| Question # | Question | Answer | Date Posted/Revised | ||||
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| 1 |
| Which LEAs are eligible to apply for PPRP funding? | Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including Public School Districts and Open-Enrollment Charter Schools, that expended funds from May 21, 2020, to January 31, 2021, for eligible technology purchases (laptops, tablets, and/or hotspots) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Purchases must be outside of the Operation Connectivity Bulk Purchase Order Program. LEAs must be in good standing within the Operation Connectivity program for their LEA’s PPRP application to receive top priority for funding. While the LEA remains eligible for PPRP funding, failure to pay LEA bulk order invoices for devices ordered by the LEA will lower the priority of the LEA’s application for PPRP funding. | UPDATED 1/11/2021 | |||
| 2 |
| What are the eligible devices to generate PPRP reimbursements? | Laptops (including Chromebooks), tablets, and hot spots purchased (costs incurred by the LEA) on or after May 21, 2020, through January 31, 2021, that will be received by the LEA by February 28, 2021. Required fees to make the device functional, such as Chromebook licenses, hot spot data plans (through the end of the 2020-2021 school year) and CIPA filtering, are also allowable costs when associated with the eligible devices listed above. | UPDATED 1/11/2021 | |||
| 3 |
| How is “costs incurred” defined? | Generally, unless the LEA has an approved policy defining “costs incurred” differently, costs are incurred (as defined by FASRG) when the LEA issues a purchase order (PO) and the PO is submitted to a vendor and accepted. LEAs following a different definition may be required to provide the approved LEA policy in writing to TEA. | 12/03/20 | |||
| 4 |
| How may the PPRP reimbursement funds received by the LEA be used? | The PPRP reimbursement funds must be expended by the LEA by one of the following methods. Ensure your business office staff are aware of this information. 1. Reclassify Original Expenditure Reclassification of all eligible expenses originally charged to state/local funds, to these federal reimbursement funds. This is the preferable use of this reimbursement funding if the LEA can reclassify expenses in the prior fiscal year or if the original expenditure occurred in the LEA’s current fiscal year. 2. Reconcile on Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) If due to the timing of the reimbursement, the LEA cannot reclassify the original expenditures in the prior fiscal year due to the reimbursement funding being received in the subsequent fiscal year, then the LEA may reconcile the reimbursement on the FY2020-2021 SEFA. In this case, the LEA may pay an applicable invoice in the 2019-2020 budget/fiscal year and receive reimbursement from CRF funds in the 2020-2021 budget/fiscal year. See question 25 below for guidance on coding the revenue and expenditures. Note this will be a reconciling item on the FY2020-2021 SEFA and LEAs must keep the documentation from the original purchase, including these errata. This is the same process as used previously for Hurricane Harvey or FEMA funding. 3. Other Allowable CRF Activities by December 31, 2021 If due to the timing of the reimbursement, the LEA cannot reclassify the original expenditures from the prior fiscal year and chooses not to implement the reconciliation on the SEFA, then the LEA must use this reimbursement funding for one of the following CRF allowable activities that were incurred in the current fiscal year and by December 31, 2021. • Expenses to facilitate distance learning, including technological improvements, in connection with school closings to enable compliance with COVID-19 precautions, including safely reopening schools. • Other eligible expenditures, including payroll and benefit costs of educational support staff or faculty responsible for developing online learning capabilities necessary to continue educational instruction in response to COVID-19-related school closures. (This does not include general LEA staff.) Notes: 1. The allowable costs, for eligible devices that generated the PPRP amount, must be incurred from May 21, 2020, through January 31, 2021, and received by the LEA by February 28, 2021. 2. The accounting transactions to reclassify/charge these expenses in the PPRP reimbursement funding received must be completed before the end of your fiscal year. | UPDATED 1/27/2021 | |||
| 5 |
