Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) of the U.S. Department of Education awards grants on a formula basis to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique needs of rural school districts. In this notice, we establish the deadline and describe the application process for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 SRSA grant.

Eligibility

For FY 2024, an LEA (including a public charter school that meets the definition of LEA in section 8101(30) of the ESEA) is eligible for an award under the SRSA program if it meets both criteria below:

(a) The total number of students in average daily attendance at all schools served by the LEA is fewer than 600, or each county in which a school served by the LEA is located has a total population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile; and

(b) All schools served by the LEA are designated with a school locale code of 41, 42, or 43 by the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), or the LEA has demonstrated it is located in an area defined by a governmental agency of North Carolina as rural.

For a definitive list of SRSA-eligible schools, ED provides an Eligibility Spreadsheet listing each LEA.  Note that LEAs eligible for both SRSA and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) programs ("dual-eligible LEA") have the option to participate in either program but may not participate in both.

Important Dates

Applications Available: March 19, 2024.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 10, 2024.

Award

Type of Award: Formula grant

Est. Total Funding:  approximately $107,500,000; contingent upon congressional approval.

Est. Number of Awards:  4,200; contingent upon number of eligible LEAs completing the SRSA application and total appropriated funding.

Est. Range of Awards: $0–$60,000; contingent upon total appropriated funding and statutory funding formula.

Next Steps

Each LEA (or its Educational Service Agency, if applicable) eligible for FY 2024 SRSA funds must apply electronically through Connect.gov.  On or near March 19, 2024, eligible entities should have received an email notification with a link to the application site.  Each LEA will be expected to identify itself using its Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric code assigned by the federal government's System for Award Management (SAM.gov).  For more information about obtaining an UEI, visit SAM.gov Entity Registration or www.fsd.gov.

For further information about the Connect.gov, the grant program. or its requirements, go to Fiscal Year 2024 Small, Rural School Achievement Program, or contact Leslie Poynter, REAP Group Leader, U.S. Department of Education, at (202) 401–0039 or reap@ed.gov.

Other Persons of Note: Adam Schott, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Assistance Listing Number:  84.358A