For items purchased as a Capital Asset, a list of the missing items must be sent to NDE so that NDE's Compliance and Audit Team can make the determination of next steps as well as be in touch with the those responsible for the equipment.
If an item purchased at less than $10,000 per item and it cannot be located, do not simply mark it as "disposed" unless there is documentation showing that disposal actually occurred. Instead, the district/consortium/college should make a reasonable effort to determine what happened to the item, document those efforts, and update its inventory records based on the results of that review.
If the item cannot be located and its disposition cannot be determined, dcument the item as missing, unable to be located, or disposition unknown, along with the steps taken to identify its whereabouts.
Under the federal property standards, entities are expected to maintain effective controls over federally funded property and investigate instances where property is lost, damaged, or missing.
Ultimately, the most important consideration is maintaining accurate inventory records supported by documentation. Labeling an item as "disposed" implies the district/consortium/community college knows what happened to the item and that appropriate disposition procedures were followed. If that information is unavailable, the inventory records should reflect that reality and include documentation of the entities review.
Yes. The needs assessment process can be revisited and updated at any time a district identifies new or changing needs. While formal reVISION submissions to NDE occur every other year, districts may continue to review data, engage stakeholders, and refine their identified needs between submission cycles.
Understanding any challenges or extenuating circumstances a district had faced helps NDE provide appropriate support. Please also share that information.
Yes. Applications may not be approved until the NDE's progam office is satisfied that no barriers to equitable access or participation exist. This determination is based on the written answers to each question.
After approval of the application, Perkins funds may be obligated and expended after the issuance of the Grant Award Notification. Even though a GAN is dated July 1, grant applicants cannot legally expend funds until the grants are approved. Competitive Grants over $50,000 (reVISION) are approved at the State Board meetings and in effect on the date the Board approves. Funds expended before the grant was approved would trigger an audit issue.
Prior to October 1st, only 25% of awarded funds are eligible for obligating or expending. After October 1st (beginning of Federal fiscal year), the full grant award is eligible for obligating or expending.
In order for a cost to be allowable, it must be allocable. A cost is allocable if it benefits the cost objective. Although the benefit should be documented in the 12-month window, Perkins is a “continuous” program.
Examples:
• Installing equipment in a lab in June, although students might not benefit until September.
• Purchasing curricula/software/textbooks which benefit CTE students in future years, as well as the current year.
As long as the item was obligated prior to the end of the grant period and then was paid before the end of the liquidation period (45 days). The expense is then allowable and can be reimbursed. In the Grant Award Notification (GAN) the Terms and Conditions of the Award state: Obligations cannot be made prior to or after this Grant Period. All obligations should be liquidated within 45 days after the ending date of Grant. At the completion of the grant period, a final request for funds accompanied by the final report of expenditures must be submitted to the NDE with proper documentation not later than 45 days after the last day of the grant period.
No. Current year appropriations must be used for current obligations. See Question above.
Not necessarily. The Purchase Date is the obligated or Purchase Order date.
For stand-alones, the local district’s depreciation schedule and disposal policies apply.
Federal Audits go back 5 years from the date of purchase (statute of limitations), however, NDE recommends five years from the end date of when the final expenditure report is received. For example, the July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 grant year’s final expenditure report should be received by October 1, 2020. The retention date would then be 5 years from that date or October 1, 2025.
When the District/ESU has spent any of the grant funds, they can go into the Payments section and request reimbursement.
The grants management system will provide the amounts by major object code for each approved budget. The District/ESU will enter the amount that has been spent and the grants management system will check to see if a) there is an approved amount in that object code and b) the request is within the allowable variance for the approved amount. The allowable variance is the greater of 25% of the approved total object code or $2,500 of the approved amount of that object code.
No, payments will only be made for approved applications or approved amendments to that application.