2021-2024 Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS) Grant Updates: Timeline, Movement of Grant Funds, and Liquidation Extension for ESSER III- funded Grants

The purpose of this communication is to provide three updates related to Texas Covid Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS) Grants:  

1. Revised TCLAS Dates – No Action Needed:    
   1. TCLAS ESSER Funded Grants End Date Extended: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has revised the end date for all TCLAS Grants funded by ESSER III to 9/30/2024 (including TCLAS Decision 11).  
   2. TCLAS Grants (ESSER and GR) Amendment Date Extension: TEA has revised the amendment deadline for TCLAS grants:  
      1. The amendment deadline for TCLAS GR funded grants is now 4/15/2024.   
         1. The final/revised expenditure report due date is now 7/31/2024, the last date to receive goods and services from these funds.   
      2. The amendment deadline for TCLAS ESSER III funded grants is now 7/2/2024.  
         1. The final/revised expenditure report due date remains the same, 1/2/2025, the last date to receive goods and services from these funds.  
2. Moving Funds Within or Between TCLAS Direct Grant Decisions – Potential Action Required: In response to the flexibility allowed by the ESSER liquidation extension from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and requests for funding flexibility from local educational agencies (LEAs), the TEA has updated the policy on movement of funds within or between awarded TCLAS decisions for the remainder of the TCLAS grant. The updated policy is as follows:   
   1. Moving funds between TCLAS Decisions 1-10: LEAs may request to move funds between their awarded TCLAS decisions within the same funding source (see SOF table below) with approval from initiative leads of both initiatives (i.e., the one with money moved from and the one with money moved to) with the following exceptions:  
      1. Decision 6, 7, & 8: Due to Federal ESSER set-aside requirements, money cannot be moved out of TCLAS Decision 6: Tutoring, Decision 7: ADSY Full Year Redesign, or Decision 8: ADSY Summer Learning.   
      2. Decision 11: Due to TCLAS Decision 11 being awarded as a separate grant from the other TCLAS Decisions, awardees may not move funds to or from the TCLAS Decision 11 grant.  
   2. Moving funds within individual TCLAS Decisions 1-11: LEAs may request to move funds within TCLAS decisions (i.e., from 2a to 2b) with initiative lead approval through the survey linked below. 

Please note that all funds must still be used within scope of the existing TCLAS Program Guidelines.   

*Funds may not be moved out of decision 6, 7, or 8 but awardees may move funds into and/or within these decisions.  

Potential Action Required: If an LEA is interested in moving funds between or within TCLAS Decisions, please complete this survey by April 6, 2024, for consideration. A link to the survey is located here: https://forms.office.com/r/eHHFESrUQV   

Approval status of the survey request will be communicated to LEAs by April 8, 2024.

3. Liquidation Extension for TCLAS ESSER III Funded Grants- Contract Services Only – FYI Only: LEAs that received an ESSER III-funded TCLAS grant are eligible for a liquidation extension for contracted services associated with the grant. Contracted services that are properly obligated on or before September 30, 2024, may be eligible for this liquidation extension opportunity, which would permit an LEA to extend properly obligated contracted services until 2/28/2026. The tool to apply for this application will be available in the summer of 2024 and will be provided by TEA’s Department of Grant Compliance and Administration. This message is solely to inform LEAs of the availability of this liquidation extension for ESSER III funded TCLAS decision points.
   
   This decision is intended to provide additional flexibility to LEAs with ESSER III funds. All TCLAS ESSER III grants allowing properly obligated and eligible contracted services as defined by 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 76.707 are within the scope of this extension including:
   • Decision 1b – Resilient Schools School Program (RSSP) Data Fellowship
   • Decision 3b – High Quality Instructional Material (HQIM) Supplemental Approved Products- Progress Monitoring   
   • Decision 5a – Teacher Resident Stipend(s)  
   • Decision 5b – Flexible Funding for District Implementation Support  
   • Decision 7a – Additional Days School Year (ADSY) TA  
   • Decision 7c – ADSY Operational Days Funding  
   • Decision 8c – Strong Summer Program Operational Days Funding  
   • Decision 11a - High Quality After School Program TA  
   • Decision 11c – High Quality After School Operational funding

Potential Action Required: If an LEA chooses to apply for the liquidation extension, it will be required to submit the liquidation extension request that will be sent out from TEA’s Department of Grant Compliance and Administration in Summer of 2024. TEA’s Department of Grant Compliance and Administration will review LEA submissions and might need to contact an individual at the LEA to clarify or provide additional information. Following the notice from USDE, TEA’s Department of Grant Compliance and Administration will inform LEAs if their request is approved and identify next steps for LEAs who were approved.  

Available Optional Supports for TCLAS Grant recipients

• Please reach out to tclas@tea.texas.gov with questions about the TCLAS Grant initiatives and movement of funds.  
• Please reach out to nick.davis@tea.texas.gov with questions about ESSER funding and allowability.  
• Attend optional office hours on 03/26/2024 at 10:00 a.m. Please register at this link to ask questions directly of the TCLAS team.  

Additional Context on the ESSER III Liquidation Extension – FYI Only

Effective liquidation and closeout of the ESSER funds require careful planning and budgeting to minimize the potential for a fiscal cliff and to prevent lapsing of the federal funds. More than forty-seven percent (47%) of allocated TCLAS ESSER III funding remains unspent by LEAs in addition to unspent ESSER III formula funds.

As described in the August 11, 2022, TAA letter, Planning and Use of ESSER Funds, ESSER funding was one-time in nature but included unprecedented flexibility to allow LEAs to plan an effective transition in support of their students. The flexibilities offered by USDE under ESSER do not apply to other federal grant programs and represent an uncommon opportunity to maximize the use of state, local, and federal funding. As LEAs assured TEA in the applications for funding for ESSER III, your local board is aware that the ESSER funds would not be replaced by any future state dollars.    

On January 9, 2024, the USDE released the American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III liquidation extension process. This process allows for a 14-month extension in addition to the standard 120-day liquidation period. LEAs may request a liquidation extension for certain obligated contracted services costs. Approval of your LEA’s request would allow the contracted service to continue to be received and paid during the liquidation period extension. Please note that the liquidation extension does not cover all types of costs (e.g., indirect costs, staff salary, or travel) due to the federal rules defining when an obligation was made. TEA’s Department of Grant Compliance and Administration will request the extension for fourteen (14) additional months after the standard liquidation period (until February 28, 2026) on behalf of LEAs that need it. TEA will then have one additional month to liquidate and close out all LEA grant funds.

Key Upcoming Dates related to ESSER Funding

• Summer 2024 - Application opens for LEAs to participate in the Liquidation Extension of ESSER III contracted services. 
• 07/02/2024 - Last day to amend ESSER III Application for Funding  
• 09/30/2024 - End of carryover period for ESSER III funds, last day to legally obligate funds.   
• 11/30/2024 - Anticipated ESSER III Liquidation Extension Data Collection due to TEA.  
• 01/02/2025 - ESSER III Final Expenditure Report/Revised Final Expenditure Report due.  
• 01/31/2025 - USDE must respond to state’s ESSER III Liquidation Extension  
• 02/28/2026 - Anticipated End of ESSER III Liquidation Extension Period for approved LEAs.