Project to Support America's Families and Educators (Project SAFE) Grant Application

U.S. Department of Education

Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022

Application for the

Project to Support America’s Families and Educators

(Project SAFE) Grant Program

ALN Number: 84.184N

OMB Number: 1810-0763

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1810-0763.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit under Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the ESEA. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Amy Banks, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 3E257, Washington, D.C., 20202 or email ProjectSAFE@ed.gov directly.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Purpose

The Project to Support America’s Families and Educators (Project SAFE) grant program is intended to improve students’ safety and well-being by providing funding to local educational agencies (LEAs) that adopt and implement strategies to prevent the spread of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and that are financially penalized for doing so by their State educational agency (SEA) or other State entity. Project SAFE is funded under the School Safety National Activities authority in Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7281).

Eligibility

Eligible applicants: LEAs

An LEA is eligible for Project SAFE if it:

(a) Has adopted a policy to implement and is implementing one or more of the strategies recommended in the CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, as may be updated. The most recent guidance incorporates the following strategies:

(i) Promoting vaccination;

(ii) Consistent and correct mask use;

(iii) Physical distancing;

(iv) Screening testing to promptly identify cases, clusters, and outbreaks;

(v) Ventilation;

(vi) Handwashing and respiratory etiquette;

(vii) Staying home when sick and getting tested;

(viii) Contact tracing, in combination with isolation and quarantine; and

(ix) Cleaning and disinfection;

(b) Has incurred or will incur a financial penalty imposed by its SEA or other State entity, such as a reduction in funding, including but not limited to reduction in salaries for school board members or superintendents, due to implementation of one or more strategies described in paragraph (a); and

(c) To protect the safety and well-being of students, has continued at the time of application to implement such strategy or strategies for which the penalty was imposed and commits to maintain such strategy or strategies to the extent consistent with CDC guidance for the 2021-2022 school year.

Absolute Priority

The Department will consider only applications that meet the Project SAFE absolute priority: Supporting LEAs’ and local education leaders’ efforts to improve student safety and well-being in LEAs that have been financially penalized by their SEA or other State entity for adopting and implementing strategies consistent with CDC guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Under this absolute priority, the Department awards funds to support activities to improve student safety and well-being by advancing strategies consistent with CDC guidance to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in schools by addressing the harmful impact of disruptive State penalties imposed on the LEA for implementing CDC guidance. These activities could include, for example, activities to facilitate the continued implementation of strategies aligned with CDC guidance, despite the State-imposed penalty, and/or to maintain LEA and school stability, such as by enabling the LEA to maintain activities and/or staffing levels or compensation that would otherwise be negatively impacted or reduced due to financial penalties levied on the LEA for implementing strategies aligned with CDC guidance, including but not limited to a reduction in salaries for the superintendent or school board members.

Project SAFE applicants will demonstrate that they meet the absolute priority by proposing a project budget that meets the priority.

Project Period

Up to 12 months. The Department may structure an LEA’s award based on the timing of any anticipated future financial penalty.

Budget Request

The total amount of Project SAFE funds an LEA requests must not exceed the amount of the financial penalty for adopting and implementing CDC guidance that the LEA incurred or will incur during the project period (up to 12 months). The Department may fund awards in whole, or in part, at its sole discretion, and may establish a maximum grant award level through a notice in the Federal Register in order to serve as many eligible applicants as possible. The Department may also structure an LEA’s award based on the timing of any anticipated future financial penalty.

Timeline

Applications will be reviewed by program staff and approved on a rolling, expedited basis contingent on the availability of funding.

Program Contact

For additional information, please contact Amy Banks at ProjectSAFE@ed.gov.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To compete for a Project SAFE award, an LEA must submit to the Department the following information:

• A completed cover sheet that includes the signature of the Superintendent or chief executive officer (CEO) of the LEA or their authorized representative. (Part A of the Application)

• Required Documentation and Related Assurances that includes the Signature of the Superintendent or CEO of the LEA or their authorized representative. (Part B of the Application)

  • Including attached copies of:

    • The enacted LEA policy that demonstrates that the LEA has adopted one or more strategies as recommended in the CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html, as listed in the eligibility requirements;

    • The SEA or other State entity notification of a financial penalty levied due to the LEA’s adoption of such strategy or strategies, which includes the amount and duration of such penalty (to the extent available); and

    • Any other documentation necessary to describe the amount of the financial penalty specified in the notification from the SEA or other State entity that has already been levied at the time of the application and the anticipated amount of any future financial penalty that will be levied during the 12-month period beginning on the date of application.