| When must the PPRP reimbursement funds received by the LEA be used? | Based on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021, enacted December 27, 2020, the federal grant period for CRF funding ends December 31, 2021. Any PPRP reimbursement funds received by the LEA must be expended for allowable costs by that date. See Question 4 above. Notes: 1. The physical reclassifying of the expenditures in the LEA’s records or reconciliation on the FY2020-2021 SEFA must be completed prior to the end of your fiscal year. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 6 |
| Can the LEA apply for reimbursement if we are paying for the eligible devices through a lease-purchase option? | If you did a multi-year lease purchase, you have two options. 1. Submit the year 1 payment invoice for the amount incurred between May 21 and January 31, 2021, with your PPRP application. 2. Pay the entire lease purchase amount early (or as much as needed to submit an amount for the max reimbursement) before submitting the PPRP application for reimbursement and include that amount in your PPRP reimbursement application. In either instance, only submit for the eligible devices, not cases, insurance, or peripherals that may have also been part of the lease-purchase agreement. If you pay off the lease early, you need to be able to show that your local policy or procedures allow for early payoff of contracts/lease purchases. If the LEA has no such policy, you must document authorization to payoff the lease purchase early. | UPDATED 1/11/2021 | |||
| 7 |
| How does the LEA select activity 2 for reconciling the costs on the FY2020-2021 SEFA when it is not an option in the PPRP application? | Allowable activities 1 (reclassification) and 3 (other allowable uses) are included in the application. TEA did not have time to reprogram the application to add the new allowable activity 2. If you are selecting the new allowable activity 2 (Reconciling the SEFA), from the November 30 errata, mark the second option in the application so you can submit. You should keep the November 30 PPRP Application Errata and this FAQ for your documentation. | 12/03/20 | |||
| 8 |
| If the LEA used ESSER or other federal grant funds to initially purchase the eligible devices before the PPRP program was known, can the LEA use PPRP to reimburse those federal funds? | If the eligible technology devices were originally purchased by a 2019-2020 federal grant that has closed, the LEA must submit a refund of the expenditure back to TEA. The LEA then can submit the PPRP application and include the eligible devices for reimbursement. However, because the grant is closed, the LEA does not get the original federal funding back. If carryover is available, the LEA receives the refunded amount as carryover in the following grant year following standard carryover policy and procedures. If the eligible technology devices were originally purchased by a 2019-2020 federal grant that had the end date extended and/or is still an open grant, the LEA must submit a budget amendment to remove the eligible devices from the original federal grant budget before submitting an application for PPRP reimbursement for those eligible devices. The LEA must also do one of the following: a) If the LEA has not requested payment for the expenditure in the Expenditure Reporting (ER) system, then the LEA may adjust their general ledger and accounting documentation system locally to move the expense from the original federal grant. b) If the LEA has received payment from TEA after submitting a payment request through the ER system, the LEA must submit a refund to TEA for the expense. As long as the refund is received while the grant is open, TEA will process the refund and replace the refunded money back into the LEA’s open grant account. The LEA is not required to wait for the refund to process before applying for PPRP. If the eligible technology devices were purchased by a 2020-2021 federal grant that is currently an open grant, the LEA must submit a budget amendment to remove the eligible devices from the original federal grant budget before submitting an application for PPRP reimbursement for those eligible devices. The LEA must also do one of the following: a) If the LEA has not requested payment for the expenditure in the Expenditure Reporting (ER) system, then the LEA may adjust their general ledger and accounting documentation system locally to move the expense from the original federal grant. b) If the LEA has received payment from TEA after submitting a payment request through the ER system, the LEA must submit a refund to TEA for the expense. As long as the refund is received while the grant is open, TEA will process the refund and replace the refunded money back into the LEA’s open grant account. The LEA is not required to wait for the refund to process before applying for PPRP. When an amendment is required and in the eligible devices are not clearly identified in the federal grant application, the LEA must still submit an amendment for documentation purposes. In those instances, in the “Reason for Amendment” section, the LEA should enter “To remove eligible devices to be reimbursed by PPRP CRF funds.” For questions on how to submit a refund for a federal grant program, contact the Grants Administration Division’s Cash Management Unit at TEAExpenditures@tea.texas.gov. | 12/03/20 | |||
