April 2023

Inside this issue:

• Open Position at the Department on the SBO Team!
• Action Required by May 12: Urgent Request from Iowa Health and Human Services Regarding Medicaid and Data Breaches
• The Numbers are Finalized: All Thanks to Your Important Work!
• Iowa Chart of Account Coding Updates
• Accounting for Local Food for Schools
• Radon Testing and Training
• 504 Plans and Nonpublic Students
• School Budget Review Committee (SBRC)
• Educational Savings Accounts
• Parking Fee: Iowa School Business Management Academy
• School Information Update Application
• Districts in a Whole Grade Sharing Arrangement - Supplementary Weighting
• Vehicle Information System Verification
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Free Security Training and Assessments
• Quarterly Medicaid Exclusion/Suspension Verification Report Due April 30

Upcoming Deadlines

Staff Contact Information

Department of Education Resources

• Iowa Department of Education Departmental Directory
• Iowa Department of Education Alphabetical Directory
• Iowa Department of Education Customer Service Guide
• Previous School Business Alerts

Top Stories

Open Position at the Department on the SBO Team!

The Bureau of School Business Operations (SBO) at the Iowa Department of Education (Department) welcomes applications for Bill Roederer’s special education finance position. We are excited to continue building our team! The position closes on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

Education Program Consultant - School Finance (Special Education)

Action Required by May 12: Urgent Request from Iowa Health and Human Services Regarding Medicaid and Data Breaches

The Department holds an internal contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) Medicaid program in order to receive their confidential information on all Medicaid-eligible students. This contract requires the Department to keep this confidential Medicaid information secure and immediately report any breaches of information. The Business Associate agreement between school districts and the Department requires the district to keep this confidential Medicaid information secure and immediately report any breaches of information.

Because several districts have had data breaches in the past year, the Department has received a very important request from Iowa HHS Medicaid. 

Iowa HHS wrote: "Because of the lack of or extremely slow reporting from the school districts that we know were breached, we feel we need assurances from all school districts that they can assure us that they were not breached or that they will report to us if they were breached. We will need all school districts to give us some sort of response.”

On March 1, the Department made this request to the attorneys who serve school districts with a due date of March 31. Response has been quite limited; 13 total responses have been received.  

Iowa HHS Medicaid is required to report any breach of confidential Medicaid information to the federal government, so when a breach occurs that could involve Medicaid information, Iowa HHS Medicaid must either obtain and provide the details of the breach to the federal government, or if no Medicaid information was breached, provide attested statements from the breached entity. This reporting to the federal government is very time sensitive so it is imperative that Iowa HHS Medicaid become aware of any breach as soon as possible.

Action Item:

Please complete one of the actions below by May 12.

• Send an email to Jim Donoghue attesting no data breach has occurred within the last three years.  
• Send an email to Jim Donoghue providing the date of the data breach and whether it was already reported.

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Donoghue at jim.donoghue@iowa.gov or 515-281-8505 or 515-326-1032.

Coding

The Numbers are Finalized: All Thanks to Your Important Work!

Fiscal year 2022 (FY22) Certified Annual Report (CAR) data is finalized. Thank you for your hard work all year long, including assisting the Department with the CAR review. School districts managed over 10 billion dollars for Iowa’s students across more than 430 revenue funding streams. Your work is important, essential, and appreciated every day. YOU are necessary!

FY22 CAR School District Final Data

Property Taxes – Types and Coding

The Uniform Financial Accounting webpage of the Department's website includes a document titled Property Taxes – Types and Coding. This document provides guidance on how to code the various types of taxes listed on property tax orders received from the counties. 

Iowa Chart of Account Coding Updates

The Iowa Chart of Account Coding is regularly updated to reflect changes necessary to meet fiscal reporting needs. The most recent updates are provided below. Updates are posted each month to this document which can be found on the Uniform Financial Accounting webpage.

Accounting for Local Food for Schools

The Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship was awarded over $2.1 million through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS Source/Project 4911). These funds are available to schools to purchase local, domestic, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods to help with the challenges of supply chain disruptions.

School districts will record LFS funds similar to how commodities are recorded.

• Revenues are coded to Source/Project 4911.
• Expenditures are coded to Object 638, Project 4911.
• Expenditures and revenues must equal at the end of the fiscal year.

If you have further questions, please contact Kathy Bowers at kathy.bowers@iowa.gov or 515-210-9674, Jina Brincks at jina.brincks@iowa.gov or 515-313-5942, or Song Luong at song.luong1@iowa.gov or 515-205-0259.

General Information

Radon Testing and Training

Iowa Code section 280.32 requires each Iowa public school district’s board of directors to establish a radon plan and a subsequent schedule for short-term testing for radon gas at each attendance center. Each attendance center shall be tested, at least once, by July 1, 2027. Once initial testing is done by July 1, 2027, each attendance center must be tested again at least once every five years. The results of each test are required to be published on the district’s internet site in a timely manner. 

