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Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Guidance

Some Fiscal Considerations when Implementing CEIS

21. What amount of IDEA funds may an LEA use for CEIS?

It is important to consider that many of  the following fiscal considerations relating to CEIS only apply when an LEA is required to reserve funds for comprehensive CEIS following the identification of significant disproportionality, pursuant to 34 CFR §300.646(b)(2).  If a State identifies significant disproportionality in an LEA, the LEA must reserve the maximum amount of funds for comprehensive CEIS.  The funds must be used during the period of their availability for obligation and must be used for comprehensive CEIS regardless of whether the significant disproportionality is resolved during the time that the funds are available.  If significant disproportionality is not identified and an LEA chooses to use funds for CEIS, the LEA may use up to the maximum amount allowed for CEIS (15 percent) and may reallocate any unspent funds during the time that the funds are available for obligation.

22. Should the 15 percent be calculated prior to reductions based on other IDEA requirements?

Funds awarded to an LEA under both sections 611 and 619 of the IDEA must be included when calculating the 15 percent.  An LEA may not reduce the amount it uses for this calculation by any other amount required by the IDEA.  For example, an LEA may not deduct funds for equitable services for students parentally-placed in private schools before calculating the 15 percent.  An LEA that is required to use funds for comprehensive CEIS because of significant disproportionality must use 15 percent of the total Part B funds awarded to the LEA.  An LEA that is not identified as having significant disproportionality but chooses to use Part B funds for CEIS may use up to 15 percent of the total amount, less any funds reduced by the LEA pursuant to 34 CFR §300.205.  See 34 CFR §300.226(a).

23. How does an LEA’s use of IDEA funds for CEIS affect its maintenance of effort obligation under IDEA?

If an LEA is required or chooses to use part of its Part B funds for CEIS, it must consider the effect that the decrease in the available Part B funds might have on the LEA’s maintenance of effort obligation.  States and LEAs should review the requirements in 34 CFR §§300.205(d) and 300.226(a), and the examples provided in Appendix D to the Part B regulations, to better understand how CEIS and maintenance of effort calculations might affect one another.  If an LEA uses additional local funds, or State and local funds, for special education and related services for children with disabilities in place of the Part B funds that are being used to provide CEIS to children who have not been identified as children with disabilities, the higher level of local, or State and local, expenditures becomes the LEA’s new maintenance of effort base for the subsequent year.

24. What are the supplement not supplant requirements for CEIS funds?

The general non-supplant requirement for IDEA funds in 34 CFR §300.202(a)(3) states that funds provided to LEAs under Part B of the IDEA must be used to supplement State, local, and other Federal funds and not to supplant those funds.  This requirement applies to all Part B funds including any used for CEIS.  In addition, 34 CFR §300.226(e) states that CEIS funds may be used to carry out CEIS aligned with activities funded and carried out under the ESEA if those funds are used to supplement, and not supplant, funds made available under the ESEA for the activities and services assisted using CEIS funds.  The Department will presume that an LEA is in violation of the IDEA’s supplement not supplant provisions if it uses IDEA funds in one of the following ways:  (1) to provide services that are otherwise required by Federal, State or local law; or (2) to provide services that were paid for with other funds in a prior year, including, if the IDEA funds are used for CEIS activities coordinated with activities funded under the ESEA, and the IDEA funds are used to provide services that were paid for with ESEA funds in the prior year.  CEIS may not include services that were provided with other funds in a prior year, including services that were paid with ESEA funds.  An LEA might be able to rebut these presumptions through the presentation of evidence that, even without CEIS funds, the other funds would not have been used in the current year for the activities now paid for with CEIS funds.  Additional supplement not supplant provisions apply to Federal funds provided under Titles I and III of the ESEA.[4]  If an LEA chooses to use CEIS funds for activities aligned with activities funded under Titles I and III, it must meet those requirements.



[4] See section 1120A of Title I and sections 3111 and 3115(g) of Title III regarding the supplement not supplant provisions.

 


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Last Modified: 09/25/2008