ESEA Title VI - Rural Education Initiative Purpose

Purpose:
ESEA Title VI provides federal funding flexibility to help schools raise student achievement.  

Part A of ESEA Title VI provides General Transferability for large districts. Districts using the General Transferability authority may transferup to 50% of any title allocation to another title - except that no funds can be transferred from Title I, Part A. Districts identified for improvement by TItle I, Part A are limited to a transfer of 30% and districts in corrective action may not transfer funds.

Part B of ESEA Title VI contains Subpart 1, the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program, and Subpart 2, Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program.

Subpart 1, the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program, provides 100% flexibility among title programs, except no funds can be flexed from Title I, Part A.  In addition to the flexibility provisions, SRSA provides additional grants directly from the United States Department of Education to help eligible districts meet the requirements of NCLB.  SRSA grants can only be used for the activities of the NCLB title programs and most Montana districts qualify for the SRSA Program.

Subpart 2, the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program provides small grants through OPI for districts ineligible for the programs described above.  RLIS grants may be used for only the NCLB title activities listed in the law and RLIS districts are limited to the General Transferability authority described in Title VI, Part A above.  Very few Montana districts qualify for RLIS funds, because most qualify for SRSA grants.