2. RTF - Grant Overview

                       Residential Facility State Grant Overview

After several years of administering the state grant as provided for in O.C.G.A. § 20‐2‐133(b)(5), the
Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) determined that there was a need for more
accountability for the appropriate budgeting, use, and reimbursement of the Residential Facility
State Grant funds. Since the local education agency (LEA) financial records for residential facilities
served under O.C.G.A. § 20‐2‐133(b) are subject to audits, it is important that the LEA has
appropriate internal controls in place to account for funds earmarked for a residential facility
served under O.C.G.A. § 20‐2‐133(b).
In accordance with the statute, the LEA is the agency responsible for the education of the eligible
children in the residential facility. In order to ensure that the LEA has oversight of all grant budgets,
amendments, and reimbursement requests for their approved residential facility, new procedures
were put into place beginning with the 2009‐2010 school year.

Grant Funding Application Process
       The LEA and the residential facility must collaborate to develop an appropriate budget in
        accordance with the Local Unit of Administration (LUA) Chart of Accounts for submission to
        the GaDOE.
       The LEA will be responsible for the submission of the budget for approval by GaDOE through
        the GaDOE’s Consolidated Application. Budget requests submitted directly to the GaDOE by
        residential facilities will not be accepted.
       The LEA superintendent must sign off on assurances through the Consolidated Application
        ensuring that they have collaborated with the residential facility in developing the budget.


Budget Funding Use
The Residential Facility State Grant funding is awarded for direct educational costs and limited
related services only. This year, LEAs may also request salary and benefits for:
Limited certificated behavioral counselors with detailed justification for need.
An LEA liaison for oversight of the education program (Consideration for sharing the cost of this
position with the LEA might be considered.)
Budgets including items that are not for the direct instructional use for educating children will not
be approved.


Direct Educational Costs ‐ Definition
All expenditures incurred for educational activities directly associated with the interaction between
teachers and eligible students, including, but not limited to, salaries, wages, and benefits for
teachers and paraprofessionals; costs for instructional materials and supplies; costs associated with


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classroom‐related activities such as field trips and equipment; and any other appropriate
instructional expenses.

This term shall not include costs for administration, plant operations and maintenance, food and
food services, transportation, instructional support including media centers, teacher training, and
student support such as nurses and guidance counselors.

The following are examples of direct educational costs.
Teacher salaries (Classroom teachers, Special Education teachers, etc. in direct educational
instructional contact with eligible students.
     Eligible salaries earned during the grant period (July 1st through June 30th) only.
      No bonus and/or stipend payments are eligible for reimbursement.
      Residential facilities must have on file executed contracts with individuals performing these
       duties.

Teacher benefits responsibility portion of the residential facility
    FICA, Medicare, Workman’s Compensation, health insurance, unemployment insurance, etc.

Paraprofessional salaries (paraprofessionals in direct educational instructional contact with
eligible students.
     Eligible salaries earned during the grant period (July 1st through June 30th) only.
      No bonus and/or stipend payments are eligible for reimbursement.
      Residential facilities must have on file executed contracts with individuals performing these
       duties.

Paraprofessional benefits
    FICA, Medicare, Workman’s Compensation, health insurance, etc.

Other Classroom personnel’s salaries (Substitute teacher salaries, tutors, etc.)
    Eligible salaries earned during the grant period (July 1st through June 30th) only.
      No bonus and/or stipend payments are eligible for reimbursement.
      Residential facilities must follow the LEA’s substitute procedures ensuring adherence to
       State Board Rule 160‐5‐1‐.05 SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS.

Other Classroom personnel’s benefits
    FICA, Medicare, Workman’s Compensation, health insurance, unemployment insurance, etc.
      Classroom supplies
      Student supplies (paper, writing utensils, notebooks, etc.)

