[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 72 (Monday, April 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18131-18134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07724]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Application Deadline for Fiscal Year 2017; Small, Rural School 
Achievement Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program, 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.358A, the U.S. 
Department of Education (Department) awards grants on a formula basis 
to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique 
needs of rural school districts. In this notice, we establish the 
deadline and describe the submission procedures for fiscal year (FY) 
2017 SRSA grant applications.
    All LEAs eligible for FY 2017 SRSA funds must submit an application 
electronically via Grants.gov by the deadline in this notice.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 1, 2017.
    Application Deadline: June 30, 2017 by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Eric Schulz, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E-210, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 260-7349 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf or a text 
telephone, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Award Information

    Type of Award: Formula grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Further Continuing and Security 
Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, would provide, on an annualized 
basis, $87,752,864 for this program. The actual level of funding, if 
any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $0-$60,000.

    Note:  Depending on the number of eligible LEAs identified in a 
given year and the amount appropriated by Congress for the program, 
some eligible LEAs may receive an SRSA allocation of $0 under the 
statutory funding formula.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 4,300.

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

II. Program Authority and Eligibility Information

Under what statutory authority will FY 2017 SRSA grant awards be made?

    The FY 2017 SRSA grant awards will be made under the statutory 
authority in title V, part B, subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds 
Act (ESSA) (Pub. Law 114-95).

Which LEAs are eligible for an award under the SRSA program?

    For FY 2017, an LEA (including a public charter school that is 
considered an LEA under State law) is eligible for an award under the 
SRSA program if it meets one of the following criteria:
    (a)(1) The total number of students in average daily attendance at 
all of the schools served by the LEA is fewer than 600; or each county 
in which a school served by the LEA is located has a total population 
density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile; and
    (2) All of the schools served by the LEA are designated with a 
school locale code of 41, 42, or 43 by the Department's National Center 
for Education Statistics (NCES); or the Secretary has determined, based 
on a demonstration by the LEA and concurrence of the State educational 
agency, that the LEA is located in an area defined as rural by a 
governmental agency of the State.
    (b) The LEA is a member of an educational service agency (ESA) that 
does not receive SRSA funds, and the LEA meets the eligibility 
requirements described in (a)(1) and (2) above.
    (c) The LEA meets the requirements for a hold harmless award as 
described in section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. 
These are LEAs that are no longer eligible for the SRSA program because 
of amendments made under the ESSA to the locale code designations 
referenced in section 5211(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the ESEA, as amended by the 
ESSA. However, these LEAs may receive a FY 2017 award at a reduced rate 
as described in section 5212(b)(4) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.

    Note:  A new ``Choice of Participation'' provision under section 
5225 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, gives LEAs eligible for 
both SRSA and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program 
authorized under title V, part B, subpart 2 of the ESEA, as amended 
by the ESSA, the option to participate in either the SRSA program or 
the RLIS program. LEAs eligible for both SRSA and RLIS are referred 
to as ``dual-eligible LEAs''.



[[Page 18132]]


    Note:  Section 5211(b) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, 
establishes a new locale code methodology for purposes of the SRSA 
program. Beginning in FY 2017, the NCES school locale codes for SRSA 
program eligibility will be determined using the ``urban-centric'' 
NCES school locale code methodology, instead of the previous 
``metro-centric'' methodology referenced under section 6211(b) of 
the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Which eligible LEAs must submit an application to receive an FY 2017 
SRSA grant award?

    Under the regulations in 34 CFR 75.104(a), the Secretary makes a 
grant only to an eligible party that submits an application.
    Beginning in FY 2017, all LEAs eligible to receive an SRSA award 
are required to submit an SRSA application annually in order to receive 
SRSA funds, regardless of whether the LEA received an award in prior 
years. This new annual application will require only minimal time of 
grantees but will help the Department improve SRSA program operations, 
by informing grantees earlier in the year of their eligibility for the 
SRSA program, confirming an LEA's intent to make use of SRSA funding, 
maintaining updated and accurate grantee contact information, and 
ensuring grantees are able to draw down grant funds immediately upon 
receipt of their grant award. All eligible LEAs must submit an annual 
application, including LEAs eligible to receive an FY 2017 award under 
the hold harmless provision, dual-eligible LEAs that choose to 
participate in the SRSA program instead of the RLIS program, and SRSA-
eligible LEAs that are members of ESAs that do not receive SRSA funds. 
In the case of SRSA-eligible LEAs that are members of SRSA-eligible 
ESAs, the respective LEAs and ESAs must coordinate directly with each 
other to determine which entity will submit an SRSA application, as 
both entities may not apply for or receive SRSA funds. Additionally, we 
note that dual-eligible LEAs that apply for SRSA funds in accordance 
with these application submission procedures will not be considered for 
an RLIS award.
    We intend to provide, by April 14, 2017 a list of LEAs eligible for 
FY 2017 SRSA grant funds on the Department's Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html. All LEAs on this list 
will need to submit an electronic application via Grants.gov in order 
to receive an FY 2017 SRSA grant award. The list will identify those 
LEAs that meet the eligibility requirements for the SRSA program, those 
LEAs that meet the eligibility requirements for the RLIS program, those 
LEAs that are dual eligible, and those LEAs that are eligible to 
receive an SRSA award pursuant to the hold harmless provision.
    If an LEA on the Department's list of LEAs eligible to receive an 
FY 2017 SRSA award is no longer in existence as of the 2016-17 school 
year or will close prior to the 2017-2018 school year, the LEA is no 
longer eligible to receive an FY 2017 SRSA award and should not apply.
    An LEA eligible to receive FY 2017 SRSA funds that fails to submit 
an FY 2017 SRSA application or fails to submit an application in 
accordance with the application submission procedures is at risk of not 
receiving an FY 2017 SRSA award. Such LEAs may receive an award only to 
the extent funds become available after awards are made to all eligible 
LEAs that complied with the application procedures.