Radon testing done on and after July 1, 2022 shall be done by a person certified to conduct radon testing in accordance with Iowa Code section 136B.1 or by district employees who have completed a radon testing training program approved by the Department and Iowa HHS.

Iowa HHS has launched a new K-12 Schools Radon Information webpage to provide important resources as listed below. 

• Iowa Code Chapter 280 requirements
• Related radon legislation
• Radon training information for school district employees

If you have questions about radon testing training or how to become eligible to conduct radon tests, please reference the K-12 Schools Radon Information webpage.

If you have questions about the radon testing guidance, please contact Scott Dryer at scott.dryer@iowa.gov or 515-402-8700.

504 Plans and Nonpublic Students

The Department occasionally receives inquiries about the responsibilities of the public school district when working with students who attend a nonpublic school and have been placed on a 504 Plan.  A recent inquiry received from a public school district and the Department’s related response is reflected below.

Question: A resident student who is hearing impaired attends a nonpublic school in our school district. We have provided hearing devices for students who attend our district and have an IEP, but I wasn’t sure of our district’s responsibility when the child is attending a nonpublic school and has been placed on a 504 Plan. What are our district’s responsibilities for this student?

Answer: The public school district has no obligation if the student is only 504 eligible. The nonpublic school is independently covered by section 504 and is obligated to make “minor adjustments.” If the solution recommended for the child is beyond minor adjustments and the nonpublic school is therefore unwilling to provide the solution, please contact the Department for alternative ideas.

If you have any questions, please contact Bill Roederer at bill.roederer@iowa.gov or 515-393-8349.

School Budget Review Committee (SBRC)

The SBRC met in regular session on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The SBRC reviewed preliminary district cash reserve levy limits, gifted and talented budget information, and updated unspent authorized budget per pupil decile rankings. The SBRC took action to accept an updated corrective action plan from one district and separately reviewed an updated corrective action plan from another district as an informational item. The SBRC directed the Department to distribute transportation aid from the sale of license plates to eligible districts on an equitable basis. The SBRC granted requests for permission to use special education program funds for administrative costs of special education programs and separately approved modified supplemental amounts (MSA) for at-risk, alternative school, and returning dropout and dropout prevention (AR/DOP) programs. The SBRC also approved requests for MSA relating to hazard abatement for six districts and retention payments made to staff not otherwise eligible for the Governor’s retention payments for two districts. Additional action included authorizing one district to transfer from the General Fund to an enterprise fund due to a deficit balance remaining after a closed enterprise effort.

The Summary of Action is available on the Department's website. For further information, please contact SBRC liaison Patricia Townsend at patricia.townsend@iowa.gov or 515-689-2258.

Educational Savings Accounts

All current information regarding Educational Savings Accounts can be found here.

Parking Fee: Iowa School Business Management Academy

The Iowa School Business Management Academy's Spring Academy on May 8-10, 2023 will be held at the Memorial Union, Iowa State University, 2229 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA. 

The cost of parking in the Memorial Union Parking Ramp is included in the registration fee. However, a new option has been added if an Academy attendee will not require parking in the Memorial Union Parking Ramp. For this situation, if the Academy registration has not yet been submitted, enter CARPOOLI-IV (if registering for Level I through IV) or CARPOOLGRAD (if registering for graduate level) in the Promo Code field within Step 3 of the registration process; this will remove the associated parking fee. If an Academy attendee has already registered, this form can be completed to have the cost of parking removed from the registration fee. If payment has already been made, a refund will be issued in the same form as it was received. 

Parking in the ISU Parking Ramp provides the most convenient parking for visitors to the campus and is connected to the Memorial Union. More information regarding conference room locations (2nd floor), parking ramp location, procedures for entering and exiting the ramp, and download availability for session materials will be sent to each Academy attendee.

Applications

School Information Update Application

Now is the time to update the School Information Update (SIU) application. Please do so as soon as possible to ensure the Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA) is populated correctly for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Districts in a Grade Sharing Arrangement

Please review the information regarding grade sharing arrangements for those involved in whole grade sharing or tuition agreements. Grade sharing information for districts currently in a whole grade sharing or tuition arrangement has been rolled forward into the 2023-2024 school year. Each grade sharing arrangement must be reviewed in order for the orange or red warning flag to disappear. The SIU application does not need to be uncertified to complete the grade sharing review process. To review the grade sharing information, select the grade sharing link at the top of the SIU homepage and select Grade Sharing.

• Districts entering into a new grade sharing arrangement must click the green "Add" button and complete the required questions.
• Districts terminating a grade sharing arrangement must click the red "Close" button.
• Districts continuing a grade sharing arrangement must click the blue "Edit" button and review the information from the 2022-2023 school year. Modify as needed, then click the blue "Save" button.

