POLICY LETTER: November 13, 2009 to Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Richard M. Burr, Senator Tom Colburn, Senator Michael B. Enzi, Senator Judd Gregg, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, and Senator Jonny Isakson

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title 1, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Lamar Alexander in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Richard M. Burr United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Richard M. Burr in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Coburn: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Tom Coburn, M.D. in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Michael B. Enzi United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Enzi: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantiallyin IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to O. I percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Judd Gregg United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Gregg: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Judd Gregg in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. ely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Hatch: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Orrin G. Hatch in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,/s/Arne Duncan Enclosure THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATIONWASHINGTON, DC 20202November 13, 2009Honorable Johnny Isakson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Isakson: Thank you for your letter regarding the Department's proposal to adjust the state administrative caps under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help defray the costs of data collections that are specifically related to the additional funds made available for these programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I appreciate your sharing your concerns with me. As you are aware, the final notice of adjustments to the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 statutory caps on state administration for federal fiscal year (FY) 2009 was published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2009. A copy of the notice is enclosed. In your letter, you expressed concern that raising the administrative caps for the Title I, Part A program and the IDEA, section 611 program would diminish the funding available to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide services to children and to save teacher jobs. With the enactment of the ARRA, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds and an additional $11.3 billion in IDEA, section 611 funds for FY 2009. The ARRA imposed a number of specific data collection and reporting requirements on SEAs that significantly increase SEAs' burden in administering Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611. Congress could not have contemplated the additional ARRA-related data collection requirements when initially establishing the administrative caps for Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 because it established the caps well before the ARRA's enactment. Therefore, I believe it was appropriate to exercise my authority under section 1552 of the ARRA to adjust the caps to help defray the costs of implementing the data collection requirements associated with the ARRA. The Department agrees that the primary purpose of the ARRA funds is to provide essential support for education and to help save and create jobs. However, I am confident that the cap adjustments will not substantially affect direct services for students under Title I, Part A or IDEA, section 611. In FY 2009, states received their regular fiscal year awards allocated under those programs. In addition to these regular amounts, the ARRA provided more than $21 billion in new funding for the Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 programs in FY 2009. Of the additional $10 billion in Title I, Part A funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.5 percent of the state's FY 2009 Title I, Part A ARRA allocation, or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Similarly, of the additional $11.3 billion Page 2 - Honorable Johnny Isakson in IDEA, section 611 funds available through the ARRA, the maximum additional amount an SEA may reserve is equal to 0.1 percent of the state's FY 2009 IDEA, section 611 allocation, or $500,000, whichever is less. If all SEAs reserved the maximum amounts of additional administrative funds under Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funds allowed, the increase would amount to less than 0.2 percent of the combined ARRA Title I, Part A and IDEA, section 611 funding. Although I understand your concerns about reserving additional funds for state administration at the expense of LEAs, I believe the additional amounts of funds that SEAs may reserve are necessary to assist SEAs in meeting the ARRA data collection reporting requirements. Moreover, LEAs also will benefit from an SEA's use of these funds through, for example, the SEA's ability to implement waivers with respect to its LEAs or assist its LEAs in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs funded through the ARRA. I am sending an identical response to the other signers of your letter. I appreciate your interest in improving educational opportunities for our nation's schoolchildren, and I look forward to working closely with you on their behalf. Sincerely,ne Duncan Enclosure