| 9 |
| Our LEA is not going to apply for PPRP. Do we need to notify TEA? | While you are not required to notify TEA that you will not apply, even if you requested an original application, we do appreciate the notice and it will prevent you from being contacted multiple times requesting you to apply. You may notify TEA by either of two options. 1. Email customerservice@teabulkorder.com and give the LEA name and state that you will not apply for PPRP. 2. Notify your regional ESC staff who will compile a list and notify TEA on your behalf. | 12/04/20 | |||
| 10 |
| Question 4 above references coding options when the LEA selects activity 2, reconciliation on the SEFA. Does a charter school recode to Fund 199 or would charter schools use Fund 240 instead? | If the original expenditures were paid from the Foundation School Program or other state aid, as describe in FASRG Module 3: Special Supplement - Nonprofit Charter School Chart of Accounts, the charter school uses Fund 420 rather than Fund 199 as described above. | 12/04/20 | |||
| 11 |
| Will 1) the January 31, 2021 deadline for ordering devices and requesting a new application or an amendment, 2) the February 15, 2021 application/amendment submission deadline, or 3) the February 28, 2021 deadline for receiving the devices, be extended for LEAs? | No, these deadlines have been extended with the passage of the statute extension to allow maximum flexibility to LEAs. These new deadlines will not be extended, and no exceptions or waivers will be granted. | UPDATED 1/11/2021 | |||
| 12 |
| Will I hear from TEA to negotiate our LEA PPRP application? | If everything is correct, the application will move through the review and approval process without contact from TEA. If something needs clarification or additional information is needed, the LEA will be contacted to address any application issues. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 13 |
| Will I hear from TEA when our LEA reimbursement payment is paid to the LEA? | LEAs will see the payment in their designated bank account coded to Fund 277. TEA will notify ESCs after each payment batch is processed. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 14 |
| Are "white glove" service or extended warranties allowable with the purchase of devices to generate PPRP funding? | No, only the devices and fees required to make the device functional are allowed. See Question 2 above. | 12/07/20 | |||
| 15 |
| Apple will not provide an invoice until the devices actually ship, unlike other vendors. We have a confirmation email with all the same information as an actual invoice, can we upload the confirmation email? | If your LEA is in this situation, contact either customerservice@teabulkorder.com or TEA staff for a work around so that you can submit your application. | 12/07/20 | |||
| 16 |
| How come I sent the email requesting the PPRP application but still have not received the email sending me the link to our LEA PPRP application? | Always check your Spam folder in your email. The application link is sent to whomever is listed in the system as the contact person for Operation Connectivity, not necessarily to the person who submitted the original email request for the application. The contact person is often someone in the IT department who placed the original bulk order. Also know that sending the application out to the LEA is a manual process as the application has to be created and the preprinted information uploaded into the application before the link can be sent. Emails are processed in the order received. | 12/07/20 | |||
| 17 |
| Are batteries and power cords for eligible devices allowable costs to generate PPRP reimbursement funds? | Batteries and power cords that come with the original device are allowable under PPRP because they are required for the device to be functional. Additional batteries or power cords purchased are not allowable costs for PPRP. | 12/07/20 | |||
| 18 |
| Is expedited shipping (additional cost) to ensure the devices are received by the December 30 deadline allowed for generating reimbursement funding? | No. While the LEA may pay expedited shipping costs, those costs are not eligible for reimbursement. | 12/08/20 | |||
| 19 |
| Are extended warranties allowable to generate funding for PPRP reimbursement? | No | 12/08/20 | |||
| 20 |
| Are laptop storage carts eligible expenses to generate PPRP reimbursement? | No | 12/08/20 | |||
