The School Level AFR forms are now able to be submitted in Budget System. Navigate to this link to access ADE Connect for submission in Budget System.

To access district School Level AFR forms, please use this link and for charter School Level AFR forms, you can access this link.

Please note, to view the “Upload” button in Budget System for the FY23 AFR files, you will need to click on the following radio button located in the top right-hand corner of the submission dashboard:

Also, please be aware that the Budget System will analyze the number of schools in each district and charter. If all schools are not reported, the file will receive a status of “Processed with Warning(s)/Informational” and list the missing CTDS numbers of the schools. This will help verify if a school was accidentally missed.

If a school was missed, please correct the error and reupload the file. Additionally, if more schools were included than there are in EOS, the report will receive a status of “Processed” but the additional data will not be read by Budget System. These same rules will apply to the Results Based Funding and District School By School Deseg AFR forms.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, October 18th 

 The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, October 18th, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):    

• Reminders 

• Trending topics 

• Top 3 Integrity Errors 

• Q&A        

Registration is required to attend: Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website.  FY 2024 September BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the FY 2024 September BSA 55 information.

• District BUDG-25 reports are available to download from this School Finance website. For further instructions on how to navigate the website, please view this Hot Topic.

• District BUDG-75 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • First, select a school district and then click “Go!”
  • Next, click “Switch to Budgets” from the top right corner of the menu bar and then click “Reports” from the middle of the menu bar.
  • Finally, select fiscal year 2022 and then click “Go!”. The BUDG-75 report will appear.
  • Please note that School Finance has not yet run FY23 BUDG-75 reports.

• District BSA 55 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • First, select a school district and then click “View Reports”
  • Next, scroll down the page to the “School District Reports” section.
  • Finally, click the September “PDF” button. The September BSA 55 report will appear.

Please contact the Budget Team ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

Thank you!

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

When October 1 Falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Other Non-Session Day

October 1st falls on a Sunday this school year, and ESS Data Management would like to provide reminders of how to report students and if they should be included in the October 1 count.

Scenarios where a student IS counted for October 1 due to no gap in SPED services:

• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 2nd
  • District A reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th. School District B has fall break from October 2nd – October 6th
  • District A Reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 2nd. School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th
  • District A Reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th. School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th and School District B has fall break from October 2nd – October 6th
  • District A reports the student

Scenarios where a student IS NOT counted for October 1 due to a gap in SPED services:

• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 3rd. October 2nd is an in-session day for District B
  • Student is not reported due to gap in SPED services (October 2nd)
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th.  School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th. School District B also has fall break from September 25th – September 29th
  • Student is not reported due to a gap in SPED Services (October 2nd – October 6th).
• Student withdraws September 29th from School District A and moves out of state
  • Student is not reported due to moving and not knowing if continuing in SPED

Please remember that the PEA the student attends on the last in-session day before October 1st is counted by that PEA if SPED services are known to be continuing. The PEA that enrolls and provides services after October 1st does not count the student.

ESS Data Management determines in-session and out-of-session calendar days based on calendars submitted and approved in AzEDS.

Please feel free to contact ESS Data Management:

• If you are unable to determine if the student continued in SPED after withdrawing from your district
• If you are uncertain about another school or charter district-approved calendar days
• If you’d like confirmation on whether to count a SPED student for October 1st
• Any other questions about October 1st

As a reminder, the link from our October 1 data collection virtual training is available on the October 1 Data Collection website.

Please email ESS Data Management with any questions. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

FY24 Need Concurrency Matrix Update

Previously, we only allowed preschool needs eligible for state funding per A.R.S. § 15-771(A) to be reported in AzEDS. These needs are as follows:

• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Developmental Delay (DD)
• Preschool Severe Delay (PSD)
• Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)

Effective FY24, changes have been made to allow concurrent reporting of these needs with other allowable needs for preschool students. Refer to the updated Need Concurrency Matrix. However, the statutory funding requirements remain unchanged.

Questions or concerns can be directed to ESS Data Management.

The School Level AFRs are expected to be released September 29, 2023 after the Auditor General’s office finalizes its updates. You will be able to access these forms on the Auditor General’s website here upon their release.

School Finance will provide a Hot Topic when Budget System is available for these forms to be submitted.

If you have any questions, please contact the Budget Team at [email protected] .

Thank you!

The AFR packet forms are now able to be submitted in Budget System. Navigate to this link to access ADE Connect for submission in Budget System.

Please note that to view the “Upload” button in Budget System for the FY23 AFR files, you will need to click on the following radio button in the top right-hand corner of the submission dashboard:

Please navigate to this link to access the district AFR packets or this link to access the charter AFR packet.

For immediate release: September 19, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne applauds four Arizona “Blue Ribbon Schools”
Recognition from U.S. Department of Education

PHOENIX – Four Arizona public schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, also earning praise from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.

The recognition is based on overall academic performance or progress in closing student achievement gaps.

The schools are:

• Gilbert – Neely Traditional Academy, Gilbert Public Schools.
• Phoenix – Fireside Elementary School, Paradise Valley Unified School District.
• Tucson – Senita Valley Elementary School, Vail School District.
• Tucson – Sunrise Drive Elementary School, Catalina Foothills Unified District.

Horne said, “These schools can be justifiably proud of this accomplishment because it is based on academic excellence. My top priority as Superintendent is for continuous improvement in academic achievement, and Blue Ribbon Schools demonstrate that when schools lead students into challenging themselves, they will soar academically.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, it recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.  
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students. Nominated schools also complete an extensive narrative application describing their school culture and philosophy, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership structures, and parent and community involvement. 

Please join ADE/ESS for the next Special Education Professionals Check-In on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Select the link to join this Microsoft Teams event: Join Special Professionals Check-In on September 21, 2023

This month’s Check-In will address two topics:

The ESS Secondary Transition team will provide an update regarding Arizona's Post School Outcomes (PSO) Survey, which is due Saturday, September 30, 2023. The PSO Survey is utilized annually by PEAs to collect federally mandated information on the postsecondary experiences of eligible former students. 

Preschool Outcomes data is being reported by schools throughout the state through the AZEDS data system. Guidance that is available, a quick overview of the process, and several use case scenarios will be presented along with an invitation to participate in a statewide training on next steps in supporting children's progress toward meeting age expectations.

SY 2023–2024 Check-In Schedule: 2023–2024 Special Education Professionals Check-Ins occur monthly, on the third Thursday of every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you have questions or suggestions for content for Check-Ins, feel free to send them to the ESS Inbox. 

The FY2023 Statewide Recalculation has been completed and a list of results can be seen in the file linked below; Charters and Districts are listed alphabetically.

FY2023 Statewide Recalculation Adjustment

Positive SRC Adjustments will be included in the FY2024 September payment as a lump sum adjustment to FY2024 Equalization on the BSA64 report for September 2023.

Negative SRC Adjustments will be included in the FY2024 September payment as an adjustment to FY2024 Equalization on the BSA64 report for September 2023 and will be taken over the entire fiscal year; 3/12ths taken in September and 1/12th each payment thereafter.

Pursuant to A.R.S § 15-915, hardship requests are available. Please complete the Hardship Application and submit to [email protected] by 9/30/2023.

With the hardship application, a minimum of 75% must be adjusted in FY24 and 25% will be adjusted in FY25. Adjustments will begin with the September payment. Please include all questions regarding these adjustments in your e-mail with the completed form attached. Exceptions for severe scenarios may be made.

Additional adjustments made during the SRC calculation include:

• Remote Instruction Percentage

Questions or concerns regarding the recalculated ADM/SPED should be submitted through a Help Desk School Finance Account Analyst Support Request.

Please see Guidelines for Requesting Prior Year Corrections to State Aid or Budget Capacity (ARS § 15-915)