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 October 2024
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Inside this issue:
Department of Education Resources
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Upcoming Deadlines
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Due Date
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What's Due
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October 30
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Fall BEDS Staff Application Due
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October 30
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Operational Sharing Application Due
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November 1
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Facilities, Elections, and Sales Tax Data Collection Due
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November 1
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EL Excess Costs (formerly LEP Allowable Costs) Application Due
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November 1
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School Association Reporting Due
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November 15
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Exhibits Due for the December 17, 2024 SBRC Hearing
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December 3
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Last Date for an Election to Reorganize Effective July 1: 1st Tuesday in December (even numbered years), 1st Tuesday After 1st Monday in November (odd numbered years)
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Staff Contact Information
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Use the School District Look-up Map to determine the resident district for any address in Iowa.
Directions: Enter the address in the upper left-hand corner. Use your scroll to zoom in and out of the map.
The Iowa Department of Education (Department) Bureau of School Business Operations is pleased to announce the additions of Tom Simpson, Eric How, and Bobby Wilson to our team. Welcome, Tom, Eric, and Bobby!
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Tom served as the transportation director for Humboldt Community School District for ten years and most recently for the last eleven years as the western region school bus inspector for the Department. Tom earned his B.S. in Mathematics from Iowa State University. Tom’s new responsibilities as the state director of pupil transportation will include facilitating the collection of multiple applications (Annual Transportation Report (ATR), Driver Authorization System (DAS), Vehicle Information System (VIS), Nonpublic Transportation Claims), overseeing school bus driver curriculum development, representing the state at a national level, and being a resource for parents, student transportation personnel, and district administrators across the state. |
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Eric comes to the Department after 12 years with the Knoxville Police Department where he managed multiple public programs including training, grant funding, video evidence, policy and procedure, and patrol operations. Eric also serves in the Iowa National Guard as a Logistics Captain managing logistics and maintenance programs across the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB). Eric holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Ashford University, M.S. in Law from California Southern University, and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. Eric serves as the Program Administrator for Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Account program and is a direct resource for nonpublic schools and ESA program participants. |
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Bobby comes to the Department after 12 years of accounting experience with John Deere Financial. Bobby held accounting roles in cash accounting, accounting coordinating, and support for factories and internal audit where he participated in financial audits at multiple international sites. Bobby holds a B.S. in Accounting from Simpson College, B.A. in Finance from Upper Iowa University, and an M.B.A. and M.S. in Business Analytics from the University of Iowa. Bobby serves as an Education Program Consultant - School Finance and is a direct resource for SBOs and education leaders across the state. |
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Question: My district received an audit finding due to a negative net position in the Nutrition Fund. How would I correct this if the negative net position was a result of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 68 entry?
Answer: GASB Statement 68 requires employers to report their share of the collective net pension liability on their financial statements. If the district’s negative balance in the Nutrition Fund is solely due to this requirement, the district should work with their auditor to note this reason in the audit finding. Deficit net position audit findings due solely to GASB 68 do not require a follow up from the Department.
Question: Can districts charge students memberships fees for the career and technical student organizations (CTSO)?
Answer: Districts may not charge students CTSO membership fees as districts do not have the authority to charge fees that are not expressly authorized in law (Iowa Code § 274.3(2)). Iowa Code section 282.6 provides that all schools shall be free of tuition. Iowa Administrative Code r. 281 – 12.2 defines the educational program as the entire offering of the school, including out-of-class activities and the sequence of curriculum areas and activities.
Question: When attempting to access the CAR reports in EdInsight, a blank screen is showing. What steps should be taken?
Answer: Please follow the steps below.
- Log out of all browser applications.
- Delete all browser history including cookies and cache.
- Close the browser completely. If there are multiple instances of the same browser (e.g., multiple Chrome windows or tabs open), close all.
- Reopen the browser.
- Log in to the Ed Portal.
- Launch EdInsight.
