Special Education – Fiscal Overview Session 1 Kathy Guralski, School Finance Auditor Lori Ames,...

Special Education – Fiscal Overview

Session 1

Kathy Guralski, School Finance Auditor

Lori Ames, School Finance Consultant

11/07/06

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Agenda

Sources of Special Education Funding

Overview of Expense Coding

Reporting of Fund 27 Expenses

State Special Education Categorical Aid

Potential Aid Eligibility Adjustments

Special Education Funding Sources

State Special Education Categorical Aid High Cost Categorical Aid Federal Special Education Aid Medicaid State Equalization Aid Local Property Tax

Special Education Categorical Aid

Aidable costs may include, but are not limited to:Salary/Fringe Benefits for:

Most Special Education Teachers and Assistants Speech/Physical/Occupational Therapists School Psychologists, Social Workers, Guidance

Counselors, and Nurses Special Education Administrative Staff Special Transportation

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/se_aid.html

High Cost Categorical Aid School districts are eligible for aid if the district

incurred, in the previous school year, more than $30,000 of non-administrative costs for providing special education and related services to a child, and those costs are not eligible for reimbursement under the state special education categorical aid program, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or the federal Medicaid program

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/highcost.html

Federal Special Education Aid/Grants

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) originally authorized funding of 40% of average per-pupil expenditures to support special education services for children with disabilities. Most of the funding is distributed to local school districts in the form of flow-through aids or other discretionary grants.

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/fedgrant.html

Medicaid

A fairly small source of revenue for school districts is insurance reimbursement provided through the combined federal/state Medicaid program.

http://dpi.wi.gov/sfs/doc/medicaid.doc

State Equalization Aid Equalization is a state “cost sharing

formula” which reduces local district reliance on local property taxes.

The state shares in most costs incurred by Wisconsin school districts that are not reimbursed by other revenue sources. Eligible costs include special education and related services.

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/equalaid.html

Local Property Tax

Special Education and related services not reimbursed through one of the programs mentioned above are funded by local property taxes.

The extent to which local property taxes are used to fund special education costs in a particular district varies greatly and depends largely on the amount of state equalization aids received by the district.

Special Education Expense Coding

All special education expenses, regardless of funding source must be accounted for in fund 27

The function number and the project number are the most critical elements of the total account code


Function Number Identifies the special education program

152000 – Early Childhood 158000 – Cross Categorical 156600 – Speech & Language 159200 – Substitutes


The Business Office and the Special Education Department will need to work closely together to ensure that staff members are being charged to the appropriate program or function.

Appropriate staff licensure is important when assigning staff to various functions


Project number

Identifies the aid eligibility status and funding source

011 317

019 340

091 515

092 517

315 599

Project Number – 011

Use this project on all original object 100 – 900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

the LEA is using only local dollars to fund the expenditure (no grant money reimbursement)

the expenditure is directly state special education categorically aidable

Project Number - 019

Use this project on all original object 100-900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

the LEA is using only local dollars to fund the expenditure (no grant money reimbursement)

the expenditure is NOT directly state special education categorically aidable



The district is using only local dollars to fund the expenditure (no grant money reimbursement)

The expenditure is directly reimbursed by a check from CESA (using CESA local dollars – no grant money)



The district is using only local dollars to fund the expenditure (no grant money reimbursement)

The expenditure is directly reimbursed by a check from a CCDEB (using CCDEB local dollars – no grant money)

Project Number – 315/317

Use these projects, 315 (State) or 317 (Federal) on all original object 100-900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

The expenditure is then charged to a state/federal grant of another LEA

The LEA name on the state/federal grant is another school district (NOT this LEA)


Use this appropriate IDEA grant project code of “341-349” on all original object 100-900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

this expenditure is charged directly to an IDEA (flow-through, entitlement, etc..) grant

the LEA name on the grant is the same as this LEA

Project Number – 515/517

Use these projects, 515 (State) or 517 (Federal) on all original object 100-900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

The expenditure is then charged to a state/federal grant

The LEA name on the state/federal grant is a “CESA” or a “CCDEB”, NOT this LEA


Use this project code on all original object 100-900 expenditures paid to a vendor when:

this expenditure is charged directly to a grant such as AODA, Drug Free, etc….

the LEA name on the grant is the same as this LEA

Resources for Expense Coding

WUFAR (full document & expense matrix)

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/wufar.html

Special Education Transaction Coding

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/doc/sped.doc

Special Education Fiscal Reporting

Districts are required to submit both a special education budget and annual report that is currently separate from the full SAFR budget and annual report

The special education budget/annual program is located on either a staff member’s individual hard drive or on a network drive within the district.

Special Education Fiscal Reporting

The current special education budget/annual software program is outdated and can no longer be updated.

As a result, you will find that updates to the WUFAR and changes to special education law can not be reflected in the current report. Alternative reporting is sometimes used.

The School Financial Services Team is currently in the design phase of creating a new special education fiscal report.


Entities eligible to receive state special education categorical aid:

School Districts

CESAs

CCDEBs

2R Charter Schools


Based on the information reported in the special education annual report, the district’s special education categorical aid is calculated

the aid is paid based on prior year aidable expenditures (aid paid in 2006-07 is based on expenditures from 2005-06)


Not all expenses accounted for in fund 27 are aidable, but the special ed annual report should tie to the total expenses reported in SAFR fund 27.

