Guide to Using Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) Funds
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) authorizes two Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) programs: the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program. A local educational agency (LEA) may use SRSA funds to pay for activities that are allowable under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; Title IV, Part A; and Title IV, Part B of the ESEA. RLIS funds may be used for any allowable activities under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; and Title IV, Part A; as well as parental involvement activities. An LEA may only use REAP funds for allowable costs, as defined in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements (Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Part 200), which include, among other things, the requirement that costs be reasonable and necessary for the accomplishment of program objectives.
To learn more about allowable uses of SRSA and RLIS funds and for additional examples, please view the REAP Uses of Funds Webinar recording. For information on obligating and drawing down REAP funds, see the REAP Grant Performance Period webpage. For information on how to access SRSA funds in G6 (formally G5), the U.S. Department of Education’s grant management system, visit our G6 Support webpage.
Supplement and Not Supplant Requirement
Both SRSA and RLIS funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local education funds. For information about the supplement and not supplant requirement, please see III-C-2 of the REAP Informational Document.
The Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA)
An LEA eligible for the SRSA program (including a dual-eligible LEA that elects to receive funds through RLIS) may exercise a key flexibility provision in the ESEA. Section 5211(a) of the ESEA, known as AFUA, gives an eligible LEA authority to spend its Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A funds the LEA receives on activities authorized under several ESEA programs. The authority is specifically designed to give small, rural LEAs greater latitude to spend their Federal funds in ways that best address an LEA’s particular needs. For details regarding AFUA, see the REAP Informational Document.
How to Use this Guide
Below is a searchable list of examples of possible uses of REAP grant funds, subject to the requirements described above. The list is illustrative only, and not intended to be exhaustive, and applies only to funds awarded under REAP. Funds awarded under another ESEA Title program are subject to the rules and requirements of that program; for more information on individual programs, see the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education website. To use this webpage, you can filter by activity topic (e.g., “Technology Devices”) or by REAP program (i.e., SRSA, RLIS, or SRSA and RLIS). (Note: to see the most results, filter by “SRSA and RLIS” and then either SRSA or RLIS to see additional examples specific to the individual programs.) You can also search by word (e.g., “computer”) and get results containing that word. The examples listed below may be allowable uses of REAP funds. However, the question of allowability is fact specific (e.g., whether a use of funds is reasonable and necessary and supplements but does not supplant other uses of funds depends on the specific circumstances). If your State or LEA has additional questions related to cost allowability, please contact REAP at reap@ed.gov.
Compare | Use of Funds Category | Example Allowable Activity | Allowable under SRSA/RLIS |
---|---|---|---|
Family and Parental Involvement | Providing materials to help parents improve their child’s academic achievement (e.g., trainings on school online portals). | RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions (e.g., provide childcare). | RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Establishment of formal parental advisory councils. | RLIS | |
Professional Development | Professional development for school personnel regarding parent and family engagement strategies. | RLIS | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Activities designed to increase access and prepare students for success in high-quality advanced coursework to earn postsecondary credit while in high school (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, early college high schools, and dual or concurrent enrollment programs). | SRSA and RLIS | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Career and technical education programs to prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Data | Equipment, materials, and training needed to compile and analyze student achievement data to monitor progress, alert the school to struggling students, and drive decision making. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Early Childhood/Pre-K | High-quality preschool or full-day kindergarten and services to facilitate the transition from early learning to elementary education programs. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Early Childhood/Pre-K | Coordinating with and supporting the regular educational program, which may include services to assist at-risk preschool children in the transition from early childhood education to elementary education. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Evidence-based strategies to accelerate the acquisition of content knowledge for English learners. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Activities that have been shown to be effective at increasing family and community engagement in the school, including family literacy programs. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Two-generation approaches that consider the needs of both vulnerable children and parents, together, in the design and delivery of services and programs to support improved economic, educational, health, safety, and other outcomes that address the issues of intergenerational poverty. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Implementing strategies to increase the involvement of parents of Title I students in accordance with ESEA Section 1116. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Increased learning time. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Expanded learning time for students selected for Title I services (Title I students) including before and after school programs and summer programs and opportunities in order to improve the academic achievement of Title I students. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | As a means of improving the academic achievement of Title I students, a schoolwide tiered model to prevent and address behavior problems, and early intervening services, coordinated with similar activities and services carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Instructional coaches to provide high-quality, school-based professional development. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Counseling, school-based mental health programs, mentoring services, and other strategies to improve students’ nonacademic skills. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | School climate interventions (e.g., anti-bullying strategies and positive behavior interventions and supports). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Response-to-intervention strategies intended to allow for early identification of students with learning or behavioral needs and to provide a tiered response based on those needs. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Staff Compensation | Recruitment and retention of effective teachers, particularly in high-need subjects. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Technology Devices | Devices and software for students to access digital learning materials and collaborate with peers, and related training for educators (including accessible devices and software needed by students with disabilities). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Data | Auditing the quality of evaluation and support systems. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Data | Developing feedback mechanisms to improve working conditions in schools. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Early Childhood/Pre-K | Programs to increase the knowledge base on early childhood education (e.g., joint professional learning and planning for educations in preschool programs on how to facilitate the transition to elementary school). | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Programs to support teaching children with disabilities and English learners. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Promoting high quality instruction in science, technology, and mathematics subjects, including computer science. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Library Materials, Staff, and Activities | Supporting instructional services provided by school library programs. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Professional development for school leaders to integrate academic content, career and technical education, and work-based learning to prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Trainings for teachers, principals and other school leaders on how to accurately differentiate teacher performance and constructively utilize evaluation results. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | High quality professional development to train teachers, principals, and other school leaders about topics such as technology in the classroom, student data privacy, parent and family engagement, academic readiness skills, school policy decision-making, and experiential learning through observation. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Providing trainings, technical assistance, and capacity building to teachers, principals, and other school leaders on assessment systems. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | In-service training for school personnel (e.g., trainings on trauma-informed practices, mental health services, chronic absenteeism). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Providing trainings on how to identify students who are gifted and talented, including non-formal identification (e.g., early entrance to kindergarten, enrichment and acceleration activities, dual or concurrent enrollment programs). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Trainings for all school personnel regarding how to prevent and recognize child sexual abuse. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Reducing Class Size | Reducing class size to a level that improves student achievement | SRSA and RLIS | |
Staff Compensation | Implementing initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers, particularly in low-income schools (e.g., early hiring, differential and incentive pay, leadership opportunities). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Staff Compensation | Initiatives for recruiting qualified individuals from other fields to become teachers, principals, or other school leaders. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Data | Developing or improving evaluation and support systems for teachers, principals, and other school leaders. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Providing to English learners tutorials and academic or career and technical education and intensified instruction. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Offering early college high school or dual or concurrent enrollment programs or courses designed to help English learners achieve success in postsecondary education. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Increasing the English language proficiency of English learners by supplementing effective language instruction educational programs that meet the needs of English learners and demonstrate success in increasing English language proficiency and student academic achievement. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Providing and implementing other effective activities and strategies that enhance or supplement language instruction educational programs for English learners. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Providing community participation programs, family literacy services, and parent and family outreach and training activities to English learners and their families to improve the English language skills. | SRSA and RLIS | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Providing enhanced instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youth. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Providing training activities to assist parents and families to become active participants in the education of their children. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Providing supplemental professional development to classroom teachers (including teachers in classroom settings that are not the settings of language instruction educational programs) as well as principals, and other school or community-based organizational personnel. | SRSA and RLIS | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Promoting access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs (e.g., reimbursement of exam fees). | SRSA and RLIS | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Supporting college and career counseling, including raising awareness on financial literacy and Federal financial aid. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Improving access to arts and music education. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Improving instruction and student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including computer science, and increasing access to these subjects for underrepresented groups. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Strengthening instruction in American history, civics, economics, geography, government education, foreign language, environmental education, and interdisciplinary courses. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Carrying out blended learning projects. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Delivery of rigorous academic courses using technology, including digital learning technologies and assistive technology. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Professional Development | Supporting high-quality professional development for educators, school leaders and administrators on the use of technology and in areas of STEM. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Drug and violence prevention activities. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Anti-bullying initiatives. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Programs or activities that promote healthy, active, and safe lifestyles. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Training for specialized instructional personnel on trauma-informed practices, bullying and harassment prevention, and suicide prevention. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Child sexual abuse awareness and prevention programs. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | School-based mental health services and partnerships programs with outside health care entities. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Promoting supportive school climates to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline (i.e., reduce absenteeism and dropout, promote school re-entry programs). | SRSA and RLIS | |
Staff Compensation | Site resource coordinator to connect school or district with the surrounding community. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Technology, not devices | Building technological capacity and infrastructure in schools. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Technology, not devices | Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas with digital resources. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Technology Devices | Purchases of laptops, Chromebooks, computer hardware and software for in-classroom instruction. | SRSA and RLIS | |
Safe and Healthy Students Activities | Supporting student engagement through community service activities. | SRSA and RLIS | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Programs that build career competencies and career readiness in alignment with the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. | SRSA | |
College and Career Readiness or Career and Technical Education | Programs that partner with in-demand fields of the local workforce. | SRSA | |
English Learner/Migrant Populations | Programs that provide after-school activities for students who are English learners that emphasize language skills and academic achievement. | SRSA | |
Family and Parental Involvement | Parenting skills programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy. | SRSA | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Literacy education programs, including financial literacy programs and environmental literacy programs. | SRSA | |
Improving Academic Achievement | Academic enrichment learning programs, mentoring programs, remedial education activities, and tutoring services that are aligned with the challenging academic standards and are designed to improve student academic achievement. | SRSA | |
Library Materials, Staff, and Activities | Expanded library service hours. | SRSA | |
Use of Funds Category | Allowable under SRSA/RLIS |