July 17th, 2011
IDEA Money Watch has obtained the information submitted by the Oklahoma Dept. of Education to the U.S. Dept. of Education regarding reduction to local spending (maintenance of effort or MOE) and use of federal IDEA funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) for each school district for the 2009 fiscal year. Get Oklahoma information here. (PDF, 90 pgs).
This information is important because it indicates if school districts reduced local spending in light of IDEA Recovery Act funds in FY 2009. IDEA does not require that local districts replace these funds when the Recovery funds run out, putting services for students with disabilities at risk.
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March 1st, 2011
The Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Education is charged with the responsibility of monitoring use of federal education funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In February 2011, the OIG released its report on findings of its audit for Oklahoma.
RESULTS:
The Governor’s Office, OSF, and OSDE have not demonstrated that all ARRA funds were expended in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and guidance. We identified $16 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) Government Services Funds (GSF), for which OSF is unable to account for how the funds were expended. We also identified more than $68,000 in unallowable expenses at two subrecipients and more than $81,000 in unsupported costs at two other audited subrecipients. Also in our review, we determined that OSDE and OSF did not follow applicable cash management regulations to ensure that subrecipients did not receive funds in advance of need. OSDE had advanced the full amount ($124 million) available under ARRA for Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title I) and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to LEAs without regard to their immediate funding needs. Furthermore, OSF drew down approximately $19.2 million in SFSF Education Stabilization Funds (ESF) in excess of the LEAs’ needs. OSDE and OSF also did not ensure that data reported were accurate, reliable, and complete.
Get the full report here.
Tags: ARRA, IDEA, Oklahoma, Special Education, Stimulus
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October 8th, 2010
According to spending reports released by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Oklahoma has obligated 68% of its IDEA Part B Recovery funds, or $100,546,890 as of September 30, 2010. The national average is 50%. Spending details by local school district are available at EdMoney.org.
Latest state-by-state spending reports are always available here. All IDEA Recovery Act funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011.
Tags: ARRA, IDEA, Oklahoma, Recovery Act, Special Education, Stimulus
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May 26th, 2010
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Public Schools has been holding extensive meetings on how to spend its ARRA stimulus money, and expects to use these funds to implement a high school secondary reform initiative and to provide additional reading and math coaches. The district is also teaming up with Tulsa Public Schools, the only other major urban school system in the State, to implement instructional reforms.
For the full report Click Here.
Tags: ARRA, ESE, IDEA, IEP, Special Education, Stimulus
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April 9th, 2009
Oklahoma will receive $147,924,906 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve services to its 95,000 school-aged students with disabilities.
We will be reporting on how the state is using those funds and how the academic achievement of students with disabilities is improving as a result.
Please share your comments and experiences.
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