Aid is paid to the entity that is incurring the

original/direct expense – meaning the entity that is employing and paying the individual


Although many different function numbers may be used in fund 27, only the following functions may contain aidable expenses:(152000,156100,156200,156600,156700,156800,158000,159100, 159200, 159300, 174100, 174200, 212000, 213000, 214000, 215000, 218100, 218200, 223300, 256000, 270000, 436000)

Eligible expenses are identified in the document titled “Special Education Claim Directions”http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/xls/se_claim_directions.xls


For a staff member’s salary and fringe benefits to be eligible for aid, he/she must hold the appropriate license for the function they are being expensed in.152000 – license code subject 808 or 809212000 – license code position 50

“Valid Reporting and License Codes for Special Education Staff”

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/pdf/valid_code_se.pdf


Due to the high amount of eligible expenses, the amount of aid paid is prorated to approximately 28%.

Aid is paid in multiple payments (Nov 15%, Dec 15%, Jan 15%, Feb 15%, March 15%, and June 25%)

Special Education Categorical aid on “HOLD?”

Special Education Categorical aid on “HOLD?” What may cause categorical aid to be

withheld on an individual’s salaries and benefits

“No Valid License”

Inappropriate allocation of salaries/benefits to fund 27 for social workers, psychologists, nursing, and guidance


PI 1202

Filed by district with DPI in fall

List by staff, FTE, and teaching position

No updates during the year

“No Valid License

“No Valid License” listing on June 30th

Identifies staff not properly licensed for the teaching assignment listed on the PI 1202

Auditor required to report to DPI salaries, benefits, and account structure (even in funds other than 27) for all individuals on “no valid license” listing.



Available in reporting portal



When teaching position of an individual was incorrectly reported on PI-1202

Obtain, for auditor, a written representation from the Special Education Director or other appropriate person stating that the reported assignment (PI-1202) was incorrect. Include previously reported teaching assignment and correct teaching assignment for individual.



DPI special education licensing follows up on the licensing status

May result in phone call to district

Aid is withheld until DPI special education licensing approves the individual

“Additional questioned cost”

“Valid License” listing on June 30th

Available in Reporting Portal

Auditor performs a payroll test and determines if salary and related benefits are properly reported for staff on the list


Any individual not reported in proper account coding for their teaching assignment (per PI-1202 and valid license list) is:

Reviewed by Auditor for correct teaching assignment (through inquiry)

If teaching assignment is in agreement with license – salaries and benefits are moved to appropriate WUFAR accounts (no filing with DPI)

If teaching assignment is not in agreement with license – salaries and benefits are reported to DPI as questioned cost



May result in phone call to District

Aid is withheld until DPI special education licensing approves the individuals

Allocation of salaries and benefits to fund 27 Salaries and benefits of professionals working in

both the regular education and special education areas must be allocated between fund 10 and fund 27 based on time and costs

School Social Worker School Psychologist School Nurses (Registered Nurses, licensed by WI

Department of Regulation and Licensing) School Counselors

Allocation of salaries and benefits to fund 27 January 12, 2006 Letter

http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/ltrjan12_06.htmlTypes of activities that would be eligible for

special education aidMethodologies in determining time and cost

Must be done for each individual staff member claimed

Documentation must be maintained Must be rational and defensible method of

allocation

Reporting allocation of salaries and benefits to fund 27

Special Education

General Ledger Claim FormSocial Worker Function 212000 Function 212000

Project 011

Psychologist Function 215000 Function 215000

Project 011

Nurse Function 214000 Function 299999

Project 019

Guidance Counselor

Function 213000 Function 299999

Project 019

Reporting allocation of salaries and benefits to fund 27 Identify these costs in the cover e-mail with the

upload file attachments as follows: For (LEA Name), the “011-state aidable” guidance

counselor and school nurse salary/fringe costs reported in function 299 999 under project “019” on the PI 1505SE are:

School Guidance Counselor Object 100 – Salary: (Amount) Object 200 – Fringes: (Amount)

School Nurse Object 100 – Salary: (Amount) Object 200 – Fringes: (Amount)

Audit of allocation of salaries and benefits to fund 27 Included in Auditor payroll test will be

individuals from the categories of psychologist, social worker, guidance counselor, and nurse

Supply auditor with instructions to staff on how to determine what time is aidable

Provide auditor with documentation of methodology used

Inappropriate allocation of salaries/benefits to fund 27 Auditor reports to DPI as questioned cost

the salaries and benefits of individual in question


May result in phone call to District

Aid is withheld until DPI special education licensing approves the individual

Resources License Listing – Go to School Finance

Reporting Portal, District, Financial Data Home

“Special Education” Pupil Transportationhttp://www.dpi.wi.gov/sfs/se_report.html

Special Education Media-Site – Session 2 – November 17 @ 10:00am

http://media2.wi.gov/dpi/viewer/?cid=2352cf23-e130-4a9c-b83f-8f8e90b15f41

Contacts

Beverly Kraus [email protected]

Lori Ames [email protected]

Kathy Guralski [email protected]

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Special Education – Fiscal Overview Session 1 Kathy Guralski, School Finance Auditor Lori Ames,...

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