Special Education Finance

Special Education Funding Manual

• Joint Federal Programs Claims Procedures 
• Finance Funding Manual

Finance Workshop Presentations

• FY 21 Close Out Process
• FY 21 Finance PowerPoint

Special Education Allocations to Districts

Funds are awarded to the OSDE by the United States Department of Education (USDE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), to "flow-through" to the LEA contingent upon an LEA's application for Part B funds.

IDEA Part B funds are awarded on the basis of noncompetitive application.

Section 611 - Flow-through funds are for children with disabilities aged three through twenty-one, and are awarded on a formula based on:

• The number of children with disabilities aged three through 21 served on October 1, 2000;
• The total enrollment in the LEA (in both public and private schools located in the LEA); and
• The poverty level of the LEA (defined as the free and reduced lunch count within the LEA).

Section 619 - Preschool funds are earmarked for children with disabilities aged three through five, and are awarded on a formula based on:

• The number of children with disabilities aged three, four, and five served on October 1, 2000;
• The total enrollment in the LEA (in both public and private schools located in the LEA); and
• The poverty level of the LEA (defined as the free and reduced lunch count within the LEA)

• FY 2021 claims for federal reimbursement are due no later than Tuesday, June 1, 2021 in order to receive payment by Thursday, June 24, 2021.

Tier I and Tier II High Need Memorandums and Applications

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 granted states the flexibility to set aside a percent of the funds reserved for state-level activities to establish a funding mechanism that would reimburse local educational agencies (LEAs) for costs of high needs students with disabilities (34 § 300.704(c)). The out-of-state residential placement is Tier I of Oklahoma’s high needs fund. Tier 2 includes funding for all other high needs students with excessive costs to the LEA.

Per pupil expenditure for FY 2020 for the Tier II High Need Student Application is $9,398.83. The amount needed for a student to qualify is 3 X the average per pupil expenditure which totals $28,196.49 and the total cost of all high need students in the LEA must be at least ten percent (10%) of the LEA’s 2019-2020 IDEA Flow-Through allocation.

• Tier I & II High Need Memo
• Tier I & II High Need Procedure
• Tier I Application
• Tier ll Application Procedures
• Tier II Cover Page
• Tier II Budget Application
• Tier II Request Summary

School Based Services

The Oklahoma State Department of Education pursuant to the OSDE’s memorandum of understanding with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has entered into an agreement with Oklahoma public schools to file claims on their behalf through our contracted vendor, Public Consulting Group. This will provide public schools with an Oklahoma Health Care Authority SoonerCare referral number, collect and monitor public schools special education records for all children receiving health services and assist OHCA in verifying that there is no private insurance for each SoonerCare-eligible child who is receiving services under the memorandum of understanding.

• School Based Health Services Agreement Application Instructions
• School Based Services Application

Finance Resources

• Federal Register
• Frequently Asked Questions: Maintenance of Effort
• Frequently Asked Questions: Time and Effort Reporting
• LNH Notification
• Navigating Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS): FAQ
• Time and Effort Sample Reporting Form
• Parental Consent for the Use of Public Benefits or Insurance to Pay for Services under IDEA
• Parental Consent to Access Public Benefits or Insurance
• Vendor Performance Review
• COOP/Interlocal Arrangement
• American Rescue Plan Funds Guidance 

Other Projects

• Example Board Policy
• Memo Project 613
• Memo Project 615
• Memo Project 616