| 21 |
| Must the requested reimbursement amount in the application match the total of the invoices uploaded? | It may, but it is not required. It is required for the total eligible expenses on the uploaded invoices to equal or exceed the total requested reimbursement amount in the application. | 12/09/20 | |||
| 22 |
| Is imaging, deployment or asset tagging of devices allowable costs to generate PPRP reimbursement? | No. These are all considered "white glove" services and not allowable. | 12/09/20 | |||
| 23 |
| Are wireless access points (WAP) allowable costs to generate PPRP reimbursement funding? | No, wireless access points are not hot spots and are not allowable. | 12/10/20 | |||
| 24 |
| Are laptops or other eligible devices for teachers allowable to generate PPRP reimbursement funding? | If the LEA is also applying for reimbursement for student devices, then devices for teachers or staff may be allowed. | 12/10/20 | |||
| 25 |
| TEA previously provided two options for coding the reimbursement revenues and expenditures but GASB disagreed with those options. How does TEA and GASB now recommend LEAs code the revenues and expenditures? | Recommended methodology for recording revenues and expenditures of CRF funds when the expenditures were incurred in the FY2019-2020 but the reimbursement is received in the FY2020-2021. • Record the expenditures in FY2019-2020 in Fund 199 or track locally (Note Fund 277 is not available until 2020-2021). • When reimbursement is received in FY2020-2021, record the revenues in the same Fund Code as the expense was recorded in the prior FY. For example. if the LEA is claiming a reimbursement of eligible costs from the prior FY2019-2020 that were coded as expenditures to Fund 199, then the receipt of the reimbursement must be coded as revenue to Fund 199 in FY2020-2021. Notes: 1. Per GASB you cannot record the revenue in Fund 277 in FY2020-2021 and then transfer or move the prior year expenditures into the current fiscal year. 2. Per GASB you can only reclassify expenses between Fund 199 and Fund 277 if the expenses and revenue occurred in the same fiscal year. You can reclassify the expenditures From Fund 277 to Fund 199 by crediting expense in Fund 199 and expensing in Fund 277. 3. This will be a reconciling item on the FY2020-2021 SEFA audit and LEAs must keep the documentation from the original purchase/expenditures. 4. If the LEA follows TEA’s recommended methodology (or followed the previous recommendations during the period they were provided as guidance) and the LEA receives an audit finding on this methodology, TEA will not sustain the audit finding. | 12/11/20 | |||
| 26 |
| When there is no invoice for a direct purchase, is the receipt (indicating the purchase is paid) an acceptable form of documentation to upload instead of an invoice? | When a direct purchase from a store (walked into a store and paid for them and took devices with them) there will be no invoice. The receipt is acceptable. However, it still must include allowable dates, items, and description of what was purchased. | 12/11/20 | |||
| 27 |
| Related to Question 3 above. If the LEA has a written local policy defining costs incurred, must the LEA submit it to TEA? | Unless the LEA submits the written policy as part of the PPRP application to support its application and invoices, TEA will assume the LEA is following FASRG and will not approve devices ordered prior to May 21 even if the invoice and delivery dates are after May 21, 2020. | 12/16/20 | |||
| 28 |
| What if my device delivery is attempted but the LEA is closed, so there is not anyone at the site to accept the delivery. Will I still get my PPRP reimbursement? | Under this extended timeframe there is no flexibility available for LEAs to receive the devices after February 28, 2021. There will be no exceptions or waivers granted for the deadline. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 29 |
| I am listed as the emergency/holiday contact person in the application. Will TEA really call me during my school holidays? | This is no longer applicable with the timeline extension. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 30 |
| When will we receive our reimbursement payment? | Payments will be made after the revised application deadline, with an estimated payment date of March 2021. Payments may be delayed if LEAs do not respond promptly to requests for additional clarification or information to be included in the application. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 31 |
| Has TEA determined the reimbursement payment percentage for each round of the application process? | The PPRP program will reimburse 84.6% of the eligible costs submitted by LEAs by the application submission deadline. Please note that the LEA must submit the required survey indicating its use of the reimbursement funds before TEA can send the reimbursement payment to the LEA. | UPDATED 3/24/2021 | |||