How must LEAs eligible for an FY 2017 SRSA grant award submit an 
application?

    The Department has revised the application LEAs must submit to 
receive FY 2017 SRSA funds. In addition, the Department has changed 
which system LEAs must use for submitting SRSA applications. LEAs 
should review closely the next section titled Application and 
Submission Information for specific information about how to apply for 
SRSA FY 2017 funds.

III. Application and Submission Information

Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, 
and System for Award Management

    To do business with the Department of Education, you must:
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, throughout the grant performance period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be 
created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take as little as seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial 
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow 
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We 
strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and submit an 
application through, Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your SRSA application via 
Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself 
with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications Using Grants.gov:
    All LEAs eligible for FY 2017 SRSA grant funds are required to 
submit an electronic application using the Governmentwide Grants.gov 
Apply site at www.Grants.gov by June 30, 2017 by 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time. SRSA applications must be submitted electronically 
using Grants.gov unless you qualify for an exception to this 
requirement, in accordance with the instructions in this section.
    Through the Grants.gov Web site, you will be able to download a 
copy of the

[[Page 18133]]

SRSA application package, complete it offline, and then upload and 
submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    Please note the following:
     Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of 
Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will 
need to download a compatible version of Adobe Reader software to 
complete the electronic SRSA application using Grants.gov. For your 
convenience, a compatible version of Adobe Reader is available for free 
download at www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.
     When you search for the downloadable electronic 
application package for the SRSA grant program in Grants.gov, you must 
search for the package by the CFDA number (84.358). Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.358, not 
84.358A).
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on June, 30, 2017. Except as otherwise noted 
in this section, we will not accept your application if it is 
received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system--
after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on June 30, 2017. We do not 
consider an application that does not comply with the deadline 
requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we 
will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was 
date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on June 30, 2017.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures 
for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the 
Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants/gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-
grants.html.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload all documents for your application as 
files in a read-only flattened Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not 
upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type 
other than a read-only flattened PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, 
etc.) or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that 
material. Please note that this could result in your application not 
being considered for funding because the material in question is 
critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For that reason it is 
important to allow yourself adequate time to upload all material as PDF 
files. The Department will not convert material from other formats to 
PDF.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
     Once your application is successfully validated by 
Grants.gov, the Department will retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov and send you an email with a unique PR/Award number for your 
application.
     These emails do not mean that your application is without 
any disqualifying errors. While your application may have been 
successfully validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the 
Department's application requirements as specified in this notice and 
in the application instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, 
for instance, failure to submit a required part of the application; or 
failure to meet applicant eligibility requirements. It is your 
responsibility to ensure that your submitted application has met all of 
the Department's requirements.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues With 
the Grants.gov System

    If you are experiencing problems submitting your application 
through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll 
free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case 
Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application by the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and provide an explanation 
of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with 
the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that the problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. We will contact you after we determine 
whether your application will be accepted.

    Note:  The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your

[[Page 18134]]

application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and 
time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the 
Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement

    You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you 
are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system 
because--
     You do not have access to the internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;

and

     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or email a written 
statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an 
exception prevents you from using the internet to submit your 
application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. Address and mail your statement to: Mr. Eric Schulz, U.S. 
Department of Education, Room 3E-210, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202.
    Or email your statement to: [email protected].
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand-delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, 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 84.358A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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.
    (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.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

    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.

    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.358A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the program under which you are submitting 
your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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.

IV. Acessibility Information

Accessible Format

    Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy 
of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, 
large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program 
contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Electronic Access to This Document

    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 
via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 
can view this document, as well as all other documents of this 
Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Portable 
Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, 
which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Program Authority: Sections 5211-12 of the ESEA, as amended by the 
ESSA.

    Dated: April 12, 2017.
Monique M. Chism,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2017-07724 Filed 4-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P