[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35649-35652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12224]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information, 
Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184E.

Dates

    Applications Available: June 21, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 29, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs).
    Estimated Available Funds: $27,000,000. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 
2006 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000 for small districts (1-
20 school facilities); $250,000 for medium-sized districts (21-75 
school facilities); and $500,000 for large districts (76 or more school 
facilities).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 104.


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.


    Project Period: Up to 18 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Emergency Response and Crisis Management 
grant program supports efforts by LEAs to improve and strengthen their 
school emergency response and crisis management plans, including 
training school personnel and students in emergency response 
procedures; communicating emergency plans and procedures with parents; 
and coordinating with local law enforcement, public safety, public 
health, and mental health agencies.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority and 
other application requirements for this program, published elsewhere in 
this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority supports local educational agency (LEA) projects to 
improve and strengthen emergency response and crisis management plans, 
at the district and school-building level, addressing the four phases 
of crisis planning: Prevention/Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and 
Recovery. Plans must include: (1) Training for school personnel and 
students in emergency response procedures; (2) coordination with local 
law enforcement, public safety, public health, and mental health 
agencies; and (3) a method for communicating school emergency response 
policies and reunification procedures to parents and guardians.
    Other Application Requirements:
    1. Partner Agreements. To be considered for a grant award, an 
applicant must include in its application an agreement that details the 
participation of each of the following five community-based partners: 
Law enforcement, public safety, public health, mental health, and the 
head of the applicant's local government (for example the mayor, city 
manager, or county executive). The agreement must include a description 
of each partner's roles and responsibilities in improving and 
strengthening emergency response plans at the district and school-
building level, a description of each partner's commitment to the 
continuation and continuous improvement of emergency response plans at 
the district and school-building level, and an authorized signature 
representing the LEA and each partner acknowledging the agreement. If 
one or more of the five partners listed is not present in the 
applicant's community, or cannot feasibly participate, the agreement 
must explain the absence of each missing partner. To be considered 
eligible for funding, however, an application must include a signed 
agreement between the LEA, a law enforcement partner, and at least one 
of the other required partners (public safety, public health, mental 
health, or head of local government).
    Applications that fail to include the required agreement, including 
information on partners' roles and responsibilities and on their 
commitment to continuation and continuous improvement (with signatures 
and explanations for missing signatures as specified above), will not 
be read.
    Although this program requires partnerships with other parties, 
administrative direction and fiscal control for the project must remain 
with the LEA.
    2. Coordination with State or Local Homeland Security Plan. All 
emergency response and crisis management plans must be coordinated with 
the Homeland Security Plan of the State or locality in which the LEA is 
located. All States submitted such a plan to the Department of Homeland 
Security on January 30, 2004. To ensure that emergency services are 
coordinated, and to avoid duplication of effort within States and 
localities, applicants must include in their applications an assurance 
that the LEA will coordinate with, and follow the requirements of, 
their State or local Homeland Security Plan for emergency services and 
initiatives.
    3. Support of the National Incident Management System. Applicants 
also must agree to support the implementation of the National Incident 
Management System (NIMS). In accordance with Homeland Security 
Presidential Directive/HSPD-5, the NIMS provides a consistent approach 
for Federal, State, and local governments to work effectively and 
efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover 
from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. 
LEAs, working in collaboration with State and local resources, are 
encouraged to achieve full NIMS implementation by September 30, 2005. 
To the extent that full compliance is not possible by September 30, 
2005, LEAs, working in coordination with State and local resources, 
should leverage federal preparedness assistance

[[Page 35650]]

to complete NIMS implementation by September 30, 2006. To be considered 
eligible for funding, an application must include an assurance that the 
LEA has completed, or will complete by September 30, 2006, the 
following steps to support NIMS implementation:
     Administer the NIMS Awareness Course: ``National Incident 
Management System (NIMS), An Introduction'' (IS 700) to key district 
and school staff. This independent study course, developed by the 
Emergency Management Institute (EMI), explains the purpose, principles, 
key components, and benefits of the NIMS. The course is available 
online and will take between forty-five minutes to three hours to 
complete. The course is available on the EMI Web site at: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp.
     Formally recognize the NIMS and adopt NIMS principles and 
policies. Districts and/or their local government should establish an 
executive order, resolution, or ordinance to formally adopt the NIMS.
     Establish a NIMS baseline to determine which NIMS 
requirements have been met by the LEA. Districts should coordinate with 
their community partners to assess the district's overall compliance 
with the NIMS, and determine gaps in compliance that need to be closed 
in order to reach full implementation of the NIMS.
     Establish a timeframe and strategy for full NIMS 
implementation.
     Establish the use of the Incident Command System (ICS). 
The ICS has been established by the NIMS as the standardized incident 
organizational structure for the management of all incidents. Districts 
should coordinate with community partners listed above in 
institutionalizing the use of the ICS in a manner that is consistent 
with the concepts and principles in the NIMS.


