[Busmgrs] School Day Restoration Fund

[RYAN Debby]

SCHOOL DAY RESTORATION FUND

BACKGROUND:  As you probably are aware, the 2009 Legislature created the School Day Restoration Fund last week (Senate Bill 581) and funded it with $51 million General Fund (Senate Bill 5552).  Each school district, each education service district, the Youth Corrections Education Program, and the Juvenile Detention Education Program may apply to the Department of Education for a grant.

Senate Bill 581 requires the Oregon Department of Education to work with the Legislative Fiscal Office to determine grant requirements.  These are to include, but are not limited to, a requirement that the school district or education service district superintendent, and president or chair of the district governing board, certify the district has made a good faith effort to: (A) eliminate or minimize reductions in the number of school days; (B) continue special education programs; (C) review and possibly reduce administrative salaries; (D) collaborate with teachers and other employees concerning ways to maintain school days; and (E) utilize cash reserves to the greatest extent possible.

ACTION REQUIRED: Attached below you will find the application for a grant from the new School Day Restoration Fund.  (You can also access the form at http://www.ode.state.or.us/services/ssf/finance/estwarrants/sdrf-application.pdf )  The form, created by the Legislative Fiscal Office and reviewed by the Oregon Department of Education, contains questions regarding district reserves and steps taken to minimize a reduction in school days.  It also requires the Superintendent and the chair/president of the governing board to certify, by original signature, good faith efforts have been made to minimize or eliminate a reduction in school days.  Please submit your district's completed form no later than April 30, 2009 as follows:

Please provide the original to -

Mark Patterson, Director
School Finance Unit
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street
Salem, OR  97310

Please also submit a copy to -

Monica Brown
Principal Legislative Analyst
Legislative Fiscal Office
State Capitol Building
900 Court Street NE
Room H-178
Salem, OR  97301


The Legislature is requiring the Department to make distributions from the School Day Restoration Fund no later than May 15, 2009.  Any funds remaining on July 1, 2009 will revert to the state's General Fund.  Therefore, we must receive your completed and signed application by April 30, 2009.

For early submitters, the Department plans to distribute funds by April 15, 2009.  For the April distribution, we must receive your completed and signed application by March 31, 2009.

QUESTIONS? For your reference, we have included the sections from Senate Bill 581 that establish the School Day Restoration Fund.  If you have any questions on this new fund or the application, please contact:

Mark Patterson, Director
School Finance Unit
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street
Salem, OR


Sincerely,

Sue MacGlashan
Assistant Superintendent
Office of Finance and Administration
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97310
(503)947-5658
susan.macglashan at state.or.us

SDRF Grant Application Form:


Excerpt from Senate Bill 581 [Enrolled]:


SECTION 19. { + The Legislative Assembly finds that: (1) The state is experiencing an unprecedented economic downturn; (2) The state has an interest in ensuring that Oregon's children are able to complete the 2008-2009 school year with minimal or no reductions in school days; and (3) To achieve that purpose, it is necessary to establish a School Day Restoration Fund so that the state may support activities directly related to maintaining classroom activities while allowing school districts and education service districts to determine the specific activities necessary to reduce costs and access local reserves to support Oregon's children. + }
SECTION 20. { + (1) The School Day Restoration Fund is established in the General Fund.
(2) The Department of Education shall distribute moneys in the School Day Restoration Fund as follows: (a) 95.25 percent as grants to school districts, the Youth Corrections Education Program and the Juvenile Detention Education Program; and (b) 4.75 percent as grants to education service districts. + }
SECTION 21. { + (1) In addition to those moneys distributed through the State School Fund, the Department of Education shall award grants from the School Day Restoration Fund established by section 20 of this 2009 Act to school districts, education service districts, the Youth Corrections Education Program and the Juvenile Detention Education Program for the purposes of minimizing or eliminating any reductions in the number of school days and ensuring the continuation of special education programs for the remainder of the 2008-2009 school year.
(2)(a) Each school district, each education service district, the Youth Corrections Education Program and the Juvenile Detention Education Program may apply to the Department of Education for a grant under this section.
(b) The Department of Education shall work with the Legislative Fiscal Office to set grant application requirements. The requirements shall include, but are not limited to, a requirement that the school district or education service district superintendent, and president or chair of the district governing board, certify that the district has made a good faith effort to: (A) Eliminate or minimize reductions in the number of school days; (B) Continue special education programs; (C) Review and possibly reduce administrative salaries; (D) Collaborate with teachers and other employees concerning ways to maintain school days; and (E) Utilize cash reserves to the greatest extent possible.
(3)(a) Notwithstanding ORS 338.155 (9), the Department of Education may not award a grant under this section directly to a public charter school.
(b) A school district that receives a grant under this section may transfer a portion of the grant to a public charter school based on the charter of the school or any other agreement between the school district and the public charter school.
(c) A public charter school that receives grant funds under this subsection shall use those funds for the purposes specified in subsection (1) of this section.
(4)(a) The amount of each grant for a program or school district = the program's or school district's ADMw X (the total amount available for distribution to programs and school districts as grants : the total statewide ADMw of all programs and school districts).
(b) The amount of each grant for an education service district = the education service district's ADMw X (the total amount available for distribution to education service districts as grants : the total statewide ADMw of all education service districts).
(c) As used in this subsection, 'ADMw' means ADMw based upon the collection of 2008-2009 second quarter average daily membership as reported to the Department of Education by school districts and the most recent collections of all other components of ADMw for the 2008-2009 school year.
(5) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer section 20 of this 2009 Act and this section. + }
SECTION 22. { + (1) Sections 19 to 21 of this 2009 Act are repealed July 1, 2009. (2) Any moneys remaining in the School Day Restoration Fund on July 1, 2009, shall be transferred to the General Fund for general governmental purposes. + }



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