|
A Microsoft Word version of this letter is available for download
and PRINTING. |
|
October 1, 2010 Subject: 2009–2010 Near-Final Summary of Finances TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED: The “near-final” Summary of Finances (SOF) for the 2009–2010 school year and other related reports have been updated and are available at the School Finance website at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/funding/sofweb7.html. The reports reflect the following important updates and information available at the time of publication. Please note that additional updates and corrections will appear in the very near future. Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs)The SOF reflects the updated student attendance data submitted by districts through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) in July for the 2009–2010 school year. The nearfinal calculation of students in weighted average daily attendance (WADA) can be found on line 11 of the SOF. For districts that receive the Pre-K Early Start Grant, the ADA and bilingual ADA related to this program have been subtracted from the refined ADA and bilingual ADA that were derived from the PEIMS attendance data. Therefore, the total refined ADA and bilingual ADA that are indicated in the SOFs will not match the districts’ PEIMS submissions. The Adjusted ADA Detail Report, available soon, provides the details of this calculation. New Instructional Facility Allotment (NIFA)The NIFA allotment shown on the SOF has not been changed to reflect actual ADA related to this program. The actual NIFA amount earned in 2009–2010 will be reflected in the final version of the SOF in April 2011. ADA Decline AdjustmentThe Texas Education Code (TEC), §42.005, provides school districts that experience declines in ADA from one year to the next with an adjustment to their current-year ADA. The ADA of a district may be adjusted to reflect up to 98 percent of the district’s prior-year ADA, depending on the availability of funding. The 2009 General Appropriations Act provided $11 million for the purpose of ADA adjustments in districts with declining enrollments. The $11 million ADA decline adjustment will be made in the next SOF released. Total Tax CollectionsThe maintenance and operations (M&O) and interest and sinking fund (I&S) tax collections your district reported on the Tax Information Survey in summer 2010 have been used in this SOF. If your district did not complete the survey, thenbudgeted tax collections for the 2009–2010 school year as reported through the PEIMS will continue to be used until audited tax collections are incorporated in the final version of the SOF in April 2011. If your district receives an Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) for a lease-purchase agreement, your district’s local share of the IFA has been subtracted from the M&O tax collection amount. If your district participates in a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), the local collections for the TIRZ submitted on the J1 schedule in your district's 2009–2010 annual audit will be subtracted from your district's M&O collections in March 2011. Transportation AllotmentYour district’s 2009–2010 near-final transportation allotment is based on the 2009–2010 route services data submitted via the Transportation subsystem of the online Foundation School Program (FSP) System. Existing Debt Allotment (EDA)A report entitled EDA State Aid Calculation, available by clicking the "EDA Detail Report" link, reflects the near-final state and local shares of EDA based on the updated ADA and district property values. Settle-up amounts for 2009–2010 will be incorporated into the 2010–2011 EDA payments, which we expect to make in late October. If your district refinanced eligible debt during the 2009–2010 school year, a correction is required. Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA)The state and local shares of IFA will be recalculated shortly to reflect updated ADA and district property values. Settle-up amounts for 2009–2010 will be incorporated into the 2010–2011 IFA fall payments, which we expect to make in late October. If your district has refinanced eligible debt during 2009–2010, an amendment is required, and adjustments may be necessary. High School AllotmentYour district’s high school allotment is calculated by multiplying your district’s high school (grades 9–12) ADA by $275. Your district’s allotment will be updated with high school ADA from the July 2010 PEIMS submission in the next SOF released. Teacher Salary AllotmentYour district’s teacher salary allotment is calculated by multiplying the district’s total number of eligible teachers, librarians, nurses, and counselors by $2,500 or $1,250, depending on their full-time or part-time status. See the ASATR Detail Report section of the SOF for your district’s updated allotment amount. The allotment was updated with 2009–2010 counts submitted via the Staff Salary subsystem of the online FSP System. The correction to this allotment will occur in the next version of the SOF.Staff Salary AllotmentYour district’s staff salary allotment is calculated by multiplying the district’s number of eligible staff by $500 or $250, depending on their full-time or part-time status. See the Other Programs section of the SOF for your district’s updated allotment amount. The allotment was updated with 2009–2010 counts submitted via the Staff Salary subsystem of the FSP System. Any necessary corrections to the allotment will be made in the next version of the SOF. State Aid Reduction for WADA SoldIf a Chapter 42 district entered into an Option 4 agreement with a Chapter 41 district, the reduction in state aid for selling WADA has been recalculated using the district’s near-final revenue per WADA. An updated report entitled State Aid Reduction for WADA Sold, available by clicking the "WADA Sold Detail Report" link, shows how this latest WADA charge is derived. The number of WADA being sold does not reflect the near-final WADA that the Chapter 41 district must purchase. The number of WADA bought/sold may need to be adjusted depending on the near-final Chapter 41 Cost of Recapture report. Additional State Aid for Frozen Levy ReductionThis allotment reflects hold harmless state aid resulting from the passage of House Bill 5 in 2007, which extended the benefits of the M&O tax rate reductions authorized by House Bill 1 in 2006 to the elderly and disabled, whose taxes were already frozen. Public Education Grant AllotmentThe Public Education Grant allotment is not included in this SOF. It will be incorporated in the final version of the SOF in April 2011. The section of the SOF entitled FSP Allocations and Adjustments shows the amount of your district’s near-final settle-up. If your district was underpaid, the amount owed the district was paid in September 2010. If your district was overpaid, recovery of the amount overpaid started in September 2010 and will continue to be made by reducing the district’s 2010–2011 monthly payments from the Foundation School Fund. The rate of recovery will be based on the same percentage that Foundation School Fund monthly payments are based on in accordance with your district’s 2010–2011 payment class. Your district's 2009–2010 Foundation School Program Payment Ledger is also available on the School Finance website at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/funding/sofweb7.html. If you have any questions about this SOF, please contact a state funding consultant in the State Funding Division at (512) 463-9238. Sincerely, Helen Daniels, For general questions about the SOF:
For questions about facilities funding:
For questions about transportation:
 |
