October 2003 Aid Certification Letter

Date: October 13, 2003

To: School District Administrators

From: David Carlson, Director
School Financial Services Team

Re: 2003-2004 General Aid Certification
Aid Payment Schedule Information
2003-2004 Estimated Categorical Aid Prorations
Common School Fund (Library Aid) Information
Important Dates

2003-2004 General Aid Certification

The enclosed General Aid Worksheet calculates the October estimate of your district's 2003-2004 general aid eligibility. General aid is defined as equalization aid, special transfer (chapter 220, integration) and special adjustment aid. This information is also posted to the team's web site under "Late Breaking Information" and under "Worksheets DPI Printed" on the left hand scan bar. The data used to generate this estimate was derived from the following sources.

1. 2002-2003 Membership Reports (2002 summer school FTE, September 2002 - 3rd Friday, January 2003 - 2nd Friday, 2002-2003 group and foster home adjustment, Youth Challenge Academy adjustment and students attending part time under Wisconsin Statute 118.145 (4)).
2. 2002-2003 PI 1505 AC and PI 1506 AC (Aid Certification) Reports.
3. 2002 Equalized Property Valuations, School Aid TIF-OUT certification with exempt computer values.

Refer to the attached sheet for the October estimates of 2003-2004 cost ceilings and guarantees. Also enclosed is a membership worksheet used in the calculation of your district's equalization aid. Note the addition of an adjustment line for districts that had students in the Youth Challenge Academy.

The 2003-2004 equalization aid worksheet, as an executable spreadsheet file is available on the finance team web site under "Worksheets (Executable)" on the left-hand scan bar or at dpi.wi.us/sfs/workexe.html.

Actual 2003-2004 aid eligibility using final audited 2002-2003 data will be computed after all desk audits of 2002-2003 Annual Reports are completed (Spring, 2004). Any resulting 2003-2004 aid eligibility adjustments will be made in the September aid payment of the 2004-2005 school fiscal year.

The following is an explanation of Sections H and I of the General Aid Certification Worksheet.

Section H - Equalization Aid

H1		Current Year Equalization Aid Eligibility from Calculation of Sections A to G.
H2		Milwaukee Parental School Choice Deduction from Equalization Aid. (Just Milwaukee).
H3		Milwaukee Charter School Program Deduction from Equalization Aid as per Wisconsin Statute 121.08(4) to Reflect the Funding Requirements of this Program.
H4		Prior year (2002-2003) October to Final Equalization Aid Eligibility Adjustment.
H5		Prior Year Data Error Adjustment (Specific Districts).
H6		2003-2004 Equalization Aid Payment.

Section I - General Aid Certification

I1		2003-2004 Special Adjustment Aid Estimate and Special Transfer (Chapter 220, Integration Aid) Eligibility Estimate. Special Adjustment Aid Ensures that Districts do not Receive Less Than 85% of Their Prior Year Equalization Aid Eligibility.
I2A		Milwaukee Parental Choice Deduction from Special Adjustment Aid/Special Transfer (Just Milwaukee).
I2B		Milwaukee Charter School Program Deduction from Special Adjustment Aid/Special Transfer as per Wisconsin State Statute 121.08(4) to Reflect the Funding Requirement of this Program.
I2C		Prior Year (2002-2003) October to Final Special Adjustment Aid/Special Transfer Aid Adjustment.
I3		2003-2004 Special Adjustment Aid/Special Transfer Aid Payment.
I4		Prior Year (2002-2003) October to Final Choice(Just Milwaukee)/Charter Deduction Adjustment.
I5		2003-2004 October 15 Certification of Aid. I5 is to be used on Line 12 of the 2003-2004 Revenue Limit Calculation.

2003-2004 Aid Payment Schedule

Beginning with the 1997-98 school fiscal year and again in the 2003-2004 school fiscal year, $75,000,000 from the general aid distribution will be withheld and paid on the fourth Monday of July following the close of the fiscal year. As a result, each actual 2003-2004 aid payment received by districts (September 15, 2003, December 1, 2003, March 22, 2004, and June 21, 2004) will be reduced by approximately 2.0 %. The aid withheld will be paid on July 26, 2004. Per statute, districts are to record this payment as actual revenue for the 2003-2004 fiscal year.

Note also that public school open enrollment payment adjustments, revenue limit penalties and Youth Challenge Academy payment adjustments will again be made on the June equalization aid payment.

To assist districts with their planning the School Financial Services Team will again be providing each district with a 2003-2004 equalization aid payment schedule. This information will be posted to the team's web site by October 30 under "Late Breaking Information" and on the left-hand scan bar "Aid Payments by District" link.

2003-2004 Categorical Aid Proration Estimates

The following list of 2003-2004 estimated aid prorations are based upon unaudited 2002-2003 annual report data.

Special Education (includes sped transportation)		30%
Social Worker/Psychologist		30%
Special Education - Room & Board		30%
Special Education - Hospital		100%
Pupil Transportation		90%
Bilingual/Bicultural		15%
Drivers Education		$100
Common School Fund (Early Estimate)		$13.87

Common School Fund (Library) Aid

The actual amount of school library aid the district will receive will be posted to the team's web site under "Late Breaking News" and under "Common School Fund" on the left hand scan bar no later than January 9, 2004. The payment date is Monday, April 26, 2004.

It is important to remember that districts must spend an amount in function 222 000 object 430 series equal to the amount of revenue they receive from the common school fund (recorded in source 613). If districts do not spend an amount equal to common school fund revenue, districts will be required to spend the difference in the next fiscal year. Additional information about the common school fund revenues and expenditures can be found at the web site address listed above.

2003-2004 Important Dates

November 1	-	Last day for School Board to certify tax levy (ss. 120.12 (3)(a))
November 6	-	Last day to notify municipalities of tax levy. (ss. 120.12 (3)(b)
November 17	-	First Special Education Aid Payment
December 1	-	Second Equalization Aid Payment
December 15	-	Second Special Education Payment

For any additional questions, contact one of the following School Financial Services Team consultants.

Brad Adams	(608) 267-3752	bradley.adams@dpi.wi.gov
Karen Kucharz	(608) 267-9707	karen.kucharz@dpi.wi.gov
Jerry Landmark	(608) 266-3464	jerome.landmark@dpi.wi.gov

Enc: 2003-2004 General Aid Worksheet
District Membership Summary
2003-2004 Equalization Aid Guarantees (October estimates)
Inter-District Aid Summary (some districts)

For questions about this information, contact dpifin@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-9114

Last updated on 2/25/2008 12:04:08 PM