From: IMLER TIMOTHY L [mailto:TIMLER@isbe.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:12 AM
To: 'speddir@list.isbe.net' <speddir@list.isbe.net>
Cc: BEARD HOLLY <HBEARD@isbe.net>
Subject: Clarification: Sp Ed DCFS Youth-in-Care Verification
Last week, the message below was distributed to communicate the May 15 deadline for ensuring that all eligible Department of Children and Family Services special education youth-in-care students are entered and approved in I-Star if their enrollment date is on or before March 1. Questions have been received regarding the availability of the enrollment verification tool that was used last year.
Please be advised that the EBF enrollment verification tool of youth-in-care students will not be in the E-Report Card System this year. The enrollment verification tool is currently available and functional in the Student Information System. However, the ability to download a list of possible youth-in-care students receiving special education services will not be available until the end of March. Once that functionality is available, I will send out a communication at that time. I apologize for any confusion.
February 20, 2019 Director Email:
Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) enrollment calculations must account for and deduct Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) youth-in-care (YIC) who participate in the state’s Special Education Individual Orphanage (Section 14-7.03) and Regular Education Orphanage (Section 18-3) programs. Districts receive full State funding for these students through a separate claim process.
ISBE is requesting that all districts submit final DCFS YIC who are special education students enrolled in the district on or before March 1, 2019, for approval in I-Star by Wednesday, May 15. The School Code statutes for both Orphanage programs require that districts submit claims to ISBE on or before July 15. However, that claim deadline is too late for ISBE to verify and deduct the special education DCFS YIC students from each district’s EBF enrollment in time to complete fiscal year 2020 EBF calculations. In order to assist districts in the same manner as last year, ISBE will provide a list of each district’s DCFS YIC in the EBF enrollment verification tool to meet the May 15 deadline. Districts will be able to download a list of possible special education YIC students to review, determine if they are special education and enter them into I-Star with the appropriate Fund Code of E or F.
Functionality of the EBF enrollment verification tool will be available to districts by the end of March.
Districts that submit a special education orphanage approval record with a begin date on or before March 1 in I-Star by May 15 will be able to submit a claim by July 15 as normal. Students submitted after May 15 will not be claimable for special education orphanage; however, their enrollment will be included in the district’s EBF enrollment count if they were active on October 1 or March 1. Districts may enter an approval record in I-Star and make a claim by July 15 for students who have a begin date of March 2 through the end of the school year and were submitted after May 15. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to ensure that all Illinois students get the resources they deserve for academic excellence and postsecondary success.
Districts should work with their staff who enter I-Star students or their special education joint agreement partner, as appropriate. Each district is responsible for ensuring that all DCFS YIC who are special education students are entered in I-Star.
Questions pertaining to the operation of I-Star should be directed to Harrisburg Project support@hbug.k12.il.us, phone (800) 635-5274.
Tim Imler
Director
Funding and Disbursement Services
Illinois State Board of Education
Phone: 217-782-5256
Fax: 217-782-3910