April 2025

Inside this issue:

• Staffing Update: Welcome Valerie Moos!
• Join Our Team!
• COA is Open!
• EdPortal Update
• Iowa School Resource Officer Conference
• New Resource: Sextortion Cards
• COPS Grant
• Iowa Chart of Account Coding Updates
• The Numbers are Finalized: All thanks to your important work!
• Property Taxes – Types and Coding
• Friendly Reminder: Accounting for Local Food for Schools
• School Information Update Application
• School Budget Review Committee Hearing Summary | March 26
• Reminder from SBRC
• Educational Savings Accounts
• ESSER and Real Property Reporting Requirements Update
• Training Opportunity: Putting the Pieces of Procurement Together
• Community Eligibility Provision Intent to Participate
• Vehicle Information System: Adding and Removing Vehicles
• Inspector Tip of the Month: Best Practices for Driver Exchanges
• 2025 National School Bus Driver Survey: Illegal Passing

Department of Education Resources

• Iowa Department of Education Departmental Directory
• Iowa Department of Education Alphabetical Directory
• Iowa Department of Education Customer Service Guide
• Previous Editions of the School Business Alert Newsletter

Upcoming Deadlines

Staff Contact Information

Featured

Staffing Update: Welcome Valerie Moos!

The Iowa Department of Education (Department) Bureau of School Business Operations is pleased to announce the addition of Valerie Moos to our team! Valerie joins us from San Angelo, Texas. She brings with her nine years of experience as a special education consultant at an Education Service Center (like an AEA in Iowa), where she provided support and technical assistance to special education educators from 46 surrounding school districts. Prior experience also includes serving as a special education teacher. Valerie will be supporting the field in the realm of special education finance and can be reached at valerie.moos@iowa.gov and 515-393-8349. Welcome, Valerie!

Join Our Team!

Are you intrinsically motivated to be a resource for others? Have you thought about the impact you could make at a state level being a resource for peers across the state? Consider joining our team!

View State of Iowa "Benefits at a Glance 2025". We are currently accepting applications for one position on our team.

Education Program Consultant - School-Based Medicaid - Closes 5/8/2025

This position serves as a technical resource to the field regarding eligible services, coding, and billing and engages in statewide policy conversations.

It is important for our team to be fully staffed with knowledgeable, dedicated folks so we can best support those in the field! Questions about the position responsibilities or ways this role makes a difference internally and across the state can be sent to Kassandra Cline at kassandra.cline@iowa.gov or 515-326-2242.

COA is Open!

The CAR 2025 COA Test Records application is available for district and area education agency (AEA) use. Changes and updates to edits and warnings will be ongoing.

• Stages one and two validate the composition of the account code. 
• Stages three and four will be available but may change as updates are made. 
• Users may get stage four reconciliation messages, as all revenue, receivables, or restricted fund balances may not be entered prior to the end of the fiscal year in the district’s accounting system.
• A district may test an individual account code or an entire CAR file. 
• The COA Test Records application mirrors the CAR Upload and Reports application. 
• Many of the COA Test Records edits are programmed to check tables for information. These tables may not be complete until all data is available. 

Districts and AEAs are strongly encouraged to test CAR files early and often for account coding accuracy. Please be sure to update the district’s financial software to the most current version before creating the export file. Districts and AEAs should not change accounting records to pass edits, as the edit may need to be modified during testing. The COA test records application is available on the Iowa Education Portal (EdPortal). Once logged in, go to EdInfo, then Finance Applications.

If you need access to the CAR 2025 COA Test Records application, the portal security officer at the district or AEA will be able to grant access. Any other portal login questions or issues may be directed to ed.portal@iowa.gov.

If you have coding questions, issues with the upload, or edits and/or warning messages, please contact Jina Brincks at jina.brincks@iowa.gov or 515-313-5942 or Song Luong at song.luong1@iowa.gov or 515-205-0259.

EdPortal Update

Effective April 7, all EdPortal users are now required to access EdPortal with an ID.iowa.gov (OKTA) account. Existing users should have received an email from the Department in March regarding this update to the single sign-on for EdPortal, as well as instructions for next steps. Users who have not created an ID.iowa.gov account may find more information on the ID.iowa.gov Help Site, which is also linked at the bottom of the EdPortal landing page. Once the ID.iowa.gov account has been created, users will be able to log in from the EdPortal landing page with the new ID.iowa.gov username and password. For additional questions or to request further assistance, please contact ed.portal@iowa.gov or 515-725-2040.

School Safety Spotlight

Iowa School Resource Officer Conference

The Iowa School Resource Officers Association (IASRO) is hosting its 16th annual school safety conference June 17 - June 19, 2025 at Camp Dodge in Johnston, IA. Additional information is available on the IASRO 2025 Training web page.

New Resource: Sextortion Cards

The Governor's School Safety Bureau (GSSB) is seeing an increase in the number of sextortion incidents across the State. In response, GSSB, in conjunction with Safe+Sound and Iowa's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, created wallet-sized resource cards for schools to distribute to students. The cards identify the steps students can take in these situations and important resources including contacts for the cyber tip line, local law enforcement, and suicide and crisis lifelines. The cards will be mailed out to schools on August 1.

