Special Education Listserv

Subject: Special Education Part B Entitlement Allocations

Source: Debbie Gerlette, Supervisor, Funds Management

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Finance Administrators

Date: May 28, 2008

The 2008-09 (FY 09) IDEA Part B Entitlement allocations have been posted on the Special Education Funds Management website at:  http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Finance/partbentitlement.html click on FY09 Part B Calculation.

You may notice that the FY 09 Part B Entitlement allocations are less for many districts. There are several factors that may be attributed to the reduction:

1) The amount of annual increase to the Part B grant award has declined from 17.25% in FY 03 to 1.37% in FY 09.

2) IDEA 2004 requires LEA Part B (section 611) calculation to be based on three components: (1) the base amount sometimes referred to as the hold-harmless amount. Any funds remaining above the base amount are allocated based on two separate calculations as follows: (2) 85% of the remaining amount is allocated on the basis of "enrolled" children in public and private elementary and secondary schools, home schooled children and (3) 15% of the remaining amount is allocated on the number of children in poverty as defined by the state agency.  In Missouri, this measure is the number of free and reduced lunch children.

3) Changes in a district's enrolled child count and/or free and reduced count.

The Part B Application will be submitted in the new ePeGS system and is due by June 15, 2008, in order that districts may start to obligate funds as of July 1 in accordance with the Federal Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).  The ePeGS system should be available in the next few weeks.  We are in the process of preparing a training guide for the application and will notify districts via SELS when the guide and application are available.

Please keep in mind that a budget may not be submitted until an estimated Final Expenditure Report for the current 2007-08 school year has been submitted.

If you have any questions, please contact our section at (573) 751-0622.