- ARRA: Defining Reporting Requirements
- U.S. Government Accountability Office Online Survey
- ARRA DUNS, CCR and EEM
- Change to Recording Employee Salaries Under SFSF
ARRA: Defining Reporting Requirements
The acceptance of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding came with many requirements including reporting that stated “all ARRA funds must be spent with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability.” With the lack of guidance received of what this actually means at a local or State level, the Michigan Department of Education is preparing to meet the first quarterly reporting deadline, October 10, 2009, using information collected in the Michigan Electronic Grants System (MEGS) and the Cash Management System (CMS). As guidance has been slow in coming, it appears that there may be additional information required that currently is not reported in either of these systems. Department personnel are currently reviewing preliminary guidance and determining how and what will need to be collected in addition to information currently on file.
Several areas of concern require the reporting of the number of jobs created or saved as a result of the funding, uses of funds for infrastructure, and vendor information for grant sub-recipients (does not include districts that receive funding directly from ISD’s or other K-12 districts.) These components are not currently collected by the Department and may be an additional requirement of the districts on a quarterly basis. With the lack of guidance required to date on reporting, the Department will need to make decisions on what information is needed from the local level and how the data will be collected. Once again, due to the short period of time this will allow districts to gather and report this information, a quick turnaround is anticipated. Early indications are that an addition to the MEGS or CMS applications will be developed to accommodate district reporting.
MDE expects to provide guidance to districts that will explain the details of the first report filing, as well as set a due date for return of information from districts. Preliminary thoughts are that the information would need to be submitted to MDE the first week of October in order for the department to summarize the statewide information. Please put this on your radar for the next few weeks and watch for more detailed information from MDE and MSBO as reporting requirements are defined.
U.S. Government Accountability Office Online Survey
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued an online survey request concerning ARRA funds to approximately 130 Michigan school districts. In a letter dated August 20, 2009, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) asked for “your immediate attention to this inquiry” as the survey is an essential piece to help satisfy the accountability issues of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Many districts have already responded, however several have not and 100% compliance is necessary. Please check with the staff responsible for ARRA funding in your district about the status of your online survey. The list of schools receiving the survey will not be disclosed, however MDE will receive a list of those not responding, at which time they will contact each district directly for a response. MDE appreciates your immediate attention to this matter.
ARRA DUNS, CCR and EEM
An essential component of receiving ARRA funding includes the application for, or updating of, your district’s Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), registering with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and entering data into the Education Entity Master (EEM).
In the e-blast dated June 10, 2009, MSBO detailed the issue with guidance on how to obtain the information. The Michigan Department of Education has recently received a listing of districts that have not fully completed this essential registration and will be contacting the individual districts for compliance. Please be sure that your district has completed the appropriate registrations, as this will impact your receiving additional funds through ARRA. The due date for submission into the EEM is September 30, 2009. Follow the link to view the MDE request.
Change to Recording Employee Salaries Under SFSF
The State Fiscal Fund, the United States Education Department (USED) office administering the ARRA Stabilization grants, has issued a statement that "Employees whose salaries are supported with funds under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program are not required to maintain time and effort records. However, an LEA must maintain records demonstrating how its SFSF funds are spent."
This conflicts with guidance that MDE, CPAs and LEAs received from the USED Director of the Office of the Secretary, Risk Management Service and the USED OIG. MDE has confirmed the State Fiscal Fund's guidance, and asks that districts that receive conflicting guidance from other USED offices to forward the conflicting guidance to Kathy Weller at wellerk@mi.gov. Kathy will be happy to confirm it with the State Fiscal Fund and will publicize any changes in the federal position.