All Ag Teachers

Summer greetings from ISBE!

I am very happy to share with you that after some technological issues that delayed my intended timeline, the FY20 Three Circles Grant IWAS budget application is now live and will need to be completed by July 31 for a July 1 start date.

To ensure quick approval of your FY20 application, please make sure the following list is addressed:

1.       You will be required to upload a completed copy of the Excel Spreadsheet that can be found on the Agricultural Education page at ISBE under the Three Circles tab (or click on the hyperlinked text to the left).

2.       CRITICAL STEP: Make sure the allocation in IWAS matches what your Grant Allocation line in the Excel Spreadsheet indicates. If it does not, please contact me via email to correct.

3.       Make sure to use the template provided on the second tab of the excel spreadsheet to fill out your Budget Detail in IWAS. This is the language that is required for approval, if it is not utilized, your application will be disapproved.

4.       There is no more performance report, you do not need any information from last year’s grant to fill out this year’s application.

5.       You will have until July 31 to submit the application to ISBE in order to receive a July 1 start date for the grant. Submissions after July 31, 2019 will have a start date on the day of approval of the application. This means that any hours logged by the teacher prior to that approval date after July 31 will not be allowed to count for the grant if you do not submit it before July 31.

6.       Note: There seemed to be some confusion last year on allowable uses of funds for this grant. This grant is to pay for the salary for extended contract/stipend afforded to agriculture teachers for activities related to the FFA/SAE/Instruction that is outside of the normal school day or year. This grant is NOT to be paid to substitute teachers while the ag teacher is out of the building. The only case this grant is allowable to pay a substitute is in the case of long term leaves (medical, administrative, etc.). These uses of funds must be documented with ISBE by sending me an email to provide information.

In closing out the FY 19 Three Circles Grants:

·         In the Grant Periodic Reporting portal in IWAS, the following needs to be completed

o   You will need to upload a PDF of the hours (totally at least 400) logged by the teacher that the district has approved. This is in the Reports section of AET.

o   You will also need to upload a PDF copy of the letter confirming the teacher has been paid, signed by all applicable parties. A template for this letter can be found on the ISBE Ag Ed website (or click on the hyperlinked text above). This template must be on District letterhead to be approved.

·         Complete your final expenditure report

o   I will not be approving FY20 applications for districts that do not have ALL FY18 and Quarters 1-3 FY19 periodic reports approved (found in the Grant Periodic Reporting portal in IWAS).