Grants
(NOTE: THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!)
The term Grant refers to any funds that are NOT Tax Levy. Grants are sometimes referred to as Reimbursable Funds because many grants, including Title I, require the school district (not the school) to spend first, then they are reimbursed by the grantor. Consider these terms synonymous.
For FY24-25, grants make up approximately 48% of the NYC Public Schools budget, including State Operating aid. See Funding Our Schools for more information about the makeup of the NYCPS budget. Two important things to remember when you are using Grants to fund items on your TO:
Federal, state and private grants usually have programmatic guidelines and requirements, unlike Fair Student Funding. Knowing what those rules are is key to coordinating and maximizing your funds, as well as staying out of trouble. Rules can be found in SAMs, as well as in the Galaxy Budget Book (Available Titles, Filter Rules, and Dates). Navigate there by clicking on the Allocation Category in AC Totals.
When using grants to fund staff, the grant must also cover fringe benefits. (For Tax Levy funded staff, fringe costs are covered by the City in another part of the budget and are not the school's responsibility). The fringe benefit rate depends on the type of expenditure: full time staff, per session, or per diem. There is no fringe for OTPS items. This chart displays the FY25 Fringe rates for different types of staff.
General Information about Grants
Reimbursable Technical Manual (formerly Handbook): A Reference and Support Guide on the Appropriate Use of Reimbursable Funds (covers mainly Federal funds: Title I, II, III and IV, IDEA , and ARPA as well as AIDP)
Any private grant over $9,999 must pass through the Fund for Public Schools. FPS then passes the grant funds through Galaxy to the school. Checks and Grant Award letters should be forwarded to your Senior Grants Officer (scroll down on this page for a list).
Title I
Title I is a federally funded program to support students in poverty.
Title I funds can only be used from Sept. 1 through June 30th. Note that when scheduling per session items in Galaxy using Title I funds, the start date must be changed to Sept. 1.
There are 2 types of Title I funds in public schools: Targeted Assistance (TA) and Schoolwide Programs (SWP). Generally, schools past their first year of Title I eligibility become SWP.
Title I Schoolwide Program
Title I is designed to help students served by the program to achieve proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards. Title I schools with percentages of low income students of at least 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate a "schoolwide program" to upgrade the instructional program for the whole school. Schoolwide programs must use instructional strategies that are research based and implement parental involvement activities.
In New York City, SWP schools have flexibility in how Title I SWP funds are used because of a provision called Conceptual Consolidation. This allows schools to use Title I funds seamlessly with Tax Levy funds, without having to segregate Title I funds to serve only eligible students. The school is, however, required to deliver services to eligible students as per their CEP. Note that Target Assistance schools must adhere to more stringent rules.
A school may consolidate and use Title I funds together with other Federal, State, and local funds, in order to upgrade the entire educational program of the school in support of its school wide program plan.
SWP schools are not required to maintain list of targeted students.
All teachers of core subject areas must be highly qualified.
The school wide program plan is the school’s comprehensive educational plan.
Schools designated as TSI/ATSI/CSI will have additional requirements as detailed in the links below.
Contracts for Excellence
Contracts for Excellence Guidance
NYCPS Contracts for Excellence Page
Grant Rollovers
(coming soon)