From: IMLER TIMOTHY L [mailto:TIMLER@isbe.net]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 2:27 PM
Subject: FY 13 IDEA Part B Approved LEA Grants Loaded
Importance: High

Please be advised that all FY 13 IDEA Part B Flow Through, Preschool and Discretionary grants that have been submitted and approved by the Division of Special Education have been loaded into the Financial Reimbursement Information System (FRIS).  Reimbursement can be requested via the Electronic Expenditure Reporting system in IWAS (ISBE Web Application Security system).  Please check FRIS Inquiry http://webprod1.isbe.net/FRISInquiry/ or click on “FRIS Inquiry” at the top of the ISBE web site www.isbe.net for detailed information on current approved documents and fiscal information. 

As a reminder, expenditures for all federal grants including IDEA Part B must be submitted on a cash accounting basis for reimbursement.  For a review of ISBE’s reimbursement procedures of federal grants you are encouraged to review the May 5, 2012 Federal Grant Cash Management Changes webinar http://www.isbe.net/funding/ppt/2012_fed_reimb_webinar_pres050511.pdf.

In addition, cooperatives are reminded that on a true cash basis of accounting, the cooperative must reimburse their member districts for eligible expenditures first before requesting reimbursement.  This clarification may hamper the ability of some cooperatives to utilize the preferred reimbursement method and will result in moving to the modified advance method of funding.  For more details as to the modified advance process please see slides 12-16 of the May 5 webinar.   Please keep in mind that ISBE staff vouchers federal grant payments each Wednesday as expenditure reports are submitted.  The time line for receipt of Federal funds is 3-5 business days.  This may assist cooperatives with their decision to report via the preferred reimbursement method.

Finally, if you have not yet submitted your FY 2012 June 30 expenditure reports please do so immediately as reports were due on July 20.  Please note that there are significant changes to how year-end expenditure reports are to be submitted.  For further details, please review our webinar on this topic at http://www.isbe.net/funding/ppt/2012-fed-exp-rpt-chgs-webinar-pres051012.pdf

Questions regarding grant approval should be directed to the Division of Special Education at 217/782-5589.

Questions regarding the electronic Grants Management System, FRIS Inquiry or the Electronic Expenditure Reporting System can be directed to the Division of Funding and Disbursement Services at 217/782-5256.

Tim Imler
Division Administrator
Funding and Disbursement Services
Illinois State Board of Education
Phone:  217-782-5256
Fax:  217-782-3910