, 2016 and ended September 30, 2017) and the “second preceding fiscal year” is Federal fiscal year 2016 (which began on October 1, 2015). If a State is using a fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2018, the “preceding fiscal year” is the 12-month period ending on June 30, 2017, and the “second preceding fiscal year” is the period ending on June 30, 2016.

(2) [Reserved]

(d) Expenditures.

(1) In determining an LEA's compliance with paragraph (a) of this section, the SEA shall consider only the LEA's expenditures from State and local funds for free public education. These include expenditures for administration, instruction, attendance and health services, pupil transportation services, operation and maintenance of plant, fixed charges, and net expenditures to cover deficits for food services and student body activities.

(2) The SEA may not consider the following expenditures in determining an LEA's compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section:

(i) Any expenditures for community services, capital outlay, debt service or supplemental expenses made as a result of a Presidentially declared disaster.

(ii) Any expenditures made from funds provided by the Federal Government.

[62 FR 28252, May 22, 1997, as amended at 84 FR 31678, July 2, 2019]