[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74-75]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29112]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Submission of Data by State Educational Agencies; Submission 
Dates for State Revenue and Expenditure Reports for Fiscal Year 2020, 
Revisions to Those Reports, and Revisions to Prior Fiscal Year Reports

AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of 
Education Sciences, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces dates for State educational agencies 
(SEAs) to submit expenditure and revenue data and average daily 
attendance statistics on ED Form 2447 (the National Public Education 
Financial Survey (NPEFS)) for fiscal year (FY) 2020, revisions to those 
reports, and revisions to reports for previous fiscal years. The 
Secretary sets these dates to ensure that data are available to serve 
as the basis for timely distribution of Federal funds. The U.S. Census 
Bureau is the data collection agent for this request of the Department 
of Education's (the Department's) National Center for Education 
Statistics (NCES). The data will be published by NCES and will be used 
by the Secretary in the calculation of allocations for FY 2022 
appropriated funds.

DATES: SEAs can begin submitting data on Friday, January 29, 2021. SEAs 
are urged to submit accurate and complete data by Friday, March 26, 
2021, to facilitate timely processing.
    The deadline for the final submission of all data, including any 
revisions to previously submitted data for FY 2019 and FY 2020, is 
Friday, August 13, 2021. Any resubmissions of FY 2019 or FY 2020 data 
by SEAs in response to requests for clarification or reconciliation or 
other inquiries by NCES or the Census Bureau must be completed as soon 
as possible, but no later than Tuesday, September 7, 2021. All 
outstanding data issues must be reconciled or resolved by the SEAs, 
NCES, and the Census Bureau as soon as possible, but no later than 
September 7, 2021.

ADDRESSES: SEAs are encouraged to submit data online using the 
interactive survey form on the NPEFS data collection website at: http://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ccdnpefs. The NPEFS interactive survey includes a 
digital confirmation page where a personal identification number (PIN) 
may be entered. A successful entry of the PIN serves as a signature by 
the authorizing official. Alternatively, a certification form also may 
be printed from the website, signed by the authorizing official, and 
mailed to the Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division of the Census 
Bureau at the Washington, DC, address provided above, within five 
business days after submission of the NPEFS web interactive form.
    In the alternative, SEAs may mail ED Form 2447 to: U.S. Census 
Bureau, ATTENTION: Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division, 4600 Silver 
Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746.
    If an SEA's submission is received by the Census Bureau after 
August 13, 2021, the SEA must show one of the following as proof that 
the submission was mailed on or before that date:
    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.
    If the SEA mails ED Form 2447 through the U.S. Postal Service, the 
Secretary does 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, an SEA should check 
with its local post office.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Q. Cornman, NPEFS Project 
Director, National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of 
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7753. Email: 
[email protected]. You may also contact an NPEFS team member at 
the Census Bureau. Telephone: 1-800-437-4196 or (301) 763-1571. Email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Under section 153(a)(1)(I) of the Education 
Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9543(a)(1)(I), which authorizes 
NCES to gather data on the financing and management of education, NCES 
collects data annually from SEAs through ED Form 2447. The report from 
SEAs includes attendance, revenue, and expenditure data from which NCES 
determines a State's ``average per-pupil expenditure'' (SPPE) for 
elementary and secondary education, as defined in section 8101(2) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) 
(20 U.S.C. 7801(2)).
    In addition to using the SPPE data as general information on the 
financing of elementary and secondary education, the Secretary uses 
these data directly in calculating allocations for certain formula 
grant programs, including, but not limited to, title I, part A, of the 
ESEA, Impact Aid, and Indian Education programs. Other programs, such 
as the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program under title 
VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and the Student 
Support and Academic Enrichment Grants under title IV, part A of the 
ESEA make use of SPPE data indirectly because their formulas are based, 
in whole or in part, on State title I, part A, allocations.
    In January 2021, the Census Bureau, acting as the data collection 
agent for NCES, will email ED Form 2447 to SEAs, with instructions, and 
will request that SEAs commence submitting FY 2020 data to the Census 
Bureau on Thursday, January 29, 2021. SEAs are urged to submit accurate 
and complete

[[Page 75]]

data by Friday, March 26, 2021, to facilitate timely processing.
    Submissions by SEAs to the Census Bureau will be analyzed for 
accuracy and returned to each SEA for verification. SEAs must submit 
all data, including any revisions to FY 2019 and FY 2020 data, to the 
Census Bureau no later than Friday, August 13, 2021. Any resubmissions 
of FY 2019 or FY 2020 data by SEAs in response to requests for 
clarification or reconciliation or other inquiries by NCES or the 
Census Bureau must be completed by Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Between 
August 13, 2021, and September 7, 2021, SEAs may also, on their own 
initiative, resubmit data to resolve issues not addressed in their 
final submission of NPEFS data by August 13, 2021. All outstanding data 
issues must be reconciled or resolved by the SEAs, NCES, and the Census 
Bureau as soon as possible, but no later than September 7, 2021.
    In order to facilitate timely submission of data, the Census Bureau 
will send reminder notices to SEAs in June and July of 2021.
    Having accurate, consistent, and timely information is critical to 
an efficient and fair allocation process and to the NCES statistical 
process. The Department establishes Friday, August 13, 2021, as the 
final date by which the SEAs must submit data using either the 
interactive survey form on the NPEFS data collection website at: 
https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ccdnpefs or ED Form 2447. This date is 
established to ensure that the best, most accurate data will be 
available to support timely distribution of Federal education funds.
    Any resubmissions of FY 2019 or FY 2020 data by SEAs in response to 
requests for clarification or reconciliation or other inquiries by NCES 
or the Census Bureau must be completed through the interactive survey 
form on the NPEFS data collection website or ED Form 2447 by Tuesday, 
September 7, 2021. If an SEA submits revised data after the final 
deadline that result in a lower SPPE figure, the SEA's allocations may 
be adjusted downward, or the Department may direct the SEA to return 
funds. SEAs should be aware that all of these data are subject to audit 
and that, if any inaccuracies are discovered in the audit process, the 
Department may seek recovery of overpayments for the applicable 
programs.

    Note: The following are important dates in the data collection 
process for FY 2020 data and revisions to reports for previous 
fiscal years:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Date                               Activity
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January 29, 2021............  SEAs can begin to submit accurate and
                               complete data for FY 2020 and revisions
                               to previously submitted data for FY 2019.
March 26, 2021..............  Date by which SEAs are urged to submit
                               accurate and complete data for FY 2020
                               and FY 2019.
August 13, 2021.............  Mandatory final submission date for FY
                               2019 and FY 2020 data to be used for
                               program funding allocation purposes.
September 7, 2021...........  Mandatory final deadline for responses by
                               SEAs to requests for clarification or
                               reconciliation or other inquiries by NCES
                               or the Census Bureau. Between August 13,
                               2021, and September 7, 2021, SEAs may
                               also, on their own initiative, resubmit
                               data to resolve issues not addressed in
                               their final submission of NPEFS data by
                               August 13, 2021. All data issues must be
                               resolved.
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    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will 
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich 
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, 
braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible 
format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9543.)

Craig Stanton,
Deputy Director of Administration and Policy, Institute of Education 
Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2020-29112 Filed 12-31-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P