Recent announcements posted by the Texas Education Agency that will be of special interest in reference to the school district’s or charter school’s financial management activities are listed below.
To access more information, click on the item titles below.
Recognition of property value loss for 50 percent of the local optional homestead exemption (LOHE) for the 2016-17 school year (and state fiscal year (FY) 2017)
Starting with the 2016-17 school year (and state FY2017), the Texas Education Agency will recognize 50 percent of the value loss due to the local optional homestead exemption (LOHE) for purposes of calculating recapture under Chapter 41 and facilities funding allotments under Chapter 46, regardless of the existence of an appropriation or a surplus in the FSP. This change is effective for the 2016-17 school year (and state FY2017) only and forward and will not be applied retroactively to prior fiscal years.
House Bill 2610 Funding Implications for the 2016–2017 School Year
Action Required: Beginning with the 2016–2017 school year, districts and charter schools are required to submit calendars for all campuses to the TEA demonstrating compliance with the new statute. This submission will take place as part of the third Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) submission due June 22, 2017.
The TEA announcement included key points on this topic including:
- Starting with the current school year (2016–2017), funding will be reduced for campuses reporting minutes of operation with less than 75,600 minutes.
- Check your calendars before the school year ends to make sure your campuses reach at least 75,600 minutes by the end of the current school year (2016–2017).
- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will not know which campuses fell short of meeting 75,600 minutes until after the summer TSDS/PEIMS submission.
- One-time waivers for prekindergarten and dropout recovery campuses (charters, alternative education programs (AEP), and disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEP)) expire at the end of current school year (2016–2017).
Travel and Mileage Reimbursement
Action Required: School districts and open-enrollment charter schools need to amend, as needed, local policies and procedures to ensure the district's approved rates (for charges to grants) do not exceed allowed travel and mileage reimbursement rates to be effective January 1, 2017, through August 31, 2017, as summarized below:
- The automobile mileage reimbursement rate is 53.5 cents per mile.
- The meal reimbursement rate for overnight travel is listed by city on the federal per diem rate map.If the city you are traveling to is not listed, use the daily rate for the county. If the county to which you are traveling is not listed, use the current maximum daily reimbursement rate of $51.
- The meal reimbursement rate for non-overnight travel is up to $36.
- Lodging reimbursement rates for in-state and out-of-state travel are listed on the federal per diem rate map.If the city you are traveling to is not listed, use the daily rate for the county. If the county to which you are traveling is not listed, use the applicable maximum daily reimbursement rate:
- Up to $85 for in-state lodging
- Up to $91 for out-of-state lodging
The mileage, lodging, and meal reimbursement rates published by the comptroller apply to all grants that TEA administers for individuals on travel status [the rates also apply to charges to program intent codes for Foundation School Program special programs accounted for in the General Fund and Special Revenue shared service arrangement fund codes].
Proposed Amendment Commissioner's Rules Concerning Financial Accountability Rating Indicators
The proposed amendment to the Commissioner's Rules would clarify the financial accountability rating indicators used to determine each school district's rating for the 2016-2017 rating year and subsequent years by revising the ratings worksheet calculations in Figure: 19 TAC §109.1001(e)(3). The proposed worksheet, dated December 2016, would differ from the current worksheet, dated August 2015, as follows.
- The Determination of School District Rating table would be revised to disclose the point range applicable for each rating for the 2016-2017 School FIRST rating year. The ranges are A = Superior, 90 through 100; B = Above Standard, 80 through 89; C = Meets Standards, 60 through 79; and F = Substandard Achievement, 0 through 59.
- Indicator 5 would be revised to amend variable F by removing pension expense from the calculation since the amount is not applicable to the indicator calculation.
- Indicator 5 would also be revised by removing the phrases net asset and net assets and replacing them with the phrase net position.
- Indicator 10 would be revised by amending variables A, B, and C to specify that the governmental fund that the data is derived from is the General Fund and Debt Service Fund.
- Indicator 10 would also be revised by adding the word "Ending" to variable D to disclose that the Debt Service Fund ending fund balance will be used in the calculation.
- Finally, Indicator 10 would be revised by amending variable E to specify that the governmental fund that the data is derived from is the General Fund.
Public Comment Period: January 20, 2017 - February 21, 2017.