Prior Approval for Spending CTE Funds

To ensure proper approval and documentation for reimbursement of eligible expenditures, CTE teachers must complete and submit a CTE Request for Prior Approval form (Word 12 KB) to the appropriate Senior Administrator. This form must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the activity.

Activities are reimbursable at the state allowable rates. You must use the allotted state and WCPSS rates when completing this form. Be sure to indicate which expenses your school will cover for this activity.

Do not assume automatic approval of funding for activities. Make sure you have a returned form with approval indicated on the bottom portion from the CTE Director. This is extremely critical if you are attending a specific activity contingent upon CTE funding. The CTE Budget Technician cannot process your reimbursement unless you have an approved Prior Approval form on file. Prior Approval Forms received after the first day of the activity will not be approved or reimbursed.

Prior Approval Form Instructions

  1. Download a copy of the CTE Request for Prior Approval form (Word 12 KB). The CTE Prior Approval Form is used for conference/registration expenses, activity bus, parking fees, lodging, travel to conferences, meals while away on trips, and substitute teachers.

  2. Complete the form
    1. CTE Office Contact: Place an X before the name of the Senior Administrator for your curriculum area. CDCs and CACs will select the name of the School-To-Career Coordinator.
    2. Teacher: This is the name of the teacher that is requesting the funding. If a substitute teacher is being requested, the name of the teacher that needs the sub must be here. List only one teacher per form.
    3. Program Area: This is the name of the curriculum area (Agricultural, BITE, FACS, etc) or School-to-Career, or career academy name.
    4. Name of Workshop/Activity: This is the name of the event such as FCLA Conference, Xtreme Beginnings, WTCC Open House, CTE Summer Conference, or Cisco field trip.
    5. Justification for Attending: Describe how this activity fits in with the course curriculum, STC mission, or career academy mission. Describe how this trip is essential to your program.
    6. Activity Date(s): This must be an exact date indicating the month, day and year. "March" is not a valid date.
    7. Number of Students: Enter the estimated number of students who will be going to this event from your school.
    8. Site/location: Enter the name of the business or place you are visiting. Also include the city name and state if not NC.
    9. #1. Registration: Enter any registration costs or per-pupil fee for the event. Enter the teacher costs in the Teacher column and student costs in the Student column.
    10. #2. Lodging: Enter the number of days and the hotel rate per day including tax.
    11. #3. Meals: List the number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you wish to get reimbursed.
    12. #4. Travel - car: This is for only the CTE teacher, CDC, SPC, or CAC to get reimbursed for the use of his/her car. Non-CTE teachers cannot get reimbursed for the use of their cars.
    13. Use the WCPSS Mileage Calculator to find the official distance between two WCPSS locations. (Central Services on Wake Forest Road is listed as "WF Administration Building")
    14. Use Yahoo! Maps to find distances between other locations. Enter your starting address and the destination address. Yahoo! Maps will indicate the mileage between the two locations. It is important to use the WCPSS mileage finder or Yahoo! Maps to calculate your mileages. Taking the long way to an event, taking side trips, or getting lost and having to drive around a while are not valid excuses for having a mileage rate that is higher than the standard. You must include a Yahoo! Maps printout with your Prior Approval form for each trip to a non-WCPSS location.
    15. #5. Travel - bus, plane, train: This is for estimated travel expenses using an activity bus, charter bus, airplane, or train.

      16. Clearly indicate what kind of transportation is going to be used (bus, plane, train, etc).

    16. #6. Parking/tolls: List anticipated parking expenses or toll road expenses.
    17. #7. Taxi/shuttle: This is for estimated travel expenses using a taxi, airport shuttle, or similar transportation.
    18. #8. Substitutes: Enter the number of days that a sub will be needed. Multiply by the highest amount (unless you know for sure that the sub will be paid at a lower rate) and enter this as the estimated expense. Complete a Leave Request form.

      Note: The teacher name at the top of this form has to be the name of the teacher that needs the sub.

    19. Estimated total to be reimbursed by STC Office: Total up the estimated expenses and enter that total here. This is the amount that you are asking approval to spend.
    20. Estimated total to be reimbursed by school or other source: Money from other sources that will be used to cover the other expenses of this trip/activity.
    21. Have your principal or designee sign and date the form
  3. Make a copy of the Request for Prior Approval form to keep for your records.
  4. Attach a copy of the preliminary agenda for the event. This agenda should show the dates and times for the events.
  5. Attach Leave forms for the teachers that are requesting a substitute teacher.
  6. Attach School Trip Request form 1713c (PDF, (Word) if this is a school trip involving students.
  7. Attach Yahoo! Maps printouts if you are requesting reimbursement for the use of your car.
  8. Send the original, signed Prior Approval form to the CTE Director through Courier mail. Faxes and photocopies are not acceptable.

The Request for Prior Approval Form has to be sent in at least 30 days prior to the day you want to spend the money. If you do not receive an approval acknowledgement before the event, then do not spend the money.

Use a separate form for each person. If you need two or more substitute teachers to cover two or more teachers going on a field trip, then you need to put them on separate forms. If you are requesting approval for a sub, the teacher name you put on the Prior Approval form must match the name on the Leave Form that is attached.

If the travel is out of Wake County, you might have to complete a separate Out-of-County Travel Approval Form. This form is usually completed at the beginning of the school year to cover the entire school year. Check with your principal to see if out-of-county approval is needed for the current year. All out-of-county travel is coordinated through the principal and forwarded to the central office.

This page was last updated on July 17, 2008