22.i Category One Allowable Expenses

Category One Allowable Expenses
Below are guidelines for spending Technology Readiness Infrastructure Grant Category One funds. These funds are reported in MEGS+ under Category Four and reported as the percentage of funds anticipated to be spent in each of the following areas:

• Network services
• Computer/device purchasing pilot
• In-building wireless connectivity
• Technology Readiness
• Online/Digital Assessment

Please keep in mind that these are only anticipated expenditures. Funds will not have to be spent until June 30, 2014. Districts are not required to report actual expenditure of funds in the five categories in MEGS+.
Below are examples of allowable expenses and the categories they should be reported under.

• Network services
• Circuits
• WAN Interconnects
• WAN Access to data centers housing instructional and assessment resources
• Internet service capacity upgrades i.e. 10Mb->100Mb, 100Mb-1Gb
• Computer/device purchasing pilot
• Any device purchased through the REMC SPOT commitment tool and purchasing process In-building wireless connectivity
• Any hardware to implement or upgrade wireless infrastructure
• Any in-building wiring necessary to implement or upgrade a wireless network Technology Readiness
• Any hardware to implement or upgrade an infrastructure to support a robust testing environment
• Any in-building wiring necessary to support online testing
• Device hardware to upgrade devices for online testing (memory, monitors, keyboards, etc.)
• License upgrades to support online testing (OS, etc.)
• Online testing devices not available through the REMC SPOT purchasing process

Online/Digital Assessment

• Licensing for online/digital assessment content and services
• Audient response system to collect and transmit assessments digitally

Districts may use the funds to purchase license, hardware, etc. for instructional data systems that are used to deliver local or regional online assessments

Items that are NOT allowed under the Guidelines:

• Work begun, purchases made or contracted for prior to December 20, 2012
• Response devices not supported by SBAC or BAA (devices not meeting minimum online testing specifications)

Note: If districts have already made their anticipated spending percentages in MEGS+ and would like to update or change those percentages, they need to contact Holli Crowley at crowleyh@michigan.gov before June 1, 2014.