| 32 |
| Since TEA is ratably increasing the percentage to be paid, can we add additional costs at this time to increase our PPRP reimbursement payment? | This question is no longer applicable with the current timeline extension. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 33 |
| If TEA removes unallowable items from our PPRP application, can we try to add other devices to replace the denied items in our application? | No, once the application period closes, calculations will be made based on the data already submitted. | 01/05/21 | |||
| 34 |
| How does the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021, enacted on 12/27/2020, impact the PPRP program? | The CRRSA Act includes 1) additional stimulus funding to be available to LEAs, and 2) an extension to the end date of the CRF funding (which is funding PPRP) to December 31, 2021. Given this new federal extension, TEA has made the following limited changes to the PPRP program to allow LEAs more time and flexibility to maximize their potential for reimbursement: • TEA is suspending processing the PPRP applications based on the new timeline below. • The application/amendment process has been reopened. • The deadline for ordering devices has been extended from December 11, 2020, to January 31, 2021. • All requests for new applications or amendments must be received by January 31, 2021. Send an email to customerservice@teabulkorder.com to request an amendment or new application. • If an LEA previously submitted a PPRP application and does not request an amendment by January 31, 2021, the original application will be processed for reimbursement. • All amendments and new applications must be received by 11:59pm February 15, 2021. • All eligible devices to be reimbursed must be received by the LEA by February 28, 2021. • There will be no further extensions or exceptions to the program timeline or deadlines. • TEA expects the final reimbursement percentage to be closer to the originally anticipated 75% reimbursement rate and will determine the reimbursement rate after the revised application period closes. • TEA reserves the right to ratably reduce or increase the 75% reimbursement rate to ensure all CRF funds are allocated and expended, depending on the statewide total request for reimbursement received from all eligible LEAs that apply. • No other program changes are expected due to the timeline extension. | UPDATED 1/11/2021 | |||
| 35 |
| If our LEA has already submitted the application and has no changes, no additional orders, and no additional invoices to submit, do we need to request an amendment? | No. In this instance no additional information is needed. However, you must submit any additional information that might be requested by TEA In general, if you do not submit a separate amendment request by January 31, 2021, your original application will be processed as originally submitted. | 01/11/21 | |||
| 36 |
| What is the new timeline for PPRP reimbursements to be paid to the LEAs? | Below is the general timeline for PPRP reimbursements. • All requests for new applications or amendments must have been received by January 31, 2021. • If an LEA previously submitted a PPRP application and did not request an amendment by January 31, 2021, TEA will continue processing the original application for reimbursement starting February 10, 2021. • All amendments and new applications must be received by 11:59pm February 15, 2021. • TEA will start processing new amendments and new applications on or about February 22, 2021. • All eligible devices to be reimbursed must be received by the LEA by February 28, 2021. • TEA plans to announce the reimbursement percentage by March 22, 2021. • TEA plans to make the reimbursement payments to the approved LEAs starting March 22, 2021, and to be completed by the end of April 2021. | 02/04/21 | |||
| 37 |
| Is there any extension to the February 15 or February 28 program deadlines due to the weather and power outages? | Due to weather and uncontrollable electrical outages across the state, the February 15 PPRP deadline is extended to 5pm, February 24, 2021. In addition, if an LEA has received notice from provider(s) that devices previously guaranteed delivery by February 28, 2021, can no longer be guaranteed, the LEA must email customerservice@teabulkorder.com and GrantSupport@tea.texas.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 24, 2021, to notify the PPRP program of the delivery delay and provide revised date(s) of delivery, if available. TEA will consider these delays on a case by case basis. | UPDATED 02/17/21 | |||