Tip: EdInsight works best as the only application launched.
Question: Is a retailer required to accept a sales tax exemption certificate or to provide a sales tax exemption?
Answer (from the Department of Revenue): A retailer is never required to accept a sales tax exemption certificate or to provide a sales tax exemption, the retailer is only required to remit the sales tax they collect to the Iowa Department of Revenue. Many retailers accept the certificates because it's good business and the certificate provides broad protection to the retailer, but they're not required to do so. If the school is required to pay sales tax to a retailer, the school can request a refund through govconnect.iowa.gov, or by filing an 843 Refund Return. The school can also encourage the retailer to contact the Iowa Department of Revenue to help answer any questions the retailer may have about accepting the certificates.
Also, note that while schools are often exempt (especially public schools) from paying sales tax on purchases, they are not always exempt. For example, hotel/motel tax applies even when a school rents lodging.
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Many districts across the state are using the Governor’s School Safety Bureau and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s free tool for anonymous reporting of school threats. If your district is interested in joining other districts, or for more information, please visit the Safe + Sound Iowa website.
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The Iowa Chart of Account Coding, found on the Department's Uniform Financial Accounting web page, is regularly updated to reflect changes necessary to meet fiscal reporting needs.
September 2024
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Account Code
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Description
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Source/Project 4022
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Education Stabilization Fund (Replacement Instructional Materials Related to Disaster Recovery) (FAL/CFDA 84.425) (Sep24)
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Source/Project 3418
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Innovation Division of the Department of Education for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Collaborative Initiative (IC 256.111) (Sep24)
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Information in the Operational Sharing application is populated from Fall BEDS Staff. Once the Operational Sharing application is available, the information can be reviewed and certified. Any changes required in the Operational Sharing application must be made in the Fall BEDS Staff application. The deadline to certify Fall BEDS Staff and Operational Sharing is October 30.
The general process for the operational sharing supplemental weighting request is outlined below.
- Fall BEDS Staff must be updated before the Operational Sharing application is reviewed.
- The district or area education agency (AEA) holding the shared employee's contract reports the individual’s full salary and benefits according to the individual’s contract.
- The district or AEA purchasing a portion of the shared individual’s contract reports the purchased service (portion of the salary and benefits). This should be the projected amount to be reported in the local financial system with an Object code of 59X when the contract holder is another district or AEA, or with an Object code of 3XX when the contract holder is some other governmental subdivision.
- A shared individual must be reported by all parties as shared. The sharing information can be added or edited by editing the individual’s assignment that is being shared. “Shared Status” options for operational sharing are listed below.
- We hold the employee’s contract and the assignment is in both districts.
- We are the district purchasing services and assignment is in both districts.
- We hold the employee's contract, and an operational sharing position is in each district.
- We are the purchasing district, and an operational sharing position is in each district.
- We are sharing with other governmental subdivisions.
- The district must select the district that is also a party to the sharing.
- Use the drop-down arrow to select the sharing partner.
- Click Add.
- Click Save.
- If the contract holder has more than one sharing arrangement for the individual, select the second district that has also purchased a portion of the individual’s contract. Click Add and repeat step 5.
- Click Save to exit the edit pop-up screen.
If errors on shared staff are experienced, request the other district to check its Fall BEDS Staff information to see if the sharing status and sharing partner have been completed. A common error is for one district to identify an individual and related assignment as shared, but not identify the sharing district. Once the sharing information has been corrected, click the Check for Errors/Omissions button to clear the error message. Additional guidance can be found on the Fall BEDS Staff web page.
In order to have a curriculum director appear in the Operational Sharing application, the curriculum director must be reported with the Position code of 633, Director/Coordinator/Department Head. Individuals reported with the position code of Content/Curriculum Consultant position will not generate operational sharing supplementary weighting.
