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<font face="Arial, sans-serif">TO: All District and ESD Business Managers </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">The message below is being forwarded to you on behalf of: </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Eric Richards </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Director of Operations </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Student Learning & Partnerships </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">______________________________________________ </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">January 23, 2009 </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">RE: Excess Cost Calculation</font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">I want to thank all of you who provided feedback to Angie Peterman, Don Staehly, and Claire Doolittle on the proposed spreadsheet template for calculating excess costs for fiscal
year 2008-2009. I am also grateful for the work of the OSBA task force that worked with ODE to develop this document, as it will make this year's exercise much easier for you. In particular, the efforts of Claire Doolittle bear mentioning. She truly did
an extraordinary job developing this document. And to Don Staehly for chairing and coordinating an excellent work group along with Angie Peterman. </font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">So the time is upon on us, which is my purpose in writing. Attached you will find the following documents;</font></div>
<div style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif">1) The above mentioned spreadsheet, with tab instructions, to assist you in the calculation. Please note it is not mandatory that you use this spreadsheet, it is a tool developed
to be helpful for you should you choose to utilize it.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">2) The shortened form into which you will report your expenses for elementary and secondary, have signed and dated by an authorized official of your district, and forward the original document/signature to my attention.
</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/funding/sped/excesscostscalculator.xls"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/funding/sped/excesscostscalculator.xls</u></font></a></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">3) A technical assistance document written by the United States Department of Education in response to questions from the field on excess costs. This is the only document of its kind from the federal level, and it addressed
most of the questions that we have heard here in Oregon.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/funding/sped/excesscostcalculation.pdf"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/funding/sped/excesscostcalculation.pdf</u></font></a></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">4) A guidance sheet on how to secure the correct SECC number for use in the calculation. As you know, you use the October ADM count for your total student body count.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Last year these calculations were due in on January 31, 2008. This year the due date will be March 31, 2009. Because we have lengthened the time for you to complete the calculation, and moved the due date back considerably,
it is important that you complete this federally required exercise by the stated due date.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">The economy is hitting everyone hard. I know many of you are wondering about being able to spend at the same level as last year for this calculation. Please remember that this is not the same as maintenance of effort.
The object here is to ensure the Feds that you are spending at least the same amount per child on an IEP in your basic costs of operating your district and providing education as you would spend on a child in General Education. Only then can the money being
provided through IDEA truly be considered as covering <b>excess costs </b>of providing special education and related services for kids on IEPs, and not supplanting basic educational expenses that would be incurred even if IDEA funds were not granted.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Please feel free to call or write me if you have any questions. Before contacting me, however, please reference the documents as your answer should be found therein. If not, I'm here for you. My e-address is <a href="mailto:eric.richards@state.or.us"><font color="#0000FF"><u>eric.richards@state.or.us</u></font></a><font color="#0000FF"><u>
</u></font>and my phone is 503-947-5786. </font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif">===========End of Message============</font></div>
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<div><font face="Edwardian Script ITC, cursive" size="5">Eric</font></div>
<div><font face="Edwardian Script ITC, cursive" size="5"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Eric A. Richards, Director of Operations<font size="3">
<br>
</font>Oregon Department of Education<font size="3"> <br>
</font>Office of Student Learning and Partnerships<font size="3"> </font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">503-947-5786<font size="3"> </font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Book Antiqua, serif" size="2"><i>Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon Law.</i><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"> </font></font></div>
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