June 2025 EFRT System Upgrade Memo
| TO: | Authorized Municipality Representatives - § 4410 of Education Law School District Representatives SED-Approved Education Providers |
| FROM: | Adam Lenhardt, School Age/Data Coordinator |
| DATE: | June 25, 2025 |
| SUBJECT: | STAC Online (EFRT) System Upgrade
 |
In preparation for an upgrade to the STAC Online (EFRT) system on September 8, 2025, access to the current version of EFRT will cease effective 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 28th. While most aspects of this upgrade will be invisible to users, the updated EFRT will no longer rely on legacy systems, which should provide school districts, municipalities, and SED-approved providers with improved reliability.
Upgrade of the EFRT system is scheduled to take place between Friday, August 29th and Sunday, September 7th. During this time, users will not be able to access EFRT or input any new information. Once the upgrade is complete, users can resume normal reporting operations.
The following calendar has been provided as guidance for this transition period:
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 08/27/2025 | Last date for submission of EVAL, SERV, CERT, and EFH616 files via the SED File Transfer Manager for automated processing. |
| 08/28/2025 | Last date for submission of claims on the STAC Online (EFRT) System before the blackout period. |
| BLACKOUT PERIOD Begins 08/29/2025 |
During this system transition period, the STAC Online (EFRT) System
will NOT be available. EVAL, SERV, CERT, and EFH616 files via the SED File Transfer Manager will NOT be accepted for processing. |
| 09/08/2025 | The STAC Online (EFRT) System will be accessible on the new platform for online submissions. Continue to hold off on batch file submission. |
| 09/15/2025 | EVAL, SERV, CERT, and EFH616 files (i.e., batch files) will again be accepted via the SED File Transfer Manager for automated processing. |
If you have questions or require assistance, please contact OMSSTAC@nysed.gov.
Please see the next page for more information about changes to the batch file submission process.
Changes to Signed Fields in Batch Submission Files
What are Signed Fields?
The batch submission process incorporates certain uncommon formatting requirements. Among these uncommon formatting requirements are “signed” fields. Signed fields are used to indicate whether or not a field is positive or negative.
Why Are the Signed Fields Changing as a Result of the STAC Online (EFRT) System Upgrade?
Currently, EFRT is housed on a mainframe