For new shared positions with another governmental subdivision other than sharing arrangements with another Iowa public school district or AEA, please send a copy of the signed contract to ted.bauer@iowa.gov. Contracts are used to verify that the duties performed for the governmental subdivision are an eligible operational function (281 IAC 97.66). Sharing arrangements that were approved in a prior year do not need to be resubmitted unless a significant change in the arrangement has occurred.
Operational function sharing guidance includes all eligible positions and the related supplementary weighting.
For assistance with corrections to Fall BEDS Staff or Operational Sharing application, please contact Shelly Wolterman at shelly.neese@iowa.gov or 515-336-3859.
For assistance determining if a sharing agreement is eligible for supplementary weighting, please contact Ted Bauer at ted.bauer@iowa.gov or 515-979-5468.
The School Association Reporting application is available on the EdPortal and the related due date is November 1.
Iowa Code section 279.38A requires boards of school corporations that pay membership dues to organizations which directly relate to the functions of the board of directors to report annually to the local community and the Department. The board must report the amount paid in annual dues to the organization, any fees paid and revenue or dividend payments received for services the board receives from the organization, and the products or services the school district received inclusive with the membership in the organization.
Districts must report information for four different associations: Iowa Association of School Business Officials (IASBO), Rural School Advocates of Iowa (RSAI), School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), and Urban Education Network (UEN). Effective with FY21 filing, districts are no longer required to provide information regarding the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) to the Department as this will be provided to the Department from IASB.
Instructions are posted on the home page of the School Association Reporting application. For additional questions, please contact Ted Bauer at ted.bauer@iowa.gov or 515-979-5468.
The SBRC Application is anticipated to open in mid-November. The application calculates eligibility for Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) requests as described below.
- Increased Enrollment – for districts showing Fall 2024 actual enrollment (formerly known as row 7) greater than Fall 2023 actual enrollment (Iowa Code § 257.31(5)(a)).
- Open Enrollment Out Not Included on Prior Year’s Headcount – students identified as open enrolled out in Fall 2024 who were not included in the district’s Fall 2023 certified enrollment count, minus any increase in enrollment described in item 1 above (Iowa Code § 282.18(7)"e”).
- English Learners (EL) Instruction Beyond 5 Years – for resident students included in Fall 2024 certified enrollment who have already received the maximum English Learner (EL) supplementary weighting and who earn an intermediate or intensive rating on the ELPA and are continuing to receive EL instructional services (Iowa Code § 257.31(5)’j”).
This application is pre-populated from each district’s certified enrollment and Student Reporting in Iowa (SRI) submission. Directions to complete the request are listed below.
- Verify the accuracy of the data. The amounts can change during the certified enrollment verification period during the last two weeks in October and early November. Therefore, do not certify the SBRC Application until certain that the district’s certified enrollment information is correct.
- Enter the amount of a request. Click “Save Values".
- Certify the application.
- The School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) considers individual action for each request and appreciates local boards doing the same when acting upon the requests during local board meetings, so please do not include requests as part of a consent agenda.
- Each request should be listed as a separate action item considered at the November board meeting. Sample board action language is provided below.
- Increased Enrollment - The district’s administration is authorized to submit a request to the School Budget Review Committee for a modified supplemental amount of $XXX due to an increase of certified enrollment from the prior year.
- Open Enrollment Out Not on Prior Year’s Headcount - The district’s administration is authorized to submit a request to the School Budget Review Committee for a modified supplemental amount of $XXX for open enrolled out students who were not included in the district’s previous year certified enrollment count.
- English Learners (EL) Instruction Beyond Five Years - The district’s administration is authorized to submit a request to the School Budget Review Committee for a modified supplemental amount of $XXX related to the EL program for students who have exceeded five years of weighting that are included on the Fall 2024 certified enrollment headcount.
- On the SBRC Application page, upload the board minutes authorizing the request(s). If board minutes are not available at the time of submission, enter the date the board will take action. Then upload the minutes within two business days of that board meeting.
