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Vanilla or Rocky Road – How well do funds really blend in Schoolwide Type 3?

Vanilla or Rocky Road – How well do funds really blend in Schoolwide Type 3?. Tucson Unified School District’s Operating Philosophy. BEST MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN BY MAXIMIZING THE USE OF ALL RESOURCES AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL SITE. Support for Change.

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Vanilla or Rocky Road – How well do funds really blend in Schoolwide Type 3?

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  1. Vanilla or Rocky Road – How well do funds really blend in Schoolwide Type 3?

  2. Tucson Unified School District’s Operating Philosophy • BEST MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN BY MAXIMIZING THE USE OF ALL RESOURCES AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL SITE

  3. Support for Change • Federal guidance strongly encourages consolidation • NCLB Section 1111(c)(9) and (10): • Each SEA must “encourage schools to consolidate funds from Federal, State, and local sources in their schoolwide programs”, and • Each State plan shall contain assurance that – the SEA will modify or eliminate State fiscal and accounting barriers so that schools can easily consolidate funds from other Federal, State and local sources for schoolwide programs” • When Title I Part A funds are consolidated with State and local funds…they lose their identity; thus, it is impossible to know on what specific activities Part A funds are spent.” • How are Federal, state and local services (not just funding) coordinated and integrated? (Designing Schoolwide Programs Guidance: March 2006, p. 44) (NCLB, Sec. 1114, J)

  4. Background • February 2008 Fiscal Guidance • Set out the guidelines for what we call Schoolwide Type 1, 2 and 3 in AZ • Timeline • Convergence of Issues in TUSD • Limited Flexibility under SW1 • Site Based Budgeting

  5. Types of Schoolwide Programs

  6. Schoolwide Type I Schools • Schools use only Title I funds to fund their schoolwide plan. • The school and LEA must account for and track Title I, Part A funds separately, identifying activities that the Title I funds support. • This is governed by cost principles in OMB Circular A-87. Schoolwide Type 3 Schools • A Local Educational Agency may consolidate and use funds together with other Federal, State, and Local funds, in order to upgrade the entire educational program of a school • Funds are not consolidated at the LEA level • Funds are consolidated for schools • Reduce impediments to support meaningful reform initiatives at schools

  7. Which funds are blended? State Funds *Other Funds: Private Grants, etc.

  8. Schools which pool funds must meet the intent of each funding stream pooled. Maintenance and Operations • Staff – Instructional & Non-Instructional • Capital (long term use) Unrestricted Capital • Dollars for Classroom (short term use) Soft Capital Title I • Supplement the School Program • Upgrade/Improve the Entire School • Close the achievement gap & Effective Support to Struggling Students Title II • Highly Qualified Staff • Recruitment & Retention Title III • Language Acquisition

  9. FUNDS – TUSD Blending Example

  10. FUNDS – Blending/Proportionality • Funds Not Consolidated • at TUSD: • Deseg • IDEA • Civic Center • Tax Credit

  11. Rewiring the Financial System • Pre-Planning • What can/will be blended • What cannot be blended • Considerations before blending funds • Supplanting test applies to LEA funding of Schools • Conceptual Blending - [(Section1114 (a)(3)(C)]—Feb 2008, non regulatory fiscal guidance—footnote page 51.

  12. Rewiring the Financial System • Actual Blending • Changes in flow and handling of paperwork • School & Central Staff Training • Fiscal Deadlines • Maintenance of Effort • Comparability • Reporting Expenditures – Proportionality • Capital • Carryover • Closeout

  13. SWIII POOLED FUND MASTER SPREADSHEET

  14. District Strategic PlanningTransition Process Recommendations • Consult with your Financial Officers • Finance must be consulted and on-board before you begin • 2 + years for financial transition planning • Educate Yourself & Others • Seek expertise and advice from the field • Conduct advance research • Enroll your state department as a partner • ADE staff were included in the process: • Consulted on the format of school plans • Invited to training events • Educate and Consult your Auditors

  15. Rocky Road • State Law • Concept of Intents and Purposes doesn’t really exist with AZ funds • Proposed change to Arizona Revised Statutes: Notwithstanding any other provision in this article, school districts may establish an internal service fund in accordance with section 1114 of title I of the elementary and secondary education act that allows a school district that is eligible for title I monies to consolidate title I monies with other federal, state, local and nonprofit monies to implement a schoolwide program that focuses the school's entire educational program on improving the academic performance of all pupils, especially the lowest‑achieving pupils.  The schoolwide internal service fund is exempt from the general and aggregate budget limits established by section 15‑905.   • Capital • Paperwork on county Level • Pooled Funds follow M&O guidelines • Percentage In/Percentage Out challenges • Simplify the process for Sites

  16. Schoolwide 3 Today • School Leaders reap the benefits of blending • Strong comprehensive school plans • Well-informed site leaders & staff engaged in meaningful strategic planning • Reform programs drive funding • Leveraged use of funds to create comprehensive web of support-allocated according to site needs • Eliminated most payroll related documentation requirements • Streamlined processing timelines • Program staff focused on implementation and outcomes • Partnership with State Department of Education staff • Moved from a Focus on Compliance to a Focus on Intents and Innovation

  17. Principal Feedback • With the blended budget, we have stronger ability to use funds in critical areas where we may not have before. • Less red tape. Facilitates alignment of SW3 plan widen money and resources. • Has improved because less time spent on budget. • Has helped to enhance intervention support in vital academic areas. • It helps to have one budget rather than two. • Being new to the game, it has been easier to utilize the funds while keeping focused on my school model. • Freedom to allocate funds based on needs specific to site.

  18. Resources Federal: Non-Regulatory Guidance: Designing Schoolwide Programs Guidance: March 2006 www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/ designingswpguid.doc Non-Regulatory Guidance: “Title I Fiscal Issues,” February 2008 www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/ fiscalguid.doc Consolidating funds in schoolwide programs, MOE, SNS, Comparability, Grantbacks, Carryover Federal Register, July 2, 2004 http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2004-3/070204a.html  State: ESEA For LEAs – Schoolwide 3 http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/title1/schoolwide/ESEA_LEAsSchoolwide3.pdf

  19. Contact Information

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