Procedural Manual - Tab 7

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FAIRMONT STATE GEAR UP PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES

FSU GEAR UP PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES FOR BUDGET EXPENDITURES

EQUIPMENT PURCHASES

All equipment (defined as an non-expendable property with a per unit cost equal to or greater than $5,000) purchases must receive prior approval from the U. S. Department of Education.  An Equipment Request must be submitted to the GEAR UP Director, who will then forward the request to the Program Officer for approval.

All equipment purchases under $5,000 must receive prior approval from the GEAR UP Director.

Any equipment, regardless of the cost, (graphing calculators, laptops, computers, microscopes, white boards, projectors, etc) purchased for the schools/students must be documented in the Equipment Binder provided to each GEAR UP school. The following items will be documented in the binder:

  • Date received
  • Type of Equipment
  • Number of items
  • Cost
  • Location of Items
  • GEAR UP ID#
  • Comments

FIELD TRIPS

All field trips must obtain prior approval by completing a Special Event form which includes a description of the event, attendees, purpose, and cost/item estimate. The request must be submitted to the GEAR UP Director at least 2 weeks prior to the event.  If it is a field trip and charter buses are involved, the request should be submitted at least one month prior to the trip.  All trips must be approved before entering into any agreement for tickets, charter buses, etc. or the cost of items will fall upon the school/Site Coordinator.

 

FOOD PURCHASES

Events where food is served must have prior approval.  A Special Event form needs to be completed which includes a description of the event, attendees, purpose/goals being met, and cost/person estimate.  The request must be submitted to the GEAR UP Director at least 2 weeks prior to the event.  If it is a field trip and charter buses are involved, the request should be submitted at least one month prior to the trip.

 

GIFTCARDS

All gift card purchases must have prior approval from the GEAR UP Director and should not be in excess of $25. When awarding a Gift or Gas Card as an incentive or prize, you must include documentation which includes:  the Name, Address, and Phone Number and Signature of the child or parent who obtained the card (Federal Regulation).

 

GIVEAWAYS/INCENTIVE/MOTIVATIONAL ITEMS

Although not specifically covered in an OMB circular, to avoid an audit exception, it is required that all special purchases (including door prizes, t-shirts, calculators, entertainment or sport events tickets, gift cards, etc) obtain prior approval by completing a Special Event form which includes a description of the event, attendees, purpose, and cost/item estimate.

 

PARENT ACTIVITIES

Each school must have at least one parent activity each month targeted to parents to help parents understand the importance of and process of their child continuing their education after high school.

  • Each school should provide a minimum of one workshop each month on the following topics: financial aid and scholarships, classes students need to take to be on track for college, understanding test scores (Explore, Plan, ACT, PSAT, WESTEST), completing the Computer Scholarship Application, Career Exploration and the College Application Process.
  • Parent activities can include fun activities but must also have an educational component.
  • Printed resources should be available at every parent activity.
  • You must have sign-in sheets and evaluations completed at each parent activity (can be found on the GEAR UP website)
  • You must turn in the following to the GEAR UP office each month for each parent activity:
    • Parent Activity Report (can be found on the GEAR UP website)
    • Parent Activity Evaluation Summary report (can be found on the GEAR UP website)
    • Copy of all advertisement materials used to promote the activity
    • Copy of the agenda
    • Copy of all handouts given at the activity
  • You must keep the following in your GEAR UP files for auditing purposes for each parent activity:
    • Sign-in sheets
    • Completed evaluations
    • Copy of the Parent Activity Reports
    • Copy of the Parent Activity Evaluation Summary
    • Copy of all advertisement materials used to promote the event
    • Copy of the agenda
    • Copy of any handouts given at event
  • Sign-in sheets should be given to the Liaison in order to enter the attendance data into the POETS system.
  • Each school should also have information tables/ booths for parents to pick up information at athletic, music, and extracurricular activities where parents may be in attendance or picking up their children.
  • Parents should be made aware of and welcomed to the Go Center to find information and resources.
  • A School Climate Assessment (can be found on the GEAR UP website) should be completed each year and a plan made to enhance the family friendliness of the school.