If you have questions related to the SBRC Application, please contact Ted Bauer at ted.bauer@iowa.gov or 515-979-5468.
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The following reminders are provided in regard to reporting of Home School Assistance Programs (HSAPs) in the 2024 Fall BEDS Staff submission.
Program Code: Fall 2024 Fall BEDS Staff. Individuals funded through HSAP categorical funding are to be identified with program code of 11.
Assignment Code: Districts with a HSAP must report teachers with appropriate assignment codes of either 60034 or 30004. Teachers in a district’s HSAP can only supervise and/or teach students in grades corresponding to the teacher’s license (Iowa Code 299A.2).
- Teachers supervising or teaching students in grades kindergarten through grade 8 are to be reported with the assignment code of 60034.
- Teachers supervising or teaching students in grades 9 through 12 are to be reported with the assignment code of 30004.
If a teacher is licensed to teach grades kindergarten through 12, the teacher is to be reported with two assignments utilizing the assignment codes of 60034 and 30004. In addition, Iowa Administrative Code 281-31.4(2) states, “A practitioner who possesses only a valid Iowa substitute authorization may neither provide direct instruction nor instructional supervision under this rule.”
For questions related to Fall BEDS Staff reporting, please contact Shelly Wolterman at shelly.neese@iowa.gov or 515-336-3859.
For questions related to the home school assistance program, please contact Buffy Campbell at buffy.campbell@iowa.gov or 515-954-8651.
Information regarding Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Account (ESA) program can be found on the Department's Students First Education Savings Accounts web page.
Funding is available to assist Iowa public schools and child care centers in testing and reducing lead in drinking water. Administered by the Department, the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation (WIIN) grant is a voluntary funding opportunity that covers costs for water test kits, training and educational resources on lead exposure. Participating sites that are found to have lead levels in their drinking water can also receive funding assistance for lead remediation expenses. Applications for the WIIN grant opportunity are being accepted on a rolling basis while funding is available. To learn more visit educate.iowa.gov and search for the WIIN Lead Testing Grant. Specific inquiries can be directed to Lyn Jenkins, education program consultant, at lyn.jenkins@iowa.gov.
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For Medicaid policy questions, please contact Tashina Hornaday, Medical Policy Program Manager at Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, at tashina.hornaday@hhs.iowa.gov or 515-201-3553.
For Medicaid procedure questions, please contact Melissa Walker, Administrative Consultant of School Health at the Department of Education, at melissa.walker@iowa.gov or 515-864-6701.
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Iowa has experienced mild and dry weather conditions recently, but colder weather and the potential for snow and ice are coming. The Department’s school bus inspection team encourages district transportation personnel to closely inspect the tire condition on vehicles used for pupil transportation. Fall weather can create wet, muddy, and slick conditions, and properly inflated tires with adequate tread are critical for the safe operation of these vehicles. The inspectors urge transportation directors, mechanics, and drivers to pay particular attention to tire condition this month.
School bus inspections are conducted twice per year at each facility. While the Department does send email inspection reminders several weeks in advance to the entity’s contact(s) listed in the Vehicle Information System (VIS) application within the EdPortal, the school bus inspection schedule is always available on the Department’s Pupil Transportation web page.
Following each inspection, school bus inspection fees are processed and invoices mailed out. Invoices can also be accessed and downloaded from the VIS under the “Invoice” menu at the top of the page. Please note that payment information is not tracked within this application.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the latest round of funding from the Clean School Bus Rebate Program with up to $965 million available to school districts. Under the Clean School Bus Program's multiple grant and rebate funding opportunities to date, EPA has awarded almost $3 billion to fund approximately 8,700 school bus replacements. Applications for this year’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program are due on the EPA online portal by 4 p.m. EST on January 9, 2025. Applicants can request up to $325,000 per bus for up to 50 buses per application.
Additional information is available on the Clean School Bus Rebates website.
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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.
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