COPS Grant

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) division of the U.S. Department of Justice has many grant opportunities available for school districts. Visit the COPS Grants web page for more information.

Coding

Iowa Chart of Account Coding Updates

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.

March 2025

The Numbers are Finalized: All thanks to your important work!

Fiscal year 2024 (FY24) Certified Annual Report (CAR) data is finalized. Thank you for your hard work all year long, including assisting the Department with the CAR review process. School districts managed over 10 billion dollars for Iowa’s students across more than 460 revenue funding streams. Your work is important, essential, and appreciated every day. 

FY24 CAR School District Final Data

Property Taxes – Types and Coding

The Department's Uniform Financial Accounting web page 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 county treasurers.

Friendly Reminder: Accounting for Local Food for Schools

School districts that participated in the Local Food for Schools (LFS) subgrant opportunity through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will need to record the value of the food received even though the dollars did not flow to the districts directly.

• 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.

Further questions can be directed to Bobby Wilson at bobby.wilson@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.

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 2025-2026 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 2025-2026 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 2024-2025 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 sections 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 Ted Bauer at ted.bauer@iowa.gov or 515-979-5468. If you have other questions regarding the completion of the SIU application, please contact Jennifer Thomas at jennifer.thomas@iowa.gov or 515-725-2252.

General Information

School Budget Review Committee Hearing Summary | March 26

The School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) met in regular session on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The SBRC reviewed preliminary district cash reserve levy limits, gifted and talented budget information, updated unspent authorized budget per pupil decile rankings, reviewed the summary of the Department’s discussion with the Finance Roundtable on spending authority thresholds, and reviewed AEA committed and assigned fund balances. The Committee reviewed the next steps in adoption of Iowa Administrative Code r. chapter 289 and separately took action to notice the rule. 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. Additional action included authorizing requests for MSA relating to hazard abatement for two districts, approving one request to rescind MSA previously awarded, approving one request for MSA for initial staffing of a new building, and authorizing a transfer from the unexpended General Fund to the Capital Projects Fund and approving an equivalent amount of MSA for costs contributing to new construction. The Committee also took action accepting one corrective action plan for late fiscal filing and accepting the corrective action plan and approving MSA for one district due to a negative unspent balance.

The Summary of Action is available on the Department's School Budget Review Committee web page. For further information, please contact SBRC liaison Stephanie Edler at stephanie.edler@iowa.gov or 515-689-2258.

Reminder from SBRC

SBRC Requests: Furnishing, Equipping, and Contributing to the Construction of a New Facility

The SBRC directed the Department to remind districts that decisions by the Committee are made on a district-by-district basis and based on the individual circumstances in that district. The Committee has authority to grant use of the unexpended fund balance to furnish, equip, and contribute to the construction for a new building or structure for which the voters approved a bond issue (Iowa Code § 257.31(7)). However, the SBRC wishes to emphasize that no district should assume, nor plan into their building project, that the SBRC will grant a modified supplemental amount for this purpose. The only way a district can ensure that it will have enough funds to complete construction and to furnish and equip the facility is to be sure that the bond issue voted in the district is adequate to cover these costs. The SBRC will continue to review each district’s circumstance at the time of a request.

Educational Savings Accounts

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.

ESSER and Real Property Reporting Requirements Update

• During the Statewide Superintendent’s Meeting on 4/1/25, the Department provided a reminder of upcoming notifications related to ESSER Annual Reports and collections to be requested from LEAs. Per communication from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on 4/8/25, the Department was notified that USED has discontinued annual performance reporting for ESSER, GEER, and EANS funds. No more data will be collected by the USED. Therefore, LEAs will no longer need to wait for any notifications from the Department on this matter. 

• Unless otherwise instructed by the USED, at this point districts will still be notified at the beginning of May of the CASA collection for Real Property and Federal Interest Reporting for projects funded with ESF grants. Per 2 CFR § 200.330 set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), recipients (SEAs) “must require the recipient or subrecipient (LEAs) to submit reports on the status of real property…Such reports must be submitted at least annually…for at least 15 years…” This collection asks the districts questions about capital expenditures to purchase land, construct a building or make improvements to a building in order to comply with Notice of Federal Interest requirements (ESSER/GEER Quarterly Report and Claim Reimbursements for 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23) and ESSER II/III Quarterly Reports and Claims for 2023-24. The Department will provide instructions on the annual reporting requirement to the Department on the status of the real property which, as noted in 2 CFR § 200.330, needs to occur for at least the first 15 years. In addition, subrecipients were required to record Notices of Federal Interest for projects that used ESF grants. Disclosure of these requirements was included in the grantee assurances for the ESSER programs.

Further questions regarding ESSER and Real Property reporting can be directed to Chief Financial Officer Sandi Hurtado-Peters at sandra.hurtado-peters1@iowa.gov or 515-250-3728. 

