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Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP)

Link

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/rural-insular-native-achievement-programs/rural-education-achievement-program/

Deadline

Application Deadline: Apr 14, 2023

Sponsor

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)

Purpose

Awards funding to local education agencies (LEAs) in rural areas on a non-competitive basis through 2 initiatives:

SRSA funds are awarded from the federal government to eligible LEAs. RLIS funds are awarded to state educational agencies (SEAs) that make sub-grants available to eligible LEAs.

The Alternative Use of Funds Authority (AFUA) is a provision that gives SRSA-eligible LEAs greater flexibility in spending the funds they receive under Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A to best address the LEA's particular needs. Under AFUA, LEAs are able to use their Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A funds to pay for activities under any of the allowable uses for SRSA grant funds.

SRSA grantees can use funds to support initiatives that seek to improve school performance and student achievement under in 5 federal program areas:

  • Title I-A: Improving Basic School Programs Operated by LEAs
  • Title II-A: Supporting Effective Instruction
  • Title III: Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
  • Title IV-A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment
  • Title IV-B: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers

RLIS grantees can use funds to support initiatives that seek to improve school performance and student achievement under in 5 federal program areas:

  • Title I-A: Improving Basic School Programs Operated by LEAs
  • Title II-A: Supporting Effective Instruction
  • Title III: Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
  • Title IV-A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment

RLIS funds may also be used for programs and activities that promote parental and family engagement.

Activities funded under Title IV include:

  • Drug and violence prevention
  • School-based health and mental health services
  • Trauma-informed classroom management
  • Preventing use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, electronic cigarettes
  • Crisis management and conflict resolution
  • Suicide prevention
  • Bullying and harassment prevention
  • Health and safety practices in school or athletic programs
  • Healthy active lifestyle, nutritional education
  • Other activities to support student safety, physical and mental health

Review the REAP use of funds guide for additional examples of allowable expenses.

Amount of Funding

SRSA Award ceiling: $60,000 per year
RLIS Award ceiling: Determined by individual states
SRSA Project period: 1 year
RLIS Project period: Determined by individual states

Estimated number of awards:

  • 4,215 SRSA awards
  • 2,024 RLIS awards

Estimated total SRSA program funding: $107,500,000

Who Can Apply

Applications may be submitted by local education agencies (LEAs).

Applicants for the SRSA program must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. The total number of students in average daily attendance at all the schools served by the LEA is fewer than 600 or exclusively serve schools located in counties with a population density of fewer than 10 people per square mile
  2. All the schools served by the LEA are designated with a school locale code of 41, 42, or 43, or are located in an area of the state defined as rural by a state government agency

In some states, an educational service agency (ESA) may apply for SRSA funds on behalf of an LEA if the LEA meets the above criteria and the the ESA does not receive a separate SRSA award on its own behalf.

To determine your LEA's locale code, visit the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) locale lookup tool.

LEA applicants for RLIS program must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. At least 20% of the children ages 5 to 17 served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE)
  2. All the schools served by the LEA are designated with a school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, or are located in an area of the state defined as rural by a state government agency

In fiscal years (FY) 2021 to 2027, LEAs that do not meet the above criteria may still be eligible for RLIS funding under the "hold harmless" provision if the LEA received an RLIS award in FY 2019 based on poverty and rural eligibility criteria in that year.

Final SRSA and RLIS cohorts and allocations are identified in the 2023 master eligibility spreadsheet. To learn more about differences between the SRSA and RLIS programs, see the SRSA-RLIS comparison table.

Geographic Coverage

Nationwide

What This Program Funds

New Program • Operating Costs and Staffing

Application Process

SRSA program applicants must follow the application process detailed in the application deadline notice to receive an award. Eligible LEAs will receive an email on February 8, 2023 with customized instructions and a link to the online application. A separate application must be submitted for each eligible LEA in a community.

SRSA application webinar slides
SRSA eligibility webinar slides

For the RLIS program, SEAs may apply through the a consolidated state application process or a program-specific application.

RLIS eligible LEAs apply directly to their state for RLIS funds and should contact the appropriate State REAP Coordinator for more information about application process and deadlines in individual states.

Strategic Use of Funds: Title IV, Part A and REAP slides
REAP informational document
REAP frequently asked questions

Contact

For programmatic questions:
Leslie Poynter
202-401-0039
reap@ed.gov

For questions or assistance regarding a RLIS program, contact the appropriate State REAP Coordinator.

Topics This Program Addresses

Health and Wellness • Mental Health • Prevention • Schools • Substance Use Disorder • Violence, Trauma, and Abuse