2004-05 Limited English Proficiency Aid is one of the base year aids that was incorporated into 2005-06 Flex Aid. A small amount of additional general purpose aid may be available to your district to supplement the 2004-05 base year aids incorporated into Flex Aid, including the positive difference between 2005-06 calculated LEP Aid and the lesser of the 2004-05 aid amount shown on the Executive Budget computer run BT033-1 or the actual 2004-05 calculated aid amount. NOTE: Districts are still required to submit 2005-06 Part 154 applications to the Office of Bilingual Education.
As explained above, there is no 2005-06 LEP Aid to specifically support LEP programs; however, pursuant to Chapter 53 of the Laws of 2005, districts that operated an approved limited English proficiency program in 2004-05 must set aside a portion of their 2005-06 Flex Aid to conduct an approved limited English proficiency program in 2005-06. This setaside is required in order to meet certain federal requirements and to ensure that support for LEP programs continues. Districts that spend less on 2005-06 LEP programs than the required setaside amount (based on 2005-06 expenditures reported on the 2006-07 Part 154 application) will have their 2006-07 general aid payable reduced by the amount of the deficiency.
The amount of Flex Aid to be set aside is equal to the amount of Limited English Proficiency Aid that was payable to the district in 2004-05. The amount of Flex Aid required to be set aside will be reduced for districts which operated a program in 2004-05, but which operate no program or a smaller program in 2005-06. The setaside amount will be reduced in proportion to the reduction in the number of pupils served. The calculated setaside amount will not be subject to change after November 15, 2005.
In other words, to support 2005-06 LEP programs, districts must set aside the lesser of:
a. 2004-05 LEP Aid as displayed on your 2004-05 GEN report at item #119A
OR
b. if your 2005-06 projected LEP pupils < 2004-05 actual LEP pupils:
2005-06 projected pupils divided by 2004-05 actual pupils
multiplied by 2004-05 LEP aid as displayed at entry #119A
on your 2004-05 GEN report
Districts should calculate their LEP setaside amounts now, to ensure that the required amount is available to be spent during the 2005-06 school year. When 2005-06 output reports become available in late fall 2005, the setaside amount will appear on the 2005-06 GEN report for you to verify. Districts may wish to assume that the setaside amount will be equal to the 2004-05 LEP aid amount, as this is the maximum possible setaside amount for any district.
Questions regarding the 2005-06 LEP setaside should be directed to Bruce Jesiolowski (518-474-2977) in the State Aid Office. Questions regarding the Part 154 application should be directed to the Office of Bilingual Education (518-474-8775).