Training Opportunity: Putting the Pieces of Procurement Together

An interactive training on the federal procurement requirements will be presented by the Urban School Food Alliance, in collaboration with the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, on May 28, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. This training is intended for directors and school business officials involved in procurement for their USDA school nutrition programs. This training requires registration, and is offered at no cost to registered participants. For questions, please contact the district’s assigned school nutrition consultant.

Community Eligibility Provision Intent to Participate

Schools interested in participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2025-26 school year must complete the CEP Intent to Implement no later than June 30, 2025, The USDA CEP Fact Sheet  provides a brief summary of the alternative claiming process.

As a reminder, all school food authorities (SFAs), regardless of interest in operating CEP, need to complete the annual CEP reporting in IowaCNP between April 1 and 15. SFAs will report the number of identified students and total enrollment as of April 1. For questions, please contact the district’s assigned school nutrition consultant.

School-Based Medicaid

For School-Based Medicaid policy questions, contact Tashina Hornaday, Medical Policy Program Manager at Iowa Health and Human Services, at tashina.hornaday@hhs.iowa.gov or 515-201-3553.

For Medicaid procedure questions, contact Melissa Walker, Administrative Consultant of School Health at the Department of Education, at melissa.walker@iowa.gov or 515-864-6701.

Transportation

Vehicle Information System: Adding and Removing Vehicles

Important Reminder: Before July 1, 2025, please verify all vehicles used for transporting students are reported in the Vehicle Information System (VIS) application available in the EdPortal. This includes adding newly purchased vehicles and removing vehicles that are no longer used to transport students. 

To Add a Vehicle: 

• Log into VIS and go to the “District Vehicles” list under the “Vehicles” heading.
• Click the “+New Vehicle” button at the top left corner of the vehicle list.
• Complete all sections of the “Add Vehicle” pop-up page.
• Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page.

To Remove a Vehicle: 

• Locate the vehicle. Click “Edit”.
• Click the drop down menu for “Vehicle Status" at the bottom of the screen.
• Select one of the three options to describe the disposition of the vehicle. 
• Options include: “Salvaged/Scrapped", “Sold", or “Suspended". 
• The information is used to help calculate the related depreciation. If the vehicle disposition information is not populated correctly, depreciation information cannot be calculated. All information pertaining to the vehicles in the VIS should be accurate and complete.
• The vehicle may then be deleted from the “Vehicle Information” screen by locating the vehicle number and clicking the “Delete” button in the corresponding row.

Further questions regarding use of the VIS may be directed to Tom Simpson at tom.simpson@iowa.gov or 515-336-3965.

Inspector Tip of the Month: Best Practices for Driver Exchanges

Districts engaged in sharing agreements, operating after school district consolidations, and leveraging efficient use of district resources have all contributed to a relatively new phenomenon in student transportation, the driver exchange. Driver exchanges take place when two or more buses meet along a route (e.g., attendance center or other designated location) to switch drivers. Driver exchanges can serve multiple purposes. Primarily, exchanges are used to allow a driver to return to his or her hometown while the bus and students continue the route with a different driver. This system allows drivers to significantly reduce their time on the road that would be spent returning to their hometown or base of operations after drop off is complete with an empty bus.

Recently, the Department was informed of a driver exchange taking place on a public highway where both drivers were activating the stop arms and 8-way warning systems, stopping traffic, and switching buses. Iowa Code section 321.354 makes it clear that a person shall not stop, park, or leave standing an attended or unattended vehicle on the highway. Paragraph 2 of Iowa Code section 321.354 makes an exception for school buses that may stop on the highway for receiving and discharging pupils. The drivers were not receiving or discharging students, so the bus should not have been stopped on the highway.

Student transportation providers should be aware that safe and legal driver exchanges must not occur on the public highway and must occur at a safe location.

Questions regarding other best practices for driver exchanges can be directed to Tom Simpson at tom.simpson@iowa.gov or 515-336-3965.

2025 National School Bus Driver Survey: Illegal Passing

While school buses remain incredibly safe, students are most vulnerable when they are outside the bus in the “danger zone”. The danger zone around a school bus is the area near the bus where students are most likely to be injured by their own bus or by vehicles driven by other motorists. Students are approximately three times more likely to be injured in the danger zone than while riding in the bus.  Many of these injuries come from motorists who do not obey school bus stop signs and warning lights.

Action Requested: The Iowa Department of Education is assisting the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) in coordinating a national survey to document illegal passing of school buses. The data will help improve safety countermeasures in Iowa and at the national level. 

Districts, contractors, nonpublic schools, and other student transportation providers are encouraged to assist in this important project. 

On Wednesday, May 7, school bus operators should observe and report any instances of motorists illegally passing their school buses. Drivers should document the time of day (morning, midday, afternoon), the direction of the pass (from front or from rear), and the side of the bus where the passing occurred (left or right). The 2025 School Bus Driver Survey: Illegal Passing form for drivers is available on the Department's Transportation Forms web page. Driver observations should be compiled and returned to Tom Simpson at tom.simpson@iowa.gov by Wednesday, May 14. The Department will then report the submitted information to NASDPTS.

Questions or requests for additional information should be directed to Tom Simpson at tom.simpson@iowa.gov or 515-336-3965.

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.