Title V, Part B - Rural Education Initiative or REAP

P.L. 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 5202)

The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) assists eligible LEAs in addressing local academic needs more effectively by giving them greater flexibility in the use of limited federal resources.  Programs under subparts 1 and 2 are designed to address the unique needs of rural school districts that frequently -

1. Lack the personnel and resources to compete effectively for federal competitive grants; and
2. Receive formula allocations in amounts too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.

The programs are designed to supplement funding to help rural local educational agencies (LEAs) to increase student academic achievement and decrease dropout rate.

The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) has the following two initiatives.

• The Small, Rural School Achievement Program which authorizes the US Department of Education (USDE) to award formula grants directly to eligible local education agencies (LEAs) (i.e., those LEAs eligible under the Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA) described below) to carry out activities authorized under other specified Federal programs.
  • The Alternative Fund Authority (AFUA) is a flexibility provision that allows eligible LEAs to combine funding under certain programs to carry out local activities under other specified Federal programs.
• The Rural and Low-Income School Program is designated to address the needs of rural, low-income schools which authorizes the Texas Education Agency to award subgrants to eligible LEAs either on a formula basis. The funds are to be used to carry out activities specified by statue.