December 3, 2015( ) Action Required

( X ) Informational

MEMORANDUM NO. 072-15M FINANCIAL AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

TO: Educational Service District Superintendents

School District Superintendents

School Principals

School Public Relations Professionals

FROM: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

RE: Transitioning Charter School Students to Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) Students

CONTACT: JoLynn Berge, Chief Financial Officer

360-725-6292,

Agency TTY: 360-664-3631

As a result of the Washington State Supreme Court announcing that it will not reconsider its September decision declaring the state’s voter-approved law establishing charter schools unconstitutional, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) no longer has legal authority to allocate apportionment to charter schools. OSPI plans to take steps to ensure that students continue to get a quality public education during a transition period.

Several of the approved charter schools intend to contract with public school districts for the purpose of providing education services to the students formerly enrolled in the charter schools. The school districts intend to provide the services either through traditional methods of instruction or as alternative learning experiences (ALE).To assist resident districts, charter schools and families, transition of students from charter schools to ALE, OSPI is taking the following actions related to charter schools for the 2015–16 school year only:

  • Choice transfers – OSPI will facilitate the transfer of students from resident districts to a school district’s ALE program via the Standard Choice Transfer System. No action will be required by resident districts that approve OSPI’s facilitation of the transfers.

MEMORANDUM NO. 072-15M F&GR

Page 2

December 3, 2015

  • Written Student Learning Plans (WSLP) – A school district that enrolls charter school students inALE programs will have until the February 2016 count day to establish written student learning plans (WSLPs) in accordance with WAC 392-121-182(3)(n) for charter school students that transferred into their programs between December 1, 2015 and January 31, 2016.
  • Enrollment Reporting – A school district accepting a Choice Transfer for a former charter school student for the purpose of enrolling the student in a district ALE program by December 31, 2015 may claim the student on the December monthly enrollment count for state funding, even in the absence of a WSLP. Additionally, any eligible formerly enrolled charter school student can be claimed by the district on the January monthly enrollment count without a WSLP in place. If a WSLP is not in place by the February 2016 enrollment count date, the district must revise its December and January enrollment reporting and remove any student without a valid WSLP at the time of the February count date.
  • Basic Education Funding Reporting – Districts will report any former charter school student enrolled in an ALE program without a WSLP for the December or January count day and in grades 1–12 as 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) on Form P-223. Once the WSLPs are in place, districts will adjust any prior monthly reporting to the actual FTE, if necessary, based on the WSLP. Kindergarten students cannot be claimed for more than 0.50 FTE.
  • Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program (TBIP) and Exited TBIP Reporting – Students who meet the requirements to be claimed for TBIP funding or Exited TBIP funding can be counted as a headcount by the district on the Form P-223.
  • Special Education Funding Reporting – Students who meet the requirements to be claimed for special education funding can be counted as a headcount by the district on the Form P-223H.
  • December Apportionment – Any district that reports a student formerly enrolled in a charter school in December’s Form P-223 can revise its F-203 data to include those students as part of its December apportionment payment. Requests for F-203 enrollment revisions must be e-mailed to Melissa Jarmon at no later than December 15, 2015.
  • January through August Apportionment – Districts will be provided an allocation based on their actual annual average full-time equivalent (AAFTE) reported enrollment, including students formerly enrolled in charter schools who have a WSLP in place by the February enrollment count day. Students enrolled in ALE programs will generate an allocation based on the non-vocational Running Start rate for the 2015–16 school year, which is $6,308.69.

MEMORANDUM NO. 072-15M F&GR

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December 3, 2015

OSPI will amend its finance and interdistrict transfer (choice) WACs to implement these changes.

If you have questions regarding this memorandum, please contact JoLynn Berge, Chief Financial Officer at 360-725-6292 or . The agency TTY number is 360-664-3631.

EXECUTIVE SERVICES FINANCIAL & GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Ken KanikebergJoLynn Berge

Chief of Staff Chief Financial Officer

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OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.