|
State School Payments
The September State School Funding Payments for FY 2023 are posted at the following link: State School Payments
The September 27, 2022 payments include: Direct State Aid, Quality Educator Component, At Risk Component, Indian Education for All, Student Achievement Gap, Data for Achievement, and Special Education.
If you have questions regarding payments, please contact Becky Belling (406) 444-2561
October 4th – Fall Student count
The official fall count day is Monday, October 3, 2022. You may import data once Aggregate Hours are entered in AIM (Infinite Campus). However, you will be required to reimport into MAEFAIRS on or after October 4th. District staff should verify the enrollment and absences in AIM (Infinite Campus) prior to importing and submitting their student count data in MAEFAIRS. Student Count for ANB reports must be submitted to the MAEFAIRS system no later than October 21, 2022.
To access MAEFAIRS, CLICK HERE
Compensation Expenditure Reporting
MAEFAIRS is available to report the FY2022 Compensation Expenditure Report. The Compensation Expenditure report is due to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) by December 10, 2022.
The FY 2022 Compensation Expenditure Reporting Instructions have been updated and are available on the OPI website
If you have questions regarding Compensation Expenditure Reporting please email OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or contact Andrea Mohammadi at 406-444-1960.
For TEAMS/TOE information, contact Ellery Bresler at 406-444-2410.
Changes to Trustees' Financial Summary
If you find a material coding error on your FY2022 Trustees Financial Summary (TFS), please scan and submit your revision to the School Finance Division at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.
Instruction to make changes to the FY2022 TFS can be found on page 7 of the TFS Instructions
Questions can be directed to Andrea Mohammadi, Budget Analyst at 406-444-1960. Revisions can be mailed to: OPI School Finance, PO Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501.
Please submit your revisions as soon as possible. The deadline for submitting revisions is December 10.
ESSA Reporting - Fiscal Year 2022 ESSA Per Pupil Data and Validations
The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires school-based expenditure reporting. This guidance is designed to help districts comply with statewide uniformity to fulfill the federal requirements created in 34 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) § 200.35. District compliance is essential for Federal compliance. The federal law requires all districts report expenditures by SC, regardless of enrollment, number of school buildings, or location.
The OPI has limited authority to make changes to district’s financial records after the Trustees’ Financial Summary (TFS) report has been approved by the Board of Trustees and County Superintendent of Schools. All expenditures, including mandatory ESSA entries, are the responsibility of the district. The allowable circumstances in which the OPI can make changes to the TFS are prescribed in ARM 10.10.504.
All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) report per-pupil expenditure data at the school or LEA level, including allocations of district-wide expenditures to the school level. Expenditures are disaggregated by the source of (revenues) funds (state, local, and federal). School-level expenditure reporting is submitted to the OPI in MAEFAIRS, which publishes the information in the Montana Report Card as mandated by ESSA reporting requirements.
LEAs with only one designated SC are the only LEAs that do not have to allocate expenditures by SC. If the LEA is designated as the Prime Agency for expenditures in the School Food Service Fund (12), Miscellaneous Programs Fund (15), and the Interlocal Agreement Fund (82) those expenditures will be reported separately in the TFS. The TFS data entry will allocate the expenditure to the appropriate entity or LEA.
Please contact your software vendor for guidance on setting up school codes in your accounting system. This is a very important step and the OPI is encouraging school districts to work with their software vendors. The following software vendors have provided their contact information:
Black Mountain Software
Please contact support@blackmountainsoftware.com or call the support line
at 1-800-353-8829.
C and C Accounting
Please contact David Bardwell at 877-318-0837 or help@candcschoolaccounting.com.
Tyler Technologies/ Infinite Visions
Enter a ticket online through the support portal at https://www.tylertech.com/client-support/Infinite-Visions-support# [tylertech.com] and you will be contacted by the support department, or call the support line at 888.654.3293.
Individual Contracts (TR4)
By October 1st the county superintendent must electronically receive all individual transportation contracts (TR4s) for FY2023.
Individual Contracts that include isolation must first be approved by checking the County Approval check box prior to electronically marking the contract received.
For questions regarding Individual Contracts, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316.
Bus Driver Certificate TR35
School bus drivers must hold a valid Montana School Bus Driver Certificate (TR35) for a district to be eligible to receive state reimbursement.
Qualifications for bus drivers are prescribed by 20-10-103, MCA, and by the Board of Public Education in ARM 10.64.201. The bus driver certificate forms are provided and must be maintained electronically in the Pupil Transportation System.
The chair of the board of trustees must sign the certificate which is issued to a driver who is authorized and qualified to drive a school bus pursuant to all applicable rules, regulations, and laws. The district must retain a current copy of each bus driver's certificate, provide a copy to the bus service contractor, if applicable, and file a copy with the county superintendent. The bus driver is required to always carry a current and valid hard copy of the certificate while driving a school bus.
If you have questions regarding Bus Driver Qualifications, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316.
School Buses Assigned
School Buses that are inactive or no longer with a school district should be un-assigned from the school system.
For school buses that have been totaled or disposed of, please contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316 to exclude these buses from the lists.
Audit Letter for FY-2022
The annual letter to auditors has been revised and can be found on the OPI website by clicking this Audit link. The letter provides general information for the fiscal year 2022 regarding issues affecting Montana school district audits and special items the OPI would like auditors to review for compliance with statute and administrative rule. If you have questions, please contact Dan Moody or Kristen Becker by email or phone at 406-444-0701.
School Year 2022-23 Changes
-
STRUCTURE CHANGES with an effective date of July 1, 2023: School districts with changes to operating status, grade level configurations, school/district name, etc., should contact the OPI as soon as possible. Please send official notice of these change requests, on district letterhead, signed by the Authorized Representative, to the School Finance email at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.
-
PERSONNEL CHANGES: Changes to board chair, clerk/business manager, superintendent, or principal must be changed in OPI Contacts. Instructions for how to make these changes are found here: Instructions. If you have questions about how to complete the updates, please contact: CentralUpdates@mt.gov.
New to the School Finance Team
Kristen Becker was born and raised in Eastern Montana. While in Eastern Montana she worked for an accounting firm for 18 years providing bookkeeping, accounting, and tax services for a very diverse clientele. In April of 2009, she and her daughter moved to Helena to chase new endeavors, which included Kristen returning to school to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from MSU Billings in 2016. After graduation, she again used her experience and knowledge in accounting, but with the State of Montana rather than in the private sector. Kristen began the position of OPI Auditor in September of 2022, to train with Dan Moody and serve as his replacement when he retires his post. She makes several trips each year to go back to Eastern Montana to visit her parents who are still there and a brother who lives in Wyoming. Kristen has two grown children, both of whom also live in Helena, and spends as much time as possible with them. Outside of work, as with many in Montana, winters are primarily spent indoors with her children and pets but during the summer months, time at the lake is her preferred place, enjoying the sun, sand, and water. Kristen loves learning and being a positive influence on all who cross her path.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
|
