Ascension Parish Council approved an agreement with the Ascension Schools last week, a four-page document promising collaboration toward Early Childhood Education throughout the parish (not just on the west bank). Ascension’s School Board approved the deal in September and Superintendent of Schools Edith Walker already signed.
The School Board and Parish Government mutually agree to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement to collaborate and coordinate resources that create a program to support educational opportunities for children from economically disadvantaged families by increasing access to high quality publicly-funded early care and education and prioritizing communities of greatest need in Ascension Parish, hereinafter referred to as the “Program.”
The Program will increase access to high-quality early care and education for children, from birth to 4 years-old, in communities of greatest need in Ascension Parish by serving eligible economically disadvantaged families and leveraging state funding from the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund (ECE Fund). The Local dollars invested in the Program, which are eligible for matching funding from the state ECE Fund, will support the West Ascension Early Learning Center in Donaldsonville. The ECE Fund State match dollars will support increasing access to high-quality seats for children in early learning centers across the parish.
“The parties desire to cooperate with each other in the implementation of the program and the citizens of Ascension Parish will benefit from the efforts of these parties working together, and for the consideration hereinafter named, the parties agree as follows
Ascension Parish Government’s commitment:
- Collaborate with the Ascension Early Childhood Ready Start Network to raise funds from non-state and non-federal sources for the purpose of increasing access to high-quality early care and education for economically disadvantaged infants, toddlers, and three -year-old children in Ascension Parish.
- Track, monitor, and manage funds raised by Parish Government that are earmarked for distribution to the West Ascension Early Learning Center and, as funds are available, other Ascension Parish Type III early learning centers as recommended by the School Board as Lead Agency for the Ascension Early Childhood Ready Start Network.
- Distribute earmarked Local Funds to the West Ascension Early Learning Center and, if additional funding is available, to Ascension Parish Schools as Lead Agency for the Ascension Early Childhood Ready Start Network. Funds shall be distributed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently, if mutually agreed upon by both parties.
- Submit to the School Board required documentation for the School Board to prepare and submit reports to the Louisiana Department of Education for reimbursement of ECE Fund State Match funds that meet all eligibility requirements and satisfy the Louisiana Department of Education’s rule requiring Local funds to be spent in tandem with State Match funds. This documentation includes weekly accurate
attendance records, expenditure documentation, and additional documentation, as needed. Financial documentation shall be submitted to the School Board quarterly and accompanied, upon request, by narrative reports containing allocated funding expenditures. - Have the option to reserve a portion of birth to three-year old seats at the West Ascension Early Learning Center to serve families that will advance priorities related to community economic stimulus while continuing to meet programmatic and family eligibility requirements.
- Comply with all Louisiana Department of Education ECE Fund procedures and state program policies for administration of the ECE Fund (e.g., local and state match funds must be spent in tandem with at least 70% of funds spent on seats, and compliance with LDOE Program Monitoring).
The School Board’s commitment:
- Collaborate with the Ascension Parish Government to raise funds from non-state and non-federal sources for the purpose of increasing access to high-quality early care and education for economically disadvantaged families in Ascension Parish.
- Use these non-state and non-federal funds, along with ECE Fund state matching funds, to administer a Program to increase access to high-quality early care and education for infants, toddlers, and three-year old children in economically disadvantaged families.
- Utilize funding provided under this Agreement for the Program in compliance with provisions of the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund to ensure all Local funds qualify for the funding match. The School Board must submit quarterly spending reports that include the spending of ECE Fund Local dollars and State Match to the Louisiana Department of Education to ensure the appropriate spending of funds in tandem and for reimbursement for the ECE Fund State Match dollars.
- Continue to perform duties and responsibilities associated with the Ascension Parish School System’s role as the lead agency and administrator of the Program, including coordinated enrollment of eligible children, verification of child eligibility, provision of quality supports and technical assistance for early learning centers, community outreach and marketing of the program, conducting CLASS observations
and assessments, assisting with the provision of classroom equipment and materials, professional development, and other responsibilities. - Submit to the Louisiana Department of Education ECE Funding Planning 3 Document, quarterly reports, monthly attendance records for reimbursement, family eligibility documents, budgetary responsibilities (eGMS, reimbursements, and PER submissions), and any other required documentation to access state matching funds through the ECE Fund.
- Comply with all Louisiana Department of Education ECE Fund procedures and state program policies for administration of the ECE Fund (e.g., local and state match must be spent in tandem with, at least 70% of funds must be spent on seats, and compliance with LDOE Program Monitoring)
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