1. ESSA Transportation Claiming Supplemental Reporting Tool Training
Revision 9/11/209

2. Agenda Project Introduction Annual Cycle Memorandum of Understanding
Reporting Tool
Introduction
Overview
Next Steps
Questions and Answers

3. Project Introduction
Under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), children in foster care are required to remain in their School of Origin as long as it is deemed to be in the best interest of the child. The School of Origin is responsible for funding the cost of this transportation
EOHHS, in a partnership with DCF and DESE, has developed a methodology that could reimburse a share of these transportation costs through Title IV-E (a section of the Social Security Act that provides federal reimbursement to states for services provided to children in foster care)
This voluntary program allows LEAs to report their eligible transportation expenditures for children in foster care to the state to be claimed for federal reimbursement
It is estimated that LEAs will receive about 20% of reported costs in reimbursement
Reimbursement for transportation expenditures covered by any other federal funding source is not allowable (e.g., special education, homeless, Title I, etc.) even if that transportation is for a child in foster care in order to avoid potential duplication of claiming

4. Annual Cycle
Cost reporting for ESSA purposes will align with the schedule for the End of Year Financial Report (EOYR). FY19 cost reporting is going to be off from this cycle to allow time for MOU completion
Data on the Supplemental cost report will be broken down by quarters
For FY2019 only costs incurred after April 1, 2019 (Q4) will be reimbursed
Note the April 1, 2019 date

5. Annual Cycle (FY2019 Reporting)
Cost reporting for ESSA purposes will align with the schedule for the End of Year Financial Report (EOYR). FY19 cost reporting is going to be off from this cycle to allow time for MOU completion
Timing of claim and of reimbursement may vary based on completion of quality assurance review and/or submission of any LEA amendments to the EOYR
Deadline for a signed copy of the supplemental cost report and MOU to be mailed to and received by DESE
DESE sends MOU to EOHHS and cost reporting tool to PCG who completes quality assurance
PCG develops claim and submits to DCF and EOHHS
EOHHS will receive federal reimbursement and distribute to Cities/Towns/Regional Districts
March 1, 2020
March
April-May
June

6. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
An agreement between the City/Town/Regional School District (aka LEA), EOHHS, DESE, and DCF around participation expectations for all parties
Accuracy of the information being reported
Maintenance of record requirements
Audit implications
Pursuant to MGL c. 44, § 70, a city or town, by vote of its town meeting, town council or city council with the approval of the selectmen, town manager or mayor, authorizes the LEA to enter into this MOU for the purposes of Title IV-E reimbursement
Posted on the DESE website (
Requires a wet signature of the authorized signatory of the City/Town/Regional School District (LEA)
Must be reviewed, signed, and mailed back to DESE by March 1, 2020
This does not mean that you will not ever be able to report these transportation costs. A claim can be submitted for eligible payments that are UP TO 8 QUARTERS OLD, it just means you will not be able to report costs until FY2021.

7. Reporting Tool - Introduction
A supplemental cost report intended to isolate transportation costs for children in foster care to/from the School of Origin
Reported transportation costs must align with what is reported in the EOYR (line 4286)
For claiming purposes, the reporting tool will ask for these costs to be broken out quarterly (see Table 2)
Posted on the DESE website (

8. Instructions

9. Instructions

10. Table 1: Transportation costs in DESE EOYR

11. Table 2: ESSA costs by quarter
Please refer to most recent update of reporting tool, as fields and field names have changed
Note that while this is an annual process, costs must be reported quarterly for claiming purposes

12. Attestation

13. Reporting Tool – Next Steps
Reporting tool requires a wet signature attestation
The supplemental cost report (reporting tool) with wet signature must be returned to DESE no later than March 1, 2020
For FY2019 only costs incurred after April 1, 2019 (Q4) will be reimbursed
Annual data reported in the supplemental cost report must match transportation costs reported in the End of Year Report. For this reason, you must report all FY2019 data, even though only the fourth quarter will be reimbursed.
Similar to the MOU, if the supplemental reporting tool is not submitted timely, this does not mean that you will not ever be able to report these transportation costs. A claim can be submitted for eligible payments that are UP TO 8 QUARTERS OLD, it just means you will not be able to report costs until FY2021.

14. Questions?