Date:
To:
From:
RE: ACTION REQUIRED TO AVOID OVERPAYMENT DEDUCTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION AID ON SCHEDULE J CONTRACT EXPENSE
As indicated in an April 2008 memo on prior year final adjustments, recently completed final adjustments for 2005-06 and later aid years did not include adjustments due to post-claim year review of approved transportation contracts. That review is now underway and begins with verification that Transportation Aid was paid only for transportation contracts approved by the Office of Educational Management Services. Aid paid for 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 school year transportation expenses associated with unapproved contracts will be recouped by the State after this review.
All transportation contracts for the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years have been reviewed by the Pupil Transportation Unit in the Office of Educational Management Services. To facilitate association of Schedule J contract expense with approved contracts, the State Aid Office has released an updated version of the SAMS Schedule J for claim years 2005-06 through 2008-09. For each of those four school years in which contract expense was claimed for aid on SAMS Schedule J, districts must now view a list of approved contracts provided in SAMS, enter the contract numbers into Schedule J and submit the changes as a SAMS revision.
Additional information, detailed instructions for updating Schedule J and whom to contact if you have questions or problems can be found at http://stateaid.nysed.gov/trans/schjwebinst.htm. It is important for the State Aid Designee to review these instructions before initiating the Schedule J revision process. Additionally, the SAMS Schedule J help text for each claim year has been updated to provide information regarding the proper completion of the Schedule J.
The deadline for submitting the Schedule J contract numbers for all four claim years is June 1, 2009. After June 1, 2009, unless a district has indicated at the bottom of Schedule J that they are resolving contract issues with the Pupil Transportation Unit, the expenses associated with unapproved contracts may be deducted from the aidable expenses for the claim year and aid will be adjusted accordingly.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
cc: School District Superintendent