Last month, the PA Department of Education (PDE) issued a PennLink message to all LEAs. It was titled Supplemental Equipment Grant Applications Available. The message stated that the Bureau of Career and Technical Education is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Supplemental Equipment Grants. Approximately $5,550,000 in state funds are available for the purchase of equipment and for the purchase of a complete set of tools for use in the hands-on instruction of students enrolled in Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-approved career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Pennsylvania secondary school districts and career and technical centers with PDE approved CTE programs are eligible to apply for this grant. The equipment and a complete set of tools must be a minimum of $3,000 per unit. The equipment must meet industry standards, and the Occupational Advisory Committee must have recommended each piece of equipment. Each grant will be awarded based on the funding formula. A match of local funds is not required. The 2021-22 Supplemental Equipment Grant guidelines contain the application information and are available at Career and Technical Education Grants. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2021, at 5 p.m.  Applications are submitted through the eGrant system. Application questions should be directed to Janelle Smith at [email protected] or 717-783-6990. Questions related to available funds should be directed to Ben Hanft at [email protected] or 717-787-5423.

Also last month, PDE released a PennLink to School District Superintendents and Charter School Chief School Administrators titled 2021-22 PA Ready to Learn Block Grant (RTL) Application Open in eGrants stating that PDE has released the 2021-22 Ready to Learn (RTL) application in eGrants and all eligible school entities (school districts, eligible charter schools, and eligible cyber charter schools) may apply. The submission deadline is November 30, 2021. 
The 2021-22 RTL Block Grant appropriation is $268 million, equivalent to the amount appropriated for the 2020-21 school year. RTL grants are to assist students enrolled in the commonwealth’s school districts and charter schools with attaining or maintaining academic performance targets. The purpose of this email is to inform eligible school entities how to apply for RTL funding.
 School entities should file an application on PDE’s eGrants system for RTL funding. The application is accessible under the heading Ready to Learn. If a school entity RTL contact does not have an eGrants user ID and password, the school entity’s federal programs coordinator or person who has completed federal grants on the PDE site has the ability as a user/administrator to add the RTL contact as a user.
The 2021-22 RTL Grant Guidelines are posted online: http://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/School%20Finances/Pages/Ready-to-Learn%20Block%20Grant.aspx.
To confirm the amount of your school entity’s RTL allocation for the 2021-22 school year, visit PDE’s website: https://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/School%20Finances/Education%20Budget/Pages/default.aspx. Click on 2021-2022 Ready to Learn Block Grant to open a spreadsheet containing the list of allocations for all eligible districts and charter schools. Eligible school entities will receive 50 percent of funding upon submitting their application in eGrants and the balance following PDE’s approval of their application.
A final expenditure report for 2021-22 RTL grant funding will open Monday, June 28, 2022, and must be entered in eGrants by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31, 2022.
For questions concerning RTL, contact Jim Towse: (717) 783-9542 or mailto:[email protected].