Financial Data Collections

Overview

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) collects key financial data from school districts across the state to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. While much of this data is gathered through audited financial statements, certain requirements call for additional supplemental reports. These reports provide valuable insights into the financial health of school districts and the allocation of educational resources.

Important Dates

District Operating Budget due annually on or before July 15

District Financial Statement / Audit due annually by November 15

Per Pupil Expenditure Report due annually by December 15

Federal Requirements

Below are some of the key supplemental data collections:

Maintenance of Effort Calculations

Maintenance of Effort (MOE) calculations ensure that school districts maintain a consistent level of state and local funding support for education programs. For the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) MOE, districts must demonstrate that their expenses remain at or above 90% of the previous fiscal year’s level to remain eligible for federal education grants (Title programs). This calculation is the same for the Indian Education MOE, which relate to direct grants from the Bureau of Indian Education.

The Special Education (SPED) MOE ensures that school districts continue to provide consistent funding for special education services from year to year, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To remain eligible for federal Title VI-B and Preschool Disabled funding, districts must demonstrate that their state and local financial support for special education services has not decreased from one fiscal year to the next.

The SPED MOE process involves two tests:

• SPED MOE Eligibility Test (in the fall): Compares the district’s current year budget to the most recent audited financial statement.
• SPED MOE Compliance Test (in the spring): Compares the district’s two most recent audits to ensure ongoing compliance.

Data for the MOE tests are received through school district audited financial statements and operating fund budgets. A district is notified in writing if DEED identifies an issue that could prevent passage of an MOE test.

For more details on the SPED MOE process see DEED SPED MOE presentation slides and newsletter article.

Per Pupil Expenditure Reports

Per Pupil Expenditure (PPE) Reports show the total amount spent per student at the school-level, covering both Federal and State/Local funding. These reports are a federal requirement and are important for transparency, allowing comparisons of spending across schools and districts. The PPE Reports provide insight into how resources are allocated to support student learning at the individual school level.

PPE Reports are due to DEED annually by December 15. This reporting requirement is mandated by federal law §1111(h)(1)(C)(x) and (h)(2)(C) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Spending Per Pupil data for each school, where available, can be accessed through DEED’s Compass platform.

State Requirements

Fund Balance

The department monitors the year-end operating fund balance of all districts for compliance with AS 14.17.505, which requires a district to maintain a balance of no more than 10 percent of its current fiscal year expenditures.

Because of increased federal funding due to the pandemic, in 2021, the legislature waived the statutory requirement for five fiscal years and required an annual report on the forecasted amount of unreserved fund balance. Additionally, legislative intent language was placed in the state operating budgets for FY2024, FY2025, and FY2026 for districts to report mid-year balances of all funds. These Fund Balance Reports can be found on Budgets and Actual Reporting under the Reports to Legislature heading.