FY2026 No Valid License Audit

Overview

The No Valid License Audit for FY2024-25 data is closed in WISEgrants.

Agencies eligible under state statute receive partial reimbursement for certain instructional, transportation and contracted special education costs generated from services provided in the prior year. Each LEA, Independent Charter School (ICS), CESA and CCDEB has an obligation to employ appropriately licensed staff, including special education staff. Staff must be appropriately licensed for a special education work assignment listed in state statute for their salary and benefits or contracted cost to be eligible for aid. DPI audits staff assignment information reported by an LEA in the WISEstaff data collection against each individual’s licensure status at the time the audit is conducted. Salaries and benefits of special education staff without valid license in the audited year are not eligible for Wisconsin special education categorical aid.

State special education categorical aid distributed during FY 2025-26 is based on FY 2024-25 accounts reported in WISEdata Finance. DPI relies on correct, live financial data from the LEA, CESAs, CCDEBs and Charter Schools. The LEA reclassifies the costs as non-aidable (project 019) prior to aid calculations and payments. 

To ensure that staff without valid special education licenses are recorded appropriately, LEAs will be required to submit the compensation amounts tied to the staff showing up on the WISEstaff Audit Report through the No Valid Special Education License Report in WISEgrants. WISEgrants will then reconcile the amount reported as Project 019 with WISEdata Finance to determine if the reclassification of costs has occurred. All reconciliation issues must be resolved to ensure the correct amount of special education categorical aid is calculated by DPI. Agencies who do not complete the No Valid License process will not be included in the special education aid calculation and will not receive an aid payment in November.

No Valid License Reporting Slideshow

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