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   Instructional Supplies (disciplinary consumable supplies, lesson plan materials, record
    keeping materials, classroom books sets, field trip expenses, etc.)
   Classroom Equipment (Student and teacher desks, whiteboards, bulletin boards, etc.)
   Calculators
   Classroom Computers
   Educational Software (Software, software licenses for teacher/student interaction and
    record keeping.)
   Textbooks
   Travel costs (Limited) ‐Education related instructional field trip transportation




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                        Residential Facility State Grant Budget

                             Budget Preparation and Approval
Each local education agency (LEA) liaison to a residential facility grantee should secure LEA access to
the Consolidated Application in order to enter LEA approved budgets for submission to the Georgia
Department of Education (GaDOE). Please contact your LEA technology office for further
information.

Each LEA liaison shall promptly collaborate with the residential facility personnel to develop a
budget for the expenditure of awarded Residential Facility State Grant funds for the grant period of
July 1st through June 30th each fiscal year. This budget should be developed using appropriate
function and object codes according to the Local Unit of Administration (LUA) Chart of Accounts.
     The LUA Chart of Accounts on the GaDOE’s Office of Finance and Business Operations Web
          page at: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/fbo_financial.aspx?PageReq=FBOFinRevCOAB)
      An electronic sample budget document, located at
       http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_policy.aspx?PageReq=PEAResidentialTreatmentFacilities
       for residential facility’s and LEA’s use for developing and approving a budget for submission
       through the Consolidated Application. This form is not mandatory. It is advised that a
       formal budget document be created to ensure that all parties are aware of the items sent
       for approval by the LEA.
      After formal approval of the budget by the LEA, the LEA liaison should submit the approved
       budget for the Residential Facility State Grant through the GaDOE’s Consolidated
       Application for approval.
      The GaDOE will review the budget for adherence to guidelines and will either approve the
       budget or will request revisions to the submitted budget.
      If the GaDOE requests revisions to the submitted budget, the LEA liaison and the residential
       facility director will continue to collaborate on the budget until an approved budget is
       obtained.

Upon budget approval by the GaDOE, an electronic approval will be received by the LEA through the
Consolidated Application.

Amendments to the original budget may be made at any time through the Consolidated Application
until the deadline, April 29, 2016. Amendments must still adhere to all original requirements for
grant funding.
     The grant funding is meant to assist with the education program of the approved
        residential facility for the year in which it is allocated.
     The GaDOE advises that reimbursement requests for expended services from July 1st until
        the time of budget approval be submitted immediately after budget approval is received.
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                        Residential Facility State Grant Budget

           LEA Submission through the Consolidated Application Portal

1. Secure LEA access to the Consolidated Application and to the MyGaDOE Portal.
2. Log into the MyGaDOE Portal.
3. Click on Consolidated Application located at the left side of the page.
4. Click on Application.
5. Click on Title Programs.
6. Click on the district name for the fiscal year.
7. On the Programs tab, under Add Program, select by using the pull down menu, Residential
Treatment Center. Then click the Add button located on the right side of the pull down menu.
8. Click on the program name, Residential Treatment Center. At this point, you will be taken to the
Budget tab (top of the page) and you are now able to view the amount of funding available to the
residential facility or facilities in your district.
9. Under Add Budget Item, use the pull down menu to locate the name of the facility in your district
and click the mouse.
10. You will use the budgets developed in collaboration with the residential facility or facilities to
enter these function and object codes, the number of units and a concise description of the item to
be budgeted. Click Add when that function and object code have been completed.
11. Continue to add items from the approved budget as described in the previous step, until the
entire amount of funding is budgeted. All funding must be budgeted before it can be submitted for
approval.
 Amendments are allowed at any time until April 29, 2016.
12. After all budget funding is entered, click on Submit button. This will send a notice to request the
sign off of the Superintendent. The Superintendent will sign off on three items.
a. The approval of the assurances for the administration of the grant funds.
b. The approval of budget to be submitted to the GaDOE for approval.
c. The prayer certification located on the tab labeled “Prayer Certification”.
13. It is important to check frequently to ensure that the superintendent has signed off on your
submission. The GaDOE is notified only after this sign off has occurred.

The Department of Education will send equal monthly payments to the LEA to be distributed to
the residential facilities.




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