Subject: Now Accepting High Need Fund (HNF) Applications
Source: Shelley Witherbee, Supervisor, Funds Management

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and District Administrators

Date: January 12, 2007

The Division has published the Current Expenditure per ADA amounts at the following website: http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Finance/HighNeedIndex.html and is now accepting applications. Districts MUST use the amount listed on this spreadsheet in their High Need Fund application.  

The High Need Fund was established to provide funding support to districts with special education students whose educational costs exceed three times (3x) the district's 2006 Current Expenditure per Average Daily Attendance (ADA) (as calculated on the district's 2006 Annual Secretary of the Board Report/ASBR), without regard to disability or placement. The applications and manual for the High Need Fund are now available on the Division's website at http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Finance/HighNeedIndex.html. All districts seeking reimbursement under this fund (including those that submitted a pro-rata application in March) must complete the application form. For those districts that received a partial payment from the budgeted costs submitted on the pro-rata application, the remaining portion will be paid based on the actual expenditures reported on the final application form. The application is due by January 31, 2007, and must be submitted electronically to webreplyspefm@dese.mo.gov.

Please note that previous versions of the application indicated a description was required for any costs reported in the “Other” category that exceeded $10,000. However, the most recent version states that all costs reported in this category must include a description.

If you have any questions, please contact Shelley Witherbee at (573) 522-2523 or by email at shelley.witherbee@dese.mo.gov.