Grade sharing is defined in Iowa Code section 282.10 as “a substantial portion of the pupils in any grade in two or more school districts (that) share an educational program for all or a substantial portion of a school day under a written agreement pursuant to section 256.13, 280.15, or 282.7, subsection 1 or 3.” Sharing arrangements involving less than half the students in any grade, or arrangements involving nearly all the students but for less than half the school day, should not be recorded in the application. 

If you have questions regarding the grade sharing portion of the SIU application, please contact Scott Dryer at scott.dryer@iowa.gov or 515-402-8700.

Districts in a Whole Grade Sharing Arrangement - Supplementary Weighting

Districts in a whole grade sharing arrangement must plan to reorganize on or before July 1, 2024 in order to generate whole grade sharing supplementary weighting. Details of the supplementary weighting can be found in Iowa Administrative Code 281-97.5. Whole grade sharing supplementary weighting requests are submitted through the SIU application.

• For year one whole grade sharing supplementary weighting, both districts in a whole grade sharing arrangement must adopt a resolution to study reorganization to take effect on or before July 1, 2024. Prior board resolutions to study reorganization effective July 1, 2019 remain valid, as long as districts continue the current whole grade sharing arrangement. The resolution must be submitted to the Department by October 1 of the year in which year one whole grade sharing supplementary weighting is being requested.
• For year two whole grade sharing supplementary weighting, a district must submit a progress report no later than August 1 preceding October 1 of the year the district intends to request year two supplementary weighting. The progress report is completed within the SIU application under the Grade Sharing tab. Year two requirement is the establishment of a reorganization committee. An upload is available to submit board minutes showing the board’s action establishing the reorganization committee.
• For year three whole grade sharing supplementary weighting, a district must submit a progress report no later than August 1 preceding October 1 of the year the district intends to request year three supplementary weighting. The progress report is located within the SIU application under the Grade Sharing tab. Year three requirement is an AEA-accepted reorganization petition and a date established by the AEA for the reorganization election.

The SBRC will act on requests for year two and year three whole grade sharing supplementary weighting during the October hearing. 

Additional information for completing the whole grade sharing portion in the SIU application can be found on the School Information Update webpage of the Department’s website. 

If you have questions, please contact Scott Dryer at scott.dryer@iowa.gov or 515-402-8700.

Transportation

Vehicle Information System Verification

Important Reminder: Check the Vehicle Information System (VIS) to verify specific vehicle information before July 1, 2023. This includes adding all eligible vehicles (i.e., vehicles used for transporting students) purchased during the year. As a reminder, when a vehicle is no longer used for this purpose (e.g., the vehicle is sold, salvaged) do not simply delete it from the fleet. 

Before deleting it, click “Edit." Then, at the bottom of that screen, click the drop down menu for “Vehicle Status." Then select one of the three options to describe the disposition of the vehicle, or that it is no longer being used. Options include “Salvaged/Scrapped", “Sold", or “Suspended". Choose the condition that best reflects the situation for the vehicle. The information is used to help calculate the related depreciation. If the vehicle disposition information is not populated correctly, depreciation information cannot be calculated. Please be sure all information pertaining to the vehicles in the VIS is accurate and complete. 

If you have further questions, please contact Max Christensen at max.christensen@iowa.gov or 515-336-3965.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Free Security Training and Assessments

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a branch of the United States Department of Homeland Security, is offering free security training and assessments for school transportation departments in Iowa. TSA Inspector Ron Gann is tasked with visiting districts in Iowa to evaluate current plans and offer suggestions for improving transportation security. TSA will also offer training for school bus drivers regarding threat recognition, mitigating threats, and responding to threats. This training will include recognizing suspicious packages, suspicious persons, and suspicious behavior. These are free services to each school district.

For more information, to set up a transportation evaluation, or to set up training for school bus drivers, contact TSA Inspector Ron Gann at ronald.gann@tsa.dhs.gov or 402-672-4898.

Medicaid

Quarterly Medicaid Exclusion/Suspension Verification Report Due April 30

Iowa Medicaid school-based providers must comply with checking two sources each month to capture employee exclusions and reinstatements: the federal list provided on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) website and the state’s list, which is found on the Iowa Medicaid Program Integrity website.

A search of these sources is to occur monthly to confirm individuals whose services are billed to Medicaid are not excluded. Please monitor to see if any exclusions and reinstatements have occurred since the last search. It is required that these checks are documented. A provider must report to the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME) any exclusion information discovered through such searches. It is important that you do not bill for services provided by an excluded or suspended individual.

At the end of each quarter, please send the completed three months spreadsheets to the Department's Medicaid consultant, Jim Donoghue.

For questions or assistance with checking the Exclusions database or Suspension list, please contact Jim Donoghue at jim.donoghue@iowa.gov or 515-281-8505 or 515-326-1032.

It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, please contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, telephone number: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-4544, telephone number: 312-730-1560, FAX number: 312-730-1576, TDD number: 877-521-2172, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.