Can Early Reading First funds be used for construction?
No. Construction costs are not allowed to be charged to the Federal funds for an Early Reading First project. This is a requirement of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) at 34 CFR 75.533 (applicants can access EDGAR provisions on the Department’s website. However, Early Reading First funds may be used for minor remodeling (which does not include any structural alterations) to accomplish the program’s purpose and objectives, such as to enhance the quality of the physical environment to make it more conducive to developing early language and early reading skills. (See the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) at 34 CFR section 77.1, definition of “minor remodeling,” which you can access on the Department’s website at http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html.