• Budget. (Part C of the Application)

• Other assurances and certifications. (Part D of the Application)

Application Submission Information

Application submissions to the Department will be considered on an ongoing basis.

Please submit your Application, including required attachments, to the Department as follows:

Email an electronic version of your Application in a .PDF (Portable Document Format) to Amy Banks at ProjectSAFE@ed.gov.

PROJECT SAFE

LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY

PART A: APPLICATION COVER SHEET

LEA:	ALN Number: 84.184N
Legal Name:	UEI Number:
LEA Superintendent or chief executive officer (CEO):	Mailing Address:

LEA Contact for Project SAFE:

Position and Office:

Mailing Address:

Telephone:

Email address:

To the best of my knowledge and belief, all the information and data in this application are true and correct. I acknowledge and agree that the failure to comply with all Assurances and commitments in this application, and any other applicable law or regulation may result in liability under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq.; OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485; and 18 USC § 1001, as appropriate.

LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or Authorized Representative (Typed Name):

Telephone:

Signature of LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or Authorized Representative: Date:

Form Approved OMB Number: 1810-0763 Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

PART B: REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AND RELATED ASSURANCES

The [LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or their authorized representative] assures that it is submitting with this Application an electronic copy of the following documents and certifies that they are accurate and complete:

• The enacted LEA policy that demonstrates that the LEA has adopted one or more strategies as recommended in the CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, as listed in the eligibility requirements;

• The SEA or other State entity notification of a financial penalty levied due to the LEA’s adoption of such strategy or strategies, which includes the amount and duration of such penalty (to the extent available); and

• Any other documentation necessary to describe the amount of the financial penalty specified in the notification from the SEA or other State entity that has already been levied at the time of the application and the anticipated amount of any future financial penalty that will be levied during the 12-month period beginning on the date of application.
  
  

By signing this document, the LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) attests that the LEA has implemented such prevention strategy(ies) and that it will continue implementing the prevention strategy(ies) to the extent consistent with CDC guidance for the duration of the 2021-2022 school year.

By signing this document, the LEA superintendent/CEO assures that the LEA will not draw down any Project SAFE grant funds until such time as the LEA incurs the above referenced financial penalty imposed by the State.

By signing this document, the LEA superintendent/CEO assures that the LEA will not provide reimbursement for any individual salary in an amount greater than the reduction to that individual salary.

LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or Authorized Representative (Printed Name):

PART C: BUDGET

The Department requests the following:

1. The amount of the financial penalty the LEA has already incurred at the time of application.

2. The anticipated amount of the financial penalty the LEA will incur within the 12-month period following the date of application.

3. A brief description of the documentation the LEA has submitted, as required in Part B of the application, to describe the amount of the financial penalty.

4. The total amount requested by the LEA, which must not exceed the sum of (1) and (2) above.

5. The proposed project budget that addresses the absolute priority.

PART D: OTHER ASSURANCES AND CERTIFICATIONS

The [LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or their authorized representative] assures or certifies the following:

1. The LEA will comply with all applicable assurances in OMB Standard Forms 424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs), including the assurances relating to the legal authority to apply for assistance; access to records; conflict of interest; merit systems; nondiscrimination; Hatch Act provisions; labor standards; flood hazards; historic preservation; protection of human subjects; animal welfare; lead-based paint; Single Audit Act; and the general agreement to comply with all applicable Federal laws, executive orders and regulations.

2. With respect to the certification regarding lobbying in Department Form 80-0013, no Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the making or renewal of Federal grants under this program; the LEA will complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” when required (34 C.F.R. Part 82, Appendix B).

3. The LEA will comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) requirements in Subpart D—Post Federal Award Requirements (2 CFR §§200.300-345) and Subpart E—Cost Principles (2 CFR §§200.400-475).

4. The LEA will comply with the provisions of all applicable acts, regulations and assurances; the following provisions of Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 81, 82, 84, 97, 98, and 99; the OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485; and the Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

LEA Superintendent/chief executive officer (CEO) or Authorized Representative (Printed Name):

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