School Finance Guidance for COVID-19

This mandatory closure guidance is specific to School Finance and any questions related to this should be emailed to [email protected]. School districts and charter districts must attest to the method of general educational opportunities that will be provided throughout the duration of the mandatory closure. The attestation form can be found here and must be completed and submitted by April 15, 2020. Additional questions may assist us in updating this guidance. For questions specific to students with special needs, please visit the ESS guidance by clicking here. The previously issued guidance was last updated on 11/12/2020 at 6:00 pm.

 

Guidance on Executive Orders - updated on 7/24/2020

Please review the School Finance Guidance on Executive Orders and the Frequently Asked Questions documents for details on the impact of the Executive Orders to School Finance requirements.

 

School Finance Guidance for FY21

Updated 11/5/2020 10:30 am

Updated 11/12/2020 6:00 pm

  • A student should be counted as in attendance for any days on which the student participates in distance learning instruction in accordance with the submitted and approved Distance Learning Plan.

    • If a Distance Learning Plan allows students to participate in distance learning in this situation, the student should be marked present or absent based on the attendance criteria in the Distance Learning Plan.

      • Please keep in mind that Distance Learning Plans can be revised at any time during the year and that districts and charters must track the percentage of scheduled instructional time that is distance learning.

  • A Distance Learning Plan that allows individual students to participate in distance learning on any given day will likely require calculating the percent of instruction that is distance learning for each individual student to determine the overall district/charter percentage of instruction that is distance learning.

  • Please keep in mind that School Finance processes that generate non-fundable ADM intervals for students that accumulate excessive absences will not be enforced for FY21.

 

School Finance Guidance for FY20

    Updated 4/14/2020 at 4:00 pm

    • School districts and charter districts which attest to providing general educational opportunities during the mandatory closure shall not amend their instructional calendar(s).
    • Schools should continue to deliver educational opportunities to the extent possible through remote learning and independent study, which may or may not include online learning or printed materials, among other options.

    Updated 4/2/2020 at 4:30 pm

    • Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) schools approved per A.R.S. § 15-808 should continue normal operations.

    • DRPs that conduct instruction online should continue normal operations.
    • DRP’s offered in a brick & mortar setting (utilizing packets or other general educational opportunities) should follow the guidance below.
      • These schools should use the results of the packets or other general educational opportunities to determine monthly success.

    Updated 4/22/2020 at 8:00 am

    • The following applies to students enrolled in B&M through March 15, 2020:
      • Students who begin participating in online instruction during the school closure on or after March 15, 2020 (moving to an in-district AOI approved per A.R.S. § 15-808) may continue being reported at the same school or may be transferred in their Student Information System (SIS) to the in-district AOI.
      • Students who are participating in remote learning provided by the same LEA should continue being reported in the same school for regular ADM, SPED and ELL to be calculated.
      • Students who officially withdraw on or after March 15, 2020 and enroll in any approved AOI (per A.R.S. § 15-808) will generate ADM at the AOI which will result in shared membership days.
      • Do not report absences incurred after March 15, 2020.
      • If a preschool program has already reached its 100th day, additional attendance reporting  is not required. Educational opportunities should continue as attested by the LEA.
    • Except for AOI's, absences and attendance occurring after March 15, 2020 are not required to be reported during the closure.
    • Students participating in online instruction provided by an LEA (local education agency) not authorized pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-808 (Arizona Online Instruction) will be funded through the first scheduled 100 or 200 days, based on existing calendars.

    Updated 4/14/2020

    • If a new student actively participates in general educational opportunities of instruction during the mandatory closure dates, the new student may be enrolled with a start date equal to the first date of participation.
    • The withdrawal process during the mandatory closure should follow normal procedures to the best of the LEA's ability. A student's withdrawal date should be their actual last day of attendance/participation in educational opportunities or excused absence. A student must be officially withdrawn based on notification or request from a parent/guardian. Transcripts and other requested documents should be provided as quickly as possible to the parent/guardian or requesting LEA.
    • Questions regarding enrollment or withdrawal codes should be directed to [email protected].

    • Currently, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is no longer requiring notification from school districts and charter districts of closure during the mandated statewide closure dates (from 3/16 through the end of FY20).
      • For schools that closed prior to the mandated closure dates, please submit a notification to ADE by emailing [email protected]. This notification must include the basis for closure outside the mandated dates and whether you worked with county or local health officials or the Arizona Department of Health Services to make the determination of additional closure dates.

    Updated 4/2/2020 at 4:30 pm

    • If the courses students were enrolled in as of March 15, 2020 met the requirements of .25, .50, .75, or 1.0, an adjustment in FTE will not be required.

    • If the mandatory statewide closure causes the daily route mileage, as defined in A.R.S. § 15-901, to be lower in FY20 than in FY19, the daily route mileage for the purposes of calculating Transportation Support Level (TSL) for FY21 shall be the daily route mileage from FY19.
      • Additional guidance on this matter will be provided.
    • School Finance will open the Route application in mid-May 2020 to allow school districts to complete their Vehicle Inventory report and update Estimated Miles.
    • If the LEA used their transportation fleet, including school buses, as outlined in the mandatory closure bill, the miles should be tracked and reported as a route. Eligible student count may be updated.
      • Van mileage may be included in the calculation of FY20 Estimated Miles when used during the mandatory closure to perform school operations that are deemed to support students and their families during the statewide closure as determined by the public school.
        • Vans used during the mandatory closure will need to be added to the Vehicle Inventory to allow for miles to be credited for the purposes of TSL.
      • If the LEA did not use buses for the purposes outlined in the bill, then the Estimated Miles shall not be updated.

    • If the LEA attests to the provision of general educational opportunities for students throughout the duration of the closure, the 5% increase to the base level amount will remain in effect for the FY20 state aid calculation.

    Updated 7/27/2020 3:30 pm