School districts and charter schools who built a completely new campus that will be occupied for the very first time during the 2015-2016 school year are eligible to submit an application for New Instructional Facilities Allotment (NIFA) for school year 2015-2016. Funding is not automatic – your district must submit an electronic application. The 84th Legislature authorized funding for NIFA for school years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. Prior Legislative sessions did not provide funding under this allotment for the 2011–2012 through 2014–2015 school years.
The deadline for submitting applications for the NIFA for school year 2015-2016 has been extended by the Texas Education Agency to August 17, 2015. Electronic applications must be entered, saved and sent through the TEA online system by the deadline. Neither late applications nor paper applications will be accepted. According to the TEA announcement, pictures, site plans, floor plans, demolition plans (if applicable), and legal documentation must also be uploaded by the August 17th deadline.
To be eligible for the NIFA:
- The facility for which funds are requested must be a newly constructed instructional site (campus) used for teaching the curriculum required by the TEC, Chapter 28.
- The new facility must have its own campus ID number as designated by the Texas Education Agency.
- The new facility must have its own principal or be eligible to receive an accountability rating through standard analysis as described in the most current Accountability Manual.
- The new facility must have its own assigned instructional staff and instructional program distinct from those for other facilities.
- The new facility must have its own record of expenditures that is not a sub-set of another school budget and its own attendance data that can be reported for those students assigned to its campus.
- The new facility must be physically separate from other existing school structures. However, a covered walkway may connect the new facility to another building.
In order to access the funding, districts and charter schools must complete an online application through the TEASE Foundation School Program Application (FSP) system. In order to create an application for NIFA in the FSP system, the FSP user must ensure that NIFA User is one of their assigned roles. The Superintendent or Superintendent’s authorized designee must also obtain a NIFA User assigned role in order to enter the required approvals for the completed application. Do not delay so you leave plenty of time to gather the required information and receive all required approvals prior to the deadline.
Carefully read the Commissioner of Education’s letter to ensure your district follows all of the requirements for submitting a complete electronic application along with all of the required information. To access the Commissioner's letter on this topic dated July 10, 2015, click on the link below.
http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/News_and_Multimedia/Correspondence/TAA_Letters/Deadline_Extended_for_New_Instructional_Facility_Allotment_(NIFA);_Online_Application_for_Funding/