Replacement and Repair of Indian Schools

Providing safe, functional, code-compliant, economical, and energy efficient education facilities for American Indian students attending Bureau of Indian Affairs owned or funded primary and secondary schools and/or residing in Bureau owned or funded

Facilities Improvement and Repair: Funds are provided for advanced planning, design and construction for facilities improvement and repair of education facilities for the direct support of primary and secondary schools and/or dormitories. Replacement School Construction: Funds are provided for advanced planning, design and constructions of major expansions or major replacements of funded education facilities for the direct support of primary and secondary schools and/or dormitories.

Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and Tribal Organizations, including School Boards, who have a prioritized Replacement School Construction or Facilities Improvement and Repair, for which funds have been specifically approved through the appropriation process.

American Indian children attending Bureau owned or funded primary and secondary schools and/or American Indian children residing in Bureau owned or funded dormitories.

Replacement School Construction: Funds are provided for advance planning, design, and construction of major expansions or major replacements of Bureau of Indian Affairs owned or funded education facilities for the direct support of primary and secondary schools and/or dormitories. An education facility may include an entire school facility or building, or a component(s) of a school facility or building, such as, classrooms, multi-purpose rooms or gymnasiums, or cafeteria/kitchens; and may include other improvements to real property such as, water storage tanks, water and sewer distribution lines, parking lots, and other site improvements. School facilities are replaced only in those instances where rehabilitation and upgrading are not feasible because of eligible American Indian student capacity needs, functional changes or costs. Facilities Improvement and Repair: Funds are provided for advance planning, design, and construction for facilities improvement and repair of education facilities for the direct support of primary and secondary schools and/or dormitories and the Bureau's two post secondary schools. Funds are used to improve, repair and rehabilitate facilities and in some instances replace components of education facilities and may include other improvements to real property as noted under Replacement School Construction.

Funds remain available until expended in accordance with terms of the award.

Taking into account organizational risk ratings, the agency consults with the Tribe as to how it wishes the project to be managed. An informal conference with the Bureau agency representatives is strongly recommended to determine the application and award procedures to be followed.

Non‑competitive grant. Award amounts are based on the Bureau of Indian Education's minor improvement and replacement needs to maintain tribal BIE K-12 school facilities.

Replacement School Construction: Funds are appropriated based on the "Education Facilities Replacement Construction Priority List" as published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2004. Criteria emphasize providing safe, functional, code-compliant, economical and energy-efficient facilities that meet applicable accreditation standards and space guidelines. Facilities Improvement and Repair: Criteria to evaluate projects emphasize eliminating critical health and safety-related deficiencies and reducing the substantial backlog of needed improvement and repairs. Projects are prioritized on a Bureau-wide basis using a computerized formula that evaluates the seriousness of the deficiencies and the relative risks of those deficiencies to facility users. To be considered it is essential that deficiencies and projects for a Bureau funded school or dormitory to be identified in the automated inventory of Bureau facilities. In addition, there are limited funds provided under this program to address safety and health deficiencies on an immediate or interim basis as well as funds for emergency repairs under certain conditions, and for other purposes. For more information on these other programs or on the priority ranking process for Replacement School Construction or Facilities Improvement and Repair projects, contact the Headquarters Office listed above.

Although eligible applicants do not compete for awards, an award to a particular entity is not mandatory because requirements related to the scope of the project work, project cost, and other compliance measurements must be agreed to before funding is provided to the recipient. Projects representing the greatest needs at schools and related facilities are prioritized as part of the process of obtaining Congressional appropriations of fund the projects. Funds must be appropriated before any project awards can be made, and a change in priorities may require Congressional consultation and, for some projects above a certain dollar amount, Congressional approval of the reprogramming of funding to a different project. The award of a self-determination contract is made in accordance with the procedures contained in 25 CFR Part 900 "Contracts under Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act," and the award of a financial assistance grant amendment to the existing education grant from the Bureau of Indian Education to the Tribe or Tribal Organization is made in accordance with the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 2501 et seq. The requirements in 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply to financial assistance awards. Projects are prioritized before the funds are appropriated. Funds must be appropriated before the award can be made. The award is made in accordance with the procedures contained in 25 CFR Part 900 "Contracts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act or the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 2501 et seq., as applicable.

Applications will be processed within 90 days for Self-Determination Contracts/Grants as provided under applicable procedures for other financial assistance awards.

Depending upon the size and complexity of the overall construction, improvement or repair project it may take several increments of funding assistance to complete the entire projects; often an initial award is issued as a new contract/grant amendment with second and subsequent funding increments issued as renewals to existing contracts/grants.

An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR Part 900.