Per Board Policy D-270, all grants must be approved by the Board of Education before funds may be received by the Knox County Schools (KCS).  This procedure outlines the process that district and schoolbased employees should follow to apply for grants, obtain Board approval of said grants, and manage approved and accepted grants.    

This procedure does not apply to the acceptance of donations or restricted gifts.  Additionally, this procedure does not apply to funds provided by School Support Organizations such as Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), school foundations, Booster Clubs, etc.  To determine if this procedure is applicable to your situation, please use the flow chart in Attachment A as a guide. 

PRE-APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS  

Before applying for a grant, work with your school principal or department leader to determine that there is support for the grant and that it aligns with the Knox County Schools strategic plan and/or the school’s improvement plan (i.e. STAR Plan or ePlan).   

If the source of the grant funds is the state or federal government, you must obtain the Finance Department’s approval of the budget and budget narrative prior to submitting your application. For grant budget preparation, consult with the Senior Accountant for applicable fringe benefit rates appropriate to your budget needs (including indirect costs if allowable) before submission to the Finance Department for approval.  The Senior Accountant will update budgets with any change in rates and will notify the applicant accordingly. 

If the grant requires matching funds, Finance Department approval is required prior to submitting your application for the grant.   Specifically, they will need a description of the match, account numbers and budget categories of the KCS match, and/or information regarding any in-kind matches made by third parties.  Additionally, the match may require written approval by the Executive Director of Finance, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Chief of Staff, and/or Superintendent. 

BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVAL OF FUNDS   

Because grant approval can take a minimum of 6 weeks, it is recommended that as soon as you receive notice of award for a grant, you submit it for Board approval.  Please refer to steps outlined below and/or in Attachment B, which shows a flow chart of the actions that will occur to secure Board approval.  (Note that “Grant Applicant” refers to the person who is applying for the grant.)  

Step 1: Submit the grant application packet to the Grant Manager including:

• The Board of Education Grant Application Summary Page (Attachment C)
• A copy of the grant application, inclusive of the budget and budget narrative
• Any additional documentation required for matching grants  

Step 2:  Grant Manager submits the grant to the Board Secretary and/or Chief of Staff, and it will be routed to the appropriate Grade-Level Director/Department Leader, and receive appropriate approvals from the Finance and Legal departments.  Once approved by the appropriate parties, the grant will be reviewed at the next scheduled Board of Education meeting.

• Grants that are less than $25,000 may be compiled and submitted to the Board of Education and/or the County Commission as a single, bundled resolution.  Grants greater than $25,000 will be submitted as individual agenda items.  

Step 3:  A grant is considered approved after it has been accepted by both the Board of Education and County Commission.  Following the County Commission meeting, the Grant Manager will notify the Grant Applicant of approval.  The Grant Applicant may not begin to implement the grant until it has been approved. Once the Board Secretary receives the signed copy with the School Board and County Commission’s approval, she will retain the original and provide a copy to the Grant Manager.  The Grant Manager will send copies to the Grant Applicant and the appropriate Finance contact.  

POST-AWARD GRANT ACCOUNTABILITY  

Grantees must adhere to all of the funder’s stipulations and related district policies. Grant funds (and/or products purchased using grant funds) become the property of the school and/or the district and should remain there unless/until the funder directs otherwise.   

Per Board approval, all funding must be expended as stated in the grantor approved budget and budget narrative within the timeframe of the grant as awarded.  To facilitate processes of hiring and travel, the KCS required paperwork should be completed following standard procedures.  Please write “Grant Funded” in the upper left corner of all forms. Remember, all Finance/Purchasing Policies, including end of year purchasing timeline also apply to grant funded purchases.  In addition, equipment purchases must adhere to KCS and grantor policies and procedures with regard to purchasing, inventory and liquidation. 

During the implementation and operation of the grant if there are justifiable changes in the budget scope that need to be made for a successful program, a written request (containing specific details) may be made to the grantor for the approval.  Expenditures/changes may not be made outside the scope of the awarded grant until written approval for the change is received from the grantor. For state and federal grants, a copy of the written approval by the grantor for the change must be forwarded to the Senior Accountant to align any revised budget with the Knox County Schools accounting system. 

For accountability purposes, it is imperative that the Grant Applicant:

• Ensures that grantor deadlines for reports are met to protect the integrity of the school system and to encourage future funders to place their confidence and money in the Knox County Schools. 
• Submits copies of the final report to the Senior Accountant (if the grant is state or federally funded) and the Grant Manager for their files.
• Maintains all programmatic documentation in an organized and easily accessible file to respond to requests/audits. These documents should be retained for a period of at least seven years following the grant end date or longer if prescribed by the grant.