The fiscal year (FY) 2002 Local Education Agency (LEA) Special Education Consolidated Application for Part B funds will be disseminated in the Arkansas Department of Education's bulk mailing. The application is in accordance with Special Education and Related Services: Procedural Requirements and Program Standards, 2000, and Special Education Eligibility Criteria and Program Guidelines for Children with Disabilities, Ages 3-21, 2000, and subsequent rules and regulations adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Education as regulations for the administration of the special education program. Due to revisions in the application, a revised manual of instructions will be sent with the application. Please discard the instruction manual disseminated in 2000 and replace it with the revised manual.
Revisions to the Consolidated LEA Application:
In compliance with IDEA 97 and subsequent amendments, the following assurance has been revised:
Treatment of Federal Funds:
The applicant, in accordance with 34 CFR 300.233, may treat as local funds up to 20 percent of the amount of monies it receives under Part B of IDEA 97 that exceeds the amount it received under Part B of IDEA 97 for the previous year. A LEA may use these funds to meet the maintenance of effort requirement under 34 CFR 300.231.
Budget:
The following function codes have been added or revised for special education expenditures:
1. Parent Counseling and Training 2129
2. Medical Services 2132
3. School Health Services 2139
4. Speech Pathology 2152
5. Audiology 2153
6. Orientation and Mobility Services 2190
Title VI-B Grant Allocation for FY 2002:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 established a permanent formula for distributing Part B (Title VI-B) funds to eligible public agencies. The formula became effective on July 1, 2000. Consistent with 34 CFR 300.712(b), the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) will distribute Part B funds for the 2001-02 school year not set aside for state administration and state-level activities based on the following criteria.
Base Payment: A public agency will receive the amount it would have received if the ADE had distributed seventy-five (75) percent of the fiscal year 2000 grant award (1999-2000 school year). The remaining funds will be distributed as follows:
Enrollment: Eighty-five (85) percent of the remaining funds will be distributed on the basis of the public and private school enrollment of elementary and secondary students residing within the district for the 2000-2001 school year.
Poverty Level: Fifteen (15) percent of the remaining funds will be distributed on the basis of the school-age population living in poverty. Allocation for each public agency will be based on the total free and reduced school lunch applications for each agency for the 2000-2001 school year.
Each public agency will receive a data sheet containing the agency's Part B allocation for fiscal year 2002.
INSERVICE TRAINING:
Listed below is a schedule for inservice training for superintendents, special education supervisors and other interested parties on the fiscal year 2002 Consolidated LEA Application for Special Education and Related Services. Items reviewed will be as follows: (1) special education expenditure requirement of state and local funds, (2) changes in the application, (3) budget preparation and (4) other items (SLIVER grant, etc.)
July 18, 2001:
Wilbur D. Mills Education Cooperative
210 North Main Street
Beebe, Arkansas
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: (501) 882-5467
July 20, 2001:
Southeast Arkansas Service Cooperative
1022 Scogin Drive
Monticello, Arkansas
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: (870) 367-6848
July 24, 2001
Crowley's Ridge Education Cooperative
203 South Illinois
Harrisburg, Arkansas
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: (870) 578-5426
July 30, 2001
Western Arkansas Cooperative
3010 East Highway 22
Branch, Arkansas
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: (501) 965-2191
August 1, 2001:
Southwest Arkansas Education Cooperative
500 South Spruce
Hope, Arkansas
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Telephone: (870) 777-3076
Please contact one of the cooperatives by July 16 if you plan to attend one of the workshops.
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