RFP #199: MBK Family and Community Engagement Program (FCEP) 2026-2030
Chapter 53 of the laws of 2016. With the adoption of the 2016-2017 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State budget, 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ became the first state to accept the President’s My Brother’s Keeper challenge.
The purpose of the FCEP is to increase the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color. Many schools and districts are faced with the challenge of how to develop and sustain effective relationships with families toward the goal of increasing student success. Teachers, Principals and School District leaders identify family engagement as one of the most challenging aspects of their work. When narrowing the scope of this ongoing concern to the issues of boys and young men of color, it is not only an issue of engaging and connecting to the immediate family, but to the extended family and the larger community.
September 1, 2026 - August 31, 2027 (Year One)
September 1, 2027 - August 31, 2028 (Year Two)
September 1, 2028 – August 31, 2029 (Year Three)
September 1, 2029 - August 31, 2030 (Year Four)
- 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State public school districts which meet the following criteria may submit individual applications:
- School districts must have a Free & Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) eligibility rate greater than 55% of district enrollment, an English Language Learner (ELL) enrollment rate greater than 1%, and a four-year August graduation rate of less than 90% at least once during the 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years.
OR - School districts must have a FRPL eligibility rate greater than 60% of district enrollment and a four-year August graduation rate of less than 85% at least once during the - 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years.
OR - School districts must have an ELL enrollment rate greater than 3% and a four-year August graduation rate of less than 90% at least once during the 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years.
OR - School districts must have an ELL enrollment rate greater than 3% and School districts must have a Free & Reduced- Price Lunch (FRPL) eligibility rate greater than 80% of district enrollment at least once during the 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years.
- School districts must have a Free & Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) eligibility rate greater than 55% of district enrollment, an English Language Learner (ELL) enrollment rate greater than 1%, and a four-year August graduation rate of less than 90% at least once during the 2020-21 through 2023-24 school years.
For the 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ City Department of Education (NYCDOE):
Individual applications must be submitted by a Community School District, High School District or District #75. The Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee must sign the application in addition to the superintendent’s signature.
- 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State public school districts that meet the above criteria may apply as a consortium of up to 4 School districts and submit a single application with their member BOCES:
A 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State BOCES must serve as the fiscal agent/applicant and is eligible to apply for this opportunity on behalf of a partnership, which must include a consortium of component districts.
NOTE:
A consortium is defined as an association or grouping of institutions set up for a common purpose that would be beyond the capabilities of a single member of the group. A consortium must meet all requirements established in 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ’s Consortium Policy for State and Federal Grant Programs found in the RFP.
The consortium lead should ensure that all consortium members are included in one (1) application total, and no consortium member is submitting an individual application or participating in any other consortium.
REMEMBER:
To determine eligibility as either an individual applicant or consortium member, districts should use the following school year data:
ELL and FERPL % - 2020-2024 school year data
Graduation rates - 2020-2024 graduation rates based upon the 2020 total cohort – 4-Year Outcome - August 2024 data.
Public charter schools, non-public schools and home-school groups or associations are not eligible to apply for these funds.
Partnership agreements are required as part of the application. The partners are the applicant school district or BOCES and any tribal government, local (town or village) government, Chamber of Commerce, business, community-based organization, and institution of higher education taking an active role in the implementation of the program.
Applications must include a Partnership Agreement signed by all partners (minimum of Superintendent, and at least one Mayor or equivalent municipality elected official, a local business/community-based organization or postsecondary institution senior administrator) to be reviewed for consideration.
Applications that do not include a Partnership Agreement signed by all required partners will not be reviewed for consideration. Letters of support will not be accepted in lieu of a required partner’s signature on the Partnership Agreement.
The original signature of all partners must appear in the agreement.
A minimum 25 percent match of the approved FCEP grant is required. The matching requirement may be met through the district’s own resources, private sources, other governmental sources, and/or in-kind services. Other State funds may be used in this match with the exception of state grant funds from educational opportunity programs but may not duplicate services provided. All matching contributions must be used for
activities related exclusively to the FCEP project, and institutional accounts must be structured to reflect this contribution by the appropriate line item
The allocation for 2026-2027 is expected to be $9,300,000 with yearly funding subject to the continuation of the State appropriation. Funds will be divided into categories: $3,100,000 will be allocated for annual awards to 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ City Community School Districts, High School Districts or District #75. Public school districts and BOCES-led consortiums of school districts in the Rest of the State (ROS) will be allocated annual awards totaling $6,200,000.
Applicants are requested to submit their application electronically. The required documents, as listed in the Application Checklist section of this RFP, must be received via no later than September 15, 2026. Applications are due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Also please mail 1 original and 2 copies of the FS-10 budget, postmarked by September 15, 2026. The address is:
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State Education Department
Attn: Kimberly Hardaway
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ State Education Department
Office of Family and Community Engagement
89 Washington Avenue, EBA Room 960- B
Albany, 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ 12234
All questions regarding this request must be submitted via no later than the close of business August 13, 2026. A Questions and Answers Summary will be posted to 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ’s Grants Website no later than August 24, 2026.
A Notice of Intent (NOI) is not a requirement for submitting a complete application by the application date; however, 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ strongly encourages all prospective applicants to submit an NOI to ensure a timely and thorough review and rating process. The notice of intent is a simple notice indicating your organization’s (use the legal name) intent to submit an application for this grant. Please also include your organization’s NYS Vendor ID and enter 199 in the Procurement No. box. The due date is August 28, 2026. Please send the NOI via this .
Program: Kimberly Hardaway
Fiscal: Karen Somide
M/WBE: Thomas McBride