 

PARENT NEWSLETTER

Postage and copying has been budgeted in each school's GEAR UP budget to provide a newsletter to be mailed home for 10 months out of the year.

  • You will receive a newsletter from the Fairmont State GEAR UP office at the Liaison meeting each month.
  • You must include this newsletter along with your school GEAR UP newsletter.
  • Be sure to include tutoring times, parent activity dates and information, what happened last month, upcoming GEAR UP activities, upcoming important dates to remember, financial aid/ scholarship information and deadlines, school activities and how parents can get involved.
  • Newsletters should be mailed home to parents in the first week of each month.
  • A copy of your newsletter must be turned in to the GEAR UP office each month.

 

PURCHASES OVER $1,000

Any purchase of items totaling over $1,000, must receive prior approval from the GEAR UP Director. 

 

REGISTRATION FEES

All registration fees for students/faculty/administration to attend any meetings, camps, etc. must have prior approval from the GEAR UP Director.  The request should include a description of the event, attendees, purpose/goals being met, and cost/person estimate.

 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Staff Development funding is available through RESA VII.  To request funding for Staff Development, contact the GEAR UP Training Coordinator at RESA VII.  The county GEAR UP budget does not include any funding for staff development activities.  Any use of county GEAR UP funds for staff development activities must receive prior approval from the GEAR UP Director.

 

STRATEGIC PLAN

Each school is required to complete a Strategic Plan for each academic year. The Site Coordinator, Liaison, and FACE Coordinator should meet with the school administrator(s) in developing the plan on how to meet both GEAR UP and county goals for the school.  The final draft of the plan must be submitted to the Fairmont State GEAR UP office.  The plan can be edited throughout the year.

 

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS FOR FIELD/EDUCATIONAL TRIPS

Each GEAR UP school has received a budget for substitutes to accommodate field trips meeting GEAR UP goals.  The Site Coordinator must following county procedures in requesting the substitutes needed. 

 

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

RESA VII has funding for Professional Development.  To request funding for substitutes contact the GEAR UP Training Coordinator.  After the substitutes have been approved, the proper county procedures must be followed to request a substitute.  Please make sure to include on your county request that an invoice needs to be sent to RESA VII Attn:  GEAR UP to be reimbursed for the substitute costs.

 

TUTORS

GEAR UP offers funding through RESA VII for 400 hours of tutoring at each GEAR UP School for each school year.  It is the Site Coordinator's responsibility to work with their administrators and fellow teachers to decide if tutoring will be most beneficial before, during, and/or after school, and creating a schedule accordingly.  The number of tutors at each school will also be at the discretion of the Site Coordinator.  Additional hours of tutoring may be available if there is a high need for additional tutoring.  GEAR UP should not be turning any GEAR UP student away from tutoring.  If additional hours are needed to accommodate for more students, contact the GEAR UP Training Coordinator at RESA VII.  

The Tutor positions are posted on the RESA VII website.  Tutors must send a letter of application to RESA VII to apply for any tutor position with GEAR UP.  The GEAR UP Training Coordinator will work with the Site Coordinator to hire the tutors needed at the school.  After being hired the tutors will need to complete an agreement form and fill out the Employee Packet for RESA VII.  All new tutors will have to complete the online tutor training.  The link for the training will be emailed to the Site Coordinator and it is the responsibility of the Site Coordinator to have the tutor complete the training before tutoring. 

Tutors will be required to fill out a monthly timesheet.  The timesheet can be found on the GEAR UP Website.  Timesheets turned in by the 5th of the month will be paid on the 20th of the month.  Timesheets turned in after the 5th will be paid on the 5th of the following month.  Tutors with a college degree will be paid $25 per hour, college students will be paid $18 per hour, and high school students will be paid $9 per hour.