Finding the Pot of Gold: An Elusive Quest

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Finding the Pot of Gold An Elusive Quest

• New Directors Academy
• WCASS Spring Conference
• May 6, 2015

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• Show Me the Money

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Who are we?

• Greg Nyen, Stevens Point Area School District
• John Peterson, Hamilton School District
• Kurt Eley, Waunakee Community School District

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Overview of Presentation Funding Sources

• Maintenance of Effort (MOE)
• Categorical Aid
• IDEA Grants
• Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
• Transfer of Service
• High Cost Special Education Aid
• Contracted Services
• District Budget

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Maintenance of Effort
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Definition of MOE

• Requirement that certain level of state and local
  funding is maintained from year to year.
• Different rules depending on the federal program
• Analysis of program expenditures not funded with
  grants

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IDEA MOE Regulations

• SEA Prohibits a state from reducing state
  financial support for special education below the
  amount of that support for the preceding fiscal
  year. (34 CFR 300.163)
• LEA IDEA requires that LEAs must budget and
  expend the same amount of local funding for
  special education as it expended in the previous
  fiscal year. (34 CFR 300.203)

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Local MOE Tests

• Eligibility Test
• Local special education budget amounts compared
  to prior years actual expenditures.
• Determines whether LEA is eligible to receive
  the IDEA entitlement grants
• Compliance Test
• Local special education actual expenditures
  two-year expenditures
• Determines if LEA is in final compliance with MOE
  requirement

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Fiscal Data

• LEAs submit all Fund 27 (special education)
  planned expenses including local funded and grant
  funded expenses.
• Usually done by the districts business office
• Use PI 1504 Special Education Budget Report
  Due December 1 of current fiscal year
• Data is used in the LEAs MOE calculation to
  determine IDEA grant eligibility

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Fiscal Data

• LEAs submit all Fund 27 (special education)
  expenses including local funded and grant funded
  expenses.
• Usually done by the districts business office
• Use PI 1505 Special Education Annual Report
  Due September 30 for previous fiscal year
• Data is used to determine LEAs state special
  education categorical aid and IDEA MOE compliance

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Child Count Data

• Use Individual Student Enrollment System (ISES)
• October 1 Child Count
• Looks at and LEAs financial responsibility for
  the student
• Used to determine a per capita expenditure
  amount for purposed of MOE

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Four Ways to Pass MOE

• An LEA only needs to pass ONE of the following
  comparison tests
• Local and state expenditures (Project Codes 011
  and 019)
• Local only (Fund 10 and 27)
• The per student per capita amount of Local and
  State expenditures. (Project Codes 011 and 019)
• The per student capita amount of Local only (Fund
  10 and 27)

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Departure of Special Education Staff

• The voluntary departure by retirement or
  otherwise or departure for just cause of special
  education or related services personnel. (34 CFR
  300.204 (a))
• The difference between salaries and fringe of
  staff employed between two years.
• Allowed exceptions Retirements, Transfers,
  Resignations and Terminations for just cause
• Not Allowed exceptions Lay-offs, Position
  Eliminations (Contract Non-renewals)

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Decrease in Students with Disabilities Enrollment

• A decrease in enrollment of students with
  disabilities (34 CFR 300.204 (b))
• Per student capita amount must not be lower
  between comparison years.
• Reflected in Tests 3 and 4

Year Special Ed. Enrollment MOE Per Pupil Cost
2010 45 100,000 2,222
2011 40 95,000 2,375
2011 40 75,000 1875
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Costly Student Leaves LEA

• Exceptionally costly student leaves the district
• Graduates
• Ages out
• No longer needs special education
• Open enrolled student who leaves does not meet
  this exception
• Determined by state to be cost greater than open
  enrollment transfer rate - FY 11 6,498
• Example
• PT cost 3,5000
• Transportation cost 4,000
• Prior to next school year student moves to
  another district

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Termination of Costly Expenditures

• The termination of costly expenditures for
  long-term purchases, such as the acquisition of a
  vehicle special education transportation (34 CFR
  300.204 (d))
• Equipment must have minimum cost of 5,000 to
  qualify.
• Vehicles, equipment or remodeling charged to IDEA
  grant do not qualify.