    Note: Since LEAs are integral to local governments, an LEA's 
NIMS compliance must be achieved in close coordination with the 
local government and with recognition of the first responder 
capabilities held by the LEA and the local government. As LEAs are 
not traditional response organizations, first responder services 
will typically be provided to LEAs by local fire and rescue 
departments, emergency medical service providers, and law 
enforcement agencies. This traditional relationship must be 
acknowledged in achieving NIMS compliance in an integrated NIMS 
compliance plan for the local government and the LEA. LEA 
participation in the NIMS preparedness program of the local 
government is essential to ensure that first responder services are 
delivered to schools in a timely and effective manner. Additional 
information about NIMS implementation is available at http://www.fema.gov/nims.

    4. Individuals with Disabilities. The applicant's plan must 
demonstrate that the applicant has taken into consideration the 
communication, transportation, and medical needs of individuals with 
disabilities within the school district.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, 99, and 299. (b) The notice of final priority and 
other application requirements published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except Federally recognized Indian tribes.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $27,000,000. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 
2006 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000 for small districts (1-
20 school facilities); $250,000 for medium-sized districts (21-75 
school facilities); and $500,000 for large districts (76 or more school 
facilities).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 104.


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 18 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs. Other eligibility requirements are 
listed in the Other Application Requirements elsewhere in this notice.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other:
    (a) Equitable Participation by Private School Children and 
Teachers.
    Section 9501 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (ESEA), requires that SEAs, LEAs or other entities receiving 
funds under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act are 
required to provide for the equitable participation of private school 
children, their teachers, and other educational personnel in private 
schools located in areas served by the grant recipient. In order to 
ensure that activities under this grant program address the needs of 
private school children, LEAs must engage in timely and meaningful 
consultation with private school officials during the design and 
development of the program. This consultation must take place before 
any decision is made that affects the opportunities of eligible private 
school children, teachers, and other educational personnel to 
participate.
    In order to ensure equitable participation of private school 
children, teachers, and other educational personnel, an LEA must 
consult with private school officials on issues such as: hazards/
vulnerabilities unique to private schools in the LEA's service area, 
training needs, and existing emergency management plans and crisis 
response resources already available at private schools.
    (b) Maintenance of Effort.
    Section 9521 of the ESEA requires that LEAs may receive a grant 
only if the SEA finds that the combined fiscal effort per student or 
the aggregate expenditures of the LEA and the State with respect to the 
provision of free public education by the LEA for the preceding fiscal 
year was not less than 90 percent of the combined effort or aggregate 
expenditures for the second preceding fiscal year.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.184E.
    You may also download the application from the Department of 
Education's Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    The public can also obtain applications directly from the program 
office: Sara Strizzi, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Room 3E320, Washington, DC 20202-

[[Page 35651]]

6450. Telephone: (202) 708-4850 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 21, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 
29, 2005.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference additional regulations 
outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of 
this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you 
must use e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants 
system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Any narrative sections of your application must be 
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
    (4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, 
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all 
registered users who have initiated an e-Application.
    Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to 
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an 
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your 
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with 
the instructions in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.184E), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
     or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.184E),

[[Page 35652]]

7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.184E), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, 
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. You must also submit a progress report nine months 
after the award date. This report should provide the most current 
performance and financial expenditure information, including baseline 
data.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the 
Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant Program:
     Demonstration of increased number of hazards addressed by 
the improved school emergency response plan as compared to the baseline 
plan;
     Demonstration of improved response time and quality of 
response to practice drills and simulated crises; and
     A plan for and commitment to the sustainability and 
continuous improvement of the school emergency response plan by the 
district and community partners beyond the period of Federal financial 
assistance.
    These three measures constitute the Department's indicators of 
success for this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under 
this program are advised to give careful consideration to these three 
measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of their 
proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to collect and 
report data in their performance and final reports about progress 
toward these measures.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Strizzi, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., Room 3E320, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 708-4850 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: June 16, 2005.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 05-12224 Filed 6-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P