Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program Assistance Listing Number 84.041C | ED GRANTS 081221 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 081221 001

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program (Assistance Listing Number 84.041C) is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant opportunity designed to help certain Impact Aid-funded school districts pay for urgent school facility work. The program focuses on emergency repairs and modernization projects for public elementary and secondary school facilities, with an emphasis on ensuring buildings are safe and functional for students and staff. This opportunity is presented as a synopsis of the official Federal Register notice, and applicants are expected to rely on the Federal Register publication for the complete requirements, definitions, priorities, and submission instructions.

The basic rationale for the program is tied to the unique fiscal constraints faced by many Impact Aid districts. These districts often contain large areas of federally owned land within their boundaries, which limits the local property tax base and reduces the district's ability to raise capital revenue for major repairs or renovations. In practical terms, when a serious facility issue arises, these districts may not have the same capacity as other communities to fund immediate construction, renovation, or replacement needs. The discretionary construction grants are meant to close that gap by supporting eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) that already receive Impact Aid formula funds and have documented facility needs that qualify under the program rules.

A key element highlighted in this notice is the connection to health and safety conditions, including the need for safe school facilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department indicates that students and educators need facilities that support healthy learning environments and help prevent disease spread or mitigate its impacts. Proposed projects may include school facility emergencies consistent with the Department's regulations at 34 CFR 222.172(a) and 222.173. In general terms, the funded work is intended to repair, renovate, or alter public school facilities to protect the health, safety, and well-being of students and school personnel, which frames the kinds of problems the Department is signaling as especially relevant for this competition.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a competitive discretionary grant competition released under Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 081221 001 by the U.S. Department of Education. The opportunity was posted on August 12, 2021, and applications were made available the same day. The Department scheduled a pre-application webinar for prospective applicants on August 19, 2021, which is typical for discretionary programs where technical details, submission steps, and common compliance issues can affect whether an application is considered complete and eligible for review.

The key deadlines provided include a deadline for transmittal of applications of September 13, 2021, and an intergovernmental review deadline of November 10, 2021. The listing also indicates an expectation of 8 awards. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the summary data, which usually means the ceiling was not specified in that particular data field or is defined elsewhere in the official notice, rather than implying that awards have no upper limit. Because of that, anyone trying to understand maximum grant sizes, matching requirements (if any), or allowable cost boundaries would need to consult the Federal Register notice and any referenced program guidance.

Eligibility is described at a high level as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the narrative makes clear that the intended applicants are certain LEAs that receive Impact Aid formula funds and meet the program's eligibility criteria. In other words, this is not a broad K-12 facilities program open to all districts; it is targeted to a specific set of Impact Aid districts and to facility projects that meet the program's definitions of emergency repairs and modernization needs.

The Department directs applicants to the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published February 13, 2019, at 84 FR 3768) for instructions on where and how to obtain and submit applications. This matters because, in many Education Department competitions, the common instructions govern required forms, formatting rules, submission systems, and procedural compliance, while the program-specific Federal Register notice governs eligibility, selection criteria, and the specific priorities and performance measures used in review.

For applicants needing clarification, the listed federal program contact is Jacqueline Edwards of the Impact Aid Program at the U.S. Department of Education, located at 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 3C121, Washington, DC 20202-6244. The phone number provided is 202-260-3858, and the email is Jacqueline.Edwards@ed.gov. Since discretionary grant competitions can involve detailed regulatory and documentation questions (particularly around what qualifies as an "emergency" or what supporting evidence is needed), this contact information is included to help applicants resolve issues before submitting.

One item to note is that the narrative references Assistance Listing Number 84.031C in a couple of places, even though the opportunity title identifies ALN 84.041C. When inconsistencies like this show up in secondary summaries, the safest approach is to treat the Federal Register notice as authoritative and confirm the correct Assistance Listing Number and program identifiers there before citing them in an application or internal documentation.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program Assistance Listing Number 84.041C" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.041.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 2021 Applications Available August 12, 2021. Date of Pre-Application Webinar The Department will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants on August 19, 2021. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications September 13, 2021. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review November 10, 2021. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Jacqueline Edwards, Impact Aid Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 3C121, Washington, DC 20202-6244. Telephone 202-260-3858. Email Jacqueline.Edwards@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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