Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

This page contains the text of a regulation adopted by the Missouri State Board of Education.  An official copy of the full text of this regulation is contained in the Code of State Regulations, published by the Office of Secretary of State.

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Title 5 - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION Division 50 - Division of School Improvement
Chapter 380 - Technology grants

5 CSR 50-380.010 General Provisions

PURPOSE: This rule establishes procedures for implementing section 11 of the Outstanding Schools Act, pertaining to grants to schools for the acquisition of equipment to promote the use of technology.

(1) Each year, the State Board of Education determines the proportion of the appropriation for the program which will be allocated for the purposes authorized and the manner in which the amount for each purpose will be distributed among eligible school districts.

(2) Annually, the department announces allocations of funds for the authorized purposes and solicits applications from eligible school districts which shall be due as of a date and in a form established by the department.

(3) The State Board of Education may authorize two (2) types of grants-technology acquisition grants and competitive grants. Eligible applicants may apply for funds in amounts up to but not exceeding their allocations as established by the State Board of Education; or, in the case of competitive grants, up to amounts available for the purposes of the competitive grants.

(4) Applications for technology acquisition grants, to be approvable, must demonstrate that the applicant has-

(A) Involved its governing board, its administration and appropriate staff members in the development of a plan for acquiring capacity to utilize technology for instruction, including goals and resource commitments;

(B) Developed sufficient competency in technology-supported instruction to ensure that the equipment functions properly and the capacity to train staff members in the effective utilization of technology for instruction;

(C) Developed concrete plans for utilizing technology to enhance traditionally delivered instruction and plans to evaluate the effectiveness of technology-delivered instruction; and

(D) Demonstrated commitment to the project by providing matching funds from other state, local or federal sources equal to fifty percent (50%) of its requested budget.

(5) Applications for competitive grants, to be approvable, must demonstrate that the applicant meets program criteria announced at the time applications are solicited.

(6) Recipients of grants may obligate grant funds only during the period which begins on the date the department approves an application and ends on the following June 30. Obligations are considered to have been incurred as follows: for equipment and supplies, when the recipient makes a binding commitment to acquire the equipment and supplies, usually by issuing a purchase order; and, for personal services, when the services are performed. All obligations for the purchase of equipment must be incurred by March 31 of the grant period and liquidated by June 30. Any funds not properly obligated for approvable project costs are refundable to the department.

(7) The following costs are allowable under technology acquisition grants: television reception equipment and installation; signal enhancing equipment and installation; television receivers or monitors and video recording and playback equipment for classroom use; speaker telephones; data terminals; microcomputers; training expenses for technology coordinators and other staff members; subscription fees for public television; course fees for specific courses; equipment maintenance; data transmission lines; networking hardware and software; technology related to science and mathematics laboratory equipment; CD-ROM and laser disk equipment and other equipment to promote the use of computers and telecommunications technology.

(8) Allowable costs for competitive grants will be determined on the basis of the reasonable and necessary costs of implementing approved project activities.

(9) Each school district receiving a grant must provide the department, as part of its statutory independent audit or other independent audit, a report of the results of the audit performed in accordance with the department's general policy on audits.

(10) If the department, based on its own findings or those of an independent auditor, determines that an applicant has misspent, misapplied or otherwise used funds under this program in violation of any applicable rule or statutory provision, the applicant will be required to refund to the department the amount determined to have been improperly expended. If the applicant does not refund the money within a reasonable time after requested to do so, the department will withhold payments due the applicant under this program and may adjust payments due the applicant under other programs administered by the department.

(11) By July 15 following each grant period, grant recipients shall file a final expenditure report and an evaluation report in the form required by the department reporting the results of financial and program activities conducted during the preceding grant period.

AUTHORITY:  section 170.254, RSMo (Cum. Supp. 1993).* Original rule filed Dec. 21, 1993, effective July 10, 1994.

*Original authority 1993.