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SFS Team Program Assignments

School Financial Services Team

The SFS Finance team is comprised of individuals with diverse, specialized education and professional experience in public school finance and management services, governmental accounting and auditing, data management systems and relevant state and federal policies and legislative processes.

Grant Management Accountants

The grant management accountants team is composed of seven (7) accountants who process over $7 billion in payments annually. They are responsible for processing payments and determining federal allocations for local education agencies and other external organizations. Our accountants work with other DPI teams to assist in managing both state and federal aids and grants.

School Finance Auditors

School finance auditing and accounting is comprised of three (3) school finance auditors. The team does a variety of tasks including reviewing audit reports from LEA’s and other agencies who receive subawards from DPI.

School Administration Consultants

School district consultants or DPI’s professional level program managers are subject matter experts. We have 4.0 of these positions and their responsibilities range from calculating $5.2 billion in general school aids to responding to questions regarding school district reorganization.

Technology

We have three (3) information specialists/information technology and one (1) fiscal data coordinator that work to maintain our online reporting and data collections systems for state aids student membership and financial information.

Leadership

The team is supervised by a Team Director and two Assistant Directors.

Educational Specialist

The SFS Team shares an education specialist with the Parental Education Options Team.

Director
 

Jennifer Buros

jennifer.buros@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 266-1966

Assistant Directors
 

Michael Brendel

michael.brendel@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 224-6164

(vacant)

(608) 266-9534

Program Staff
 

(vacant)

(608) 266-3489
 

Olivia Bernitt

olivia.bernitt@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 261-2137

Rick Cruz

ricardo.cruz@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 266-8255

Jacque Darrow

jacqueline.darrow@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 267-9134

Stephanie Durrant

stephanie.durrant@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 266-1098

Ryan Egan

ryan.egan@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 266-1723

Kathy Fry

kathleen.fry@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 224-5343

Ben Kopitzke

benjamin.kopitzke@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 267-9279

Deborah Mann

deborah.mann@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 266-6856

(vacant)

(608) 266-7692

Sumana Sengupta

sumana.sengupta@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 267-9205

Jake Smith

jake.smith@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 266-1773

DiAnna Steines

dianna.steines@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 267-1281

Aaron Ziemke

aaron.ziemke@dpi.wi.gov
Grant program assignments
(608) 266-2205

 

General Information

dpifin@dpi.wi.gov
(608) 267-9114

Staff Assignments
 

  • Aid Payments: Sumana Sengupta
  • Annual Reports: Jennifer Buros
  • Budget Hearing and Adoption: Stephanie Durrant
  • Budget Reports: Stephanie Durrant
  • Challenge Academy: Kathy Fry
  • Common School Fund (Library Aids): Kathy Fry
  • Community Programs and Services (Fund 80): Stephanie Durrant
  • Cooperative Agreements (sec. 66.0301, Wis. Stats): Kathy Fry
  • Debt Service Reporting: Olivia Bernitt
  • Energy Efficiency Exemption: Ben Kopitzke
  • Equalization/General Aid: Ben Kopitzke
  • Federal Impact Aid: DiAnna Steines
  • Fees (Student): Kathy Fry
  • Fiscal Audit Questions: Olivia Bernitt
  • Foster or Group Home Membership: Stephanie Durrant
  • Fund 41 (Capital Expansion Fund): Ben Kopitzke
  • Fund 46 (Long Term Capital Improvement Fund): Ben Kopitzke
  • High Cost Special Education Aid: Rick Cruz
  • Indirect Cost: Olivia Bernitt
  • Membership Report: Kathy Fry
  • Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB or Fund 73): Olivia Bernitt
  • Per Pupil Aid: Ben Kopitzke
  • Referendum: Kathy Fry
  • Residency: Kathy Fry
  • Revenue Limit: Ben Kopitzke
  • SAGE Debt Service, sec. 118.43(4), Wis. Stats: Ben Kopitzke
  • School District Reorganization: Kathy Fry
  • School Level Reporting/ESSA Financial Transparency: Stephanie Durrant
  • Special Education and School Age Parent State Aid: Rick Cruz
  • State Tuition Aid Payments: Stephanie Durrant
  • Summer and Interim Courses (Fiscal, Membership): Kathy Fry
  • Supplemental Aid, 115.435 WI Stats: Jennifer Buros
  • Tax Incremental District (TID/TIF): Ben Kopitzke
  • Transfer of Service to Revenue Limits: Stephanie Durrant
  • Transportation Aid: Ben Kopitzke
  • Tuition (Paid by Parents or LEAs): Kathy Fry
  • WUFAR: Olivia Bernitt
For questions about this information, contact dpifin@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-9114