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Categorical Aid

• Included staff
• Which expenditures are aided?
• Amount of expenditure eligible for aid
• Special education teachers and paraprofessionals
  100
• Directors 100
• Nurses 29
• Social Workers 59
• Psychologists 84
• Counselors 10

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IDEA Grants

• Be aware of allowable expenditures
• Maximize Special Education Categorical Aid
• Consider utilizing 15 CEIS Allotment
• Budget for initiatives
• Reserve funds for the unexpected

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CEIS

• IDEA funds may be used to benefit students not
  currently identified as needing special education
  or related services
• Students need additional academic or behavioral
  support to succeed in general education
  environment
• No more than 15
• Voluntary
• Required if district found disproportionate
• Funds supplement not supplant

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CEIS Voluntary Use

• 34 CFR 300.226
• Kindergarten through 12 grade Emphasis on K-3
• For professional development to deliver
  scientifically based academic and behavioral
  interventions
• Providing educational and behavioral evaluations,
  services, and supports
• Includes scientifically based literacy instruction

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CEIS Reporting Requirements

• Number of students who received early intervening
  services
• Number of students who received CEIS and who
  received special education and related services
  at later time that year
• Report through ISES, the students who received
  interventions in the same year the funds are
  claimed

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CEIS and Disproportionality

• 34 CFR 300.646
• Race and ethnicity
• Based on
• Identification of children with a disability
• Placement in a particular educational setting
• incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary
  actions, including suspensions and expulsions

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So You Are Disproportionate

• Review and, if appropriate revise policies,
  procedures, and practices used in the
  identification or placement
• Must use 15 of IDEA funds for efforts related to
  correcting disproportionality
• LEA must publically report on revisions of
  policy, procedures and practices

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Transfer of Service

• Student moving into district
• New expenditures required
• Special education and English Language Learners
• Within WI transfers require previous district
  response
• Out of state transfers do not require response
• Dont forget B-3 students

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High Cost Special Education Program

• WI Statute 115.881 Created in 2005
• Administrative Rule PI 30
• Student-specific special education service costs
  for an individual student in a single year must
  exceed 30,000.
• Amount over 30,000 is eligible for reimbursement
  on a pro-rated scale.
• Reimbursement is after the fact paid a full
  year after the costs were incurred.
• Claims for the 2011-12 school year are due
  January 31, 2013.
• Reimbursement if 90 of cost over threshold or
  pro-rated if total claims exceed budget amount

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Eligible Costs

• Direct special education instruction or related
  services
• Services eligible for reimbursement must be
  documented in the students IEP
• Examples Educational Interpreters, Extended
  School Year (ESY), Job Coaching,
  Paraprofessionals, Transition-Employment Skills,
  Transportation
• Transportation
• Must be in the students IEP
• Examples Vehicle insurance, Mileage, Driver
  Costs, Transportation aide costs
• If these same costs are also incurred by students
  who do not meet the definition of high cost, then
  the costs are ineligible for reimbursement

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Contracted Services

• Comparison shopping
• Way to save money
• Reference checks
• Contract in compliance with Omni circular
• Contract reviewed by districts attorney

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Medicaid
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Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC)

• Allowable activities
• Medicaid outreach and related training
• Facilitating Medicaid eligibility application
• Health-related referral and monitoring of health
  service delivery
• Medical service program planning, policy
  development and interagency coordination
• Arranging Medicaid-related transportation and
  provision of Medicaid-related translation

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School Based Services

• Direct Medical Services covered
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Nursing Services
• Attendant Care Services
• Psychological Services
• Counseling Services
• Social Work Services

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MAC Staff Pool List

• Administrators, Principals, Assistant Principals
• Special Education Teachers
• Program Coordinators
• Program Aides
• Directors and Assistant Directors of Special
  Education
• Interpreters
• Note Person can only be on one Staff Pool list

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SBS 1 Staff Pool List

• Attendant Care Nursing Service Provider/Personal
  Care
• Delegated Nursing Service Provider
• Licensed Counselor
• Licensed Social Worker/School Social Worker
• LPN
• Registered Nurse
• Note Person can only be on one Staff Pool list

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SBS 2 Staff Pool List

• Audiologist/Audiologist Assistant/Aide/Intern
• Occupational Therapist/Assistant
• Physical Therapist/Assistant
• Psychologist/Assistant/Aide/Intern
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• /Assistant/Aide/Intern
• Note Person can only be on one Staff Pool list

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Attendant Care Services

• Attendant cares services are a range of human
  assistance provided to students with a disability
  or chronic condition. The assistance enables
  them to accomplish tasks in the educational
  setting that they would normally do for
  themselves if they did not have a disability or
  chronic condition.

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Examples of Attendant Care Services

• Providing assistance to a child with a disability
  in the following areas
• Eating, including food purchasing and preparation
• Routine personal hygiene (hand washing, brushing
  teeth, combing hair, grooming and showering)
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Transferring
• Routine care of personal assistive devices
  (eyeglasses, wheelchair, communication boards)
• Supervision and cuing of activities

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Services Not Covered under Attendant Care

• Bus aides during transportation are not covered
• Skilled services that may be performed only by a
  health professional
• Services that are educational in nature. A class
  all students attend that provides instruction in
  Life Skills.
• Math, reading instruction

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Topics from the Field
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Thank you for all you do!