Tennessee webinar details ePlan funding-application steps, deadlines for charter school grants

Tom McGrath, manager of charter grants for the Tennessee Department of Education, led a webinar explaining how Tennessee charter schools should complete the funding application in ePlan, the state's online grants management system, and how that application fits into the grant life cycle.

McGrath said the funding application is the first of three grant stages and that "only costs approved in your funding application are eligible for reimbursement." He described the required user roles, the budget-detail workflow, document uploads, and the school- and TDOE-level approval sequence that must occur before reimbursements can be requested.

The webinar outlined why the funding application matters: it controls which planned expenditures are eligible for grant reimbursement and is reviewed by TDOE staff before schools may submit reimbursement requests. McGrath emphasized procedural steps intended to reduce errors and speed approvals,…