Division Finance and Budgeting
Release of July 1, 2023, School-Age Population Estimates
Article: 2024-28-258
Audience: Superintendents, School Division Finance Directors
Contact:Ed Lanza, Director of Budget, [email protected]
Pursuant to Section 58.1-638, Code of Virginia, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia has prepared the July 1, 2023, school-age population estimates. These estimates will be used to update the fiscal year (FY) 2026 sales tax revenue distribution estimates to school divisions in the Governor's amended 2024-2026 biennial budget, to be released in December 2024.
The July 1, 2023, school-age population estimates are open for review and inquiry until September 30, 2024, at which time they become final. School divisions and localities may inquire about a revision to their estimates provided certain criteria as established by the Weldon Cooper Center are met. To participate in the review process, division and locality representatives should review their school-age population estimates, the methodology documents, and the Review/Inquiry Process description, available on the Weldon Cooper Center website.
The Weldon Cooper Center contact for questions is:
Hamilton Lombard, Research Analyst
434-982-5698
Email: [email protected]
Please carefully review the proposed estimates of your school-age population and keep in mind the end of the review process on September 30, 2024, at which time the estimates become final.
Slot Survey Results - Regional Alternative Education Programs
Article: 2024-28-257
Audience: Superintendents, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Sofia McDaniel, Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Strategic Innovation [email protected]
Like many state-funded categorical programs, the overall slots for regional alternative education programs across the Commonwealth are determined by the General Assembly. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2025 allocations, VDOE was required to conduct a biennial application process to determine slot allocations for the regional alternative education programs for the 2024-2026 biennium. That initial data collection was conducted during winter and spring of 2023 in advance of the 2024-2026 re-benchmarking process. Each school division, or the fiscal agent for each regional program, was required to apply for the desired number of student slots from the statewide total number of slots funded in the state formula. This was a new requirement in the allocation process.
Parallel to this biennial application requirement, new budgetary language required VDOE to "prorate initial application requests if the initial application demand for slots exceeds the number of slots available." Since divisions requested far more than the allotted 1,798 slots in their biennial applications (2,418 slots were requested by divisions), VDOE was required to prorate slots across the Commonwealth, as noted in the approved budget. This proration was equally applied to every division request at a proration factor of approximately .75. VDOE staff has spoken with districts with concerns about the number of slots they have received for FY25 as there has been variation from previous years due to the proration in the new budget language. It is important to note that the number of overall slots allocated by the General Assembly for Alternative Education Programs has not changed in almost 15 years.
The only mechanism VDOE has to rectify slot disparities is through the annual slot survey, where divisions notify VDOE if they have additional slots for reallocation. We asked that regional alternative education coordinators complete the survey by June 21, 2024, and every program submitted their response. After careful review of the responses, there were zero regional programs with an available slot to re-allocate. Most programs requested more slots than were allocated. The current need continues to outpace the number of available slots funded by the General Assembly.
As you prepare for the start of the new school year, we recommend that you plan for the number of slots currently allocated to your division as noted in the Direct Aid Calculation Tool that was made available in January and again in May. Our team continues to evaluate this process and welcomes ideas you may have to improve the process in the future. Ultimately, since current budgetary language impacts this work, an increase in overall slots or any other modifications to the funding allocation would need to be approved by the General Assembly in the future.
If you have not already done so, please complete the Continuing Application for your regional program. The Continuing Application ensures that programmatic information is recorded and up to date. The application is found here. We ask that this application is completed by July 26, 2024.
As always, we continue to welcome any comments on the process. Please contact Ms. Sofia McDaniel at [email protected] with your suggestions.
Survey and Webinar for Late Liquidation of American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funds
Article: 2024-28-260
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Federal Pandemic Relief Coordinators
Contact: Carol Sylvester, Director, Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs, [email protected]
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced that it will consider requests to extend the timeline for liquidating American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds "to ensure every possible resource is available to continue our collective work to address the pandemic's impacts upon our students, schools, and families."
While a USED approval for late liquidation does not extend the obligation period (ending September 30, 2024), it would allow additionaltime for reimbursements to be submittedfor certain activities. Only expenses tied to properly obligated activities (by the 9/30/24 deadline) approved in the late liquidation application would be eligible for the later reimbursement.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will be releasing a survey to all school divisions to determineinterest or need for late liquidation of ESSER III funds. The VDOE Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs will be conducting a webinarto review the late liquidation process, demonstratethe survey, and review specific application requirements and expectations for school divisions considering late liquidation. The webinarwill be conducted on July 31, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Connection details will be sent out in a follow-up email from [email protected]. The webinarwill be recorded for anyone unable to attend and the link will be sent out along with the survey after the webinar.
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Virginia Department of Education