RETENTION NOTES: GRANT RECORDS - The 7-year retention period frequently established for records of school districts derives from federal requirements in 34 CFR 75.734, 76.734, and 80.42(a)(1) and (c) governing the retention of financial and programmatic records, including supporting documents, statistical reports, and other records pertinent to program regulations or the grant agreement relating to projects or programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education through sub grants using federal funds from the Texas Education Agency. These requirements are reiterated in the Texas Education Agency's Bulletin 679: Financial Accounting Manual.

Federal regulations require that all records of the types mentioned must be available for audit for 5 years after the date of submission of the single or last expenditure report by the Texas Education Agency as sub grantor, not by the school district. Because final expenditure reports are submitted by the Texas Education Agency after all reports from districts are received, a 7-year retention period for many records of school districts is necessary to satisfy this requirement adequately.

If an audit is pending in which an expenditure or the eligibility of a student to participate in a federal program is questioned, then all records affecting the outcome of the audit must be retained until the audit is settled.

Copies of reports or records submitted to the Texas Education Agency must be retained by school districts in accordance with this schedule.

3600-01 PUBLIC EDUCATION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PEIMS) DATA SUBMISSIONS. RETENTION: 5 years

3600-02 DATA VERIFICATION REPORTS - Data printouts or reports from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or other agencies provided for informational purposes showing data received and entered in TEA or other agency databases and similar documents seeking confirmation of the accuracy of current data information. RETENTION: 1 year (Exempt from destruction request requirement.)

RETENTION NOTE: For example, reports sent by TEA or an educational service center showing data received and entered as the result of Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data submissions fall under this record group as well as any retained copies of data verification reports returnable to TEA, such as forms used to confirm and/or update data for the Texas School Directory.

3600-03 SURVEYS - Surveys, questionnaires, opinion polls, and similar documents received from the Texas Education Agency or other agencies, completed and returned by the superintendent or other school official, and used by the surveying agency for the preparation of needs assessment or statistical reports and not for the specific purpose of monitoring compliance with a required or grant-funded program in the respondent district. RETENTION: 1 year (Exempt from destruction request requirement.)