Optional Extended Year Funding Application Closes January 16
Charter schools that are eligible for 2005-06 Optional Extended Year Program (OEYP) funding must file an application through eGrants by 5:00 p.m. on January 16, 2006 in order to use the funding. To determine which charter schools are eligible for OEYP funding view the list at www.tea.state.tx.us/opge/formfund/oeyp/05_06entitle.xls. For more information about OEYP visit www.tea.state.tx.us/opge/formfund/oeyp/ or contact Rebecca Patterson at 512-463-5085.

Prekindergarten Expansion Grant Cycle 10 Reconciliation Mailout
TEA has computed the funding earned under the Cycle 10 (2004-2005) Prekindergarten Expansion Grant. The reconciliation letters and PEIMS Summaries were mailed on January 6, 2006 to district Superintendents and COOs of charter schools that received Cycle 10 grant funding. These letters indicate if the LEA has earned the amount paid from the Summary of Finance (SOF), or if an overpayment was made. Since the funding for the Prekindergarten Expansion Grant is no longer included in the SOF, any overpayment must be refunded to TEA. The deadline for TEA to receive this refund is February 28, 2006. The Cycle 11 (2005-2006) PreK Expansion Grant NOGA amount will not be affected by the overpayment. To report problems with the data on the PEIMS Summary or that a reconciliation letter has not been received, contact Karyn Gukeisen, Lori Leija, or Sandy Senn in the Division of Formula Funding at 512-463-8525 by January 31, 2006.

ACE Training on Legislative and Administrative Rules for Charters
Join ACE trainers Virginia Lannen and Margaret Rohde in Dallas on Saturday, January 14^th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for an important update on new state laws that affect charter schools, as well as a thorough review of the new Texas Administrative Code rules adopted in April 2005. The new rules increase TEA's ability to sanction or close consistently low performing charters due to non-compliance in five major areas. The training qualifies for both initial and continuing training for board members and charter administrators under the "School Law" and "School Finance" modules. A Dallas regional meeting will be held immediately after the training, with refreshments provided by Pegasus Charter School.

The ACE training will be held at The Pegasus School, 601 N. Akard, Suite 203 in Dallas, on the corner of Ross and Akard (across from the Fairmont Hotel). Workshop fees are as follows: ACE members - $125 for one person and $100 each for two or more from the same school; Non-ACE members - $225. Please email your registration to registration@aceoftexas.org or contact Virginia Lannen at 214-841-0532 for additional details.

Applicant Conference Scheduled for January 10
TEA is hosting the final Charter Applicant Conference for the Generation 12 application cycle on Tuesday, January 10^th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Room 1-104 of the William B. Travis Building at 1701 N. Congress Avenue, in Austin. Register online at www.tea.state.tx.us/charter/registration/appconfreg.html. Parking is available on the top level of Garage R. For a map and more parking options visit www.tea.state.tx.us/charter/rfas/parking.doc. At least one member of the governing board of the group requesting the charter must attend one Applicant Conference. The conference is open to the public and may be attended by any interested party. For additional information contact Erika Pierce at 512-463-9575 or Erika.Pierce@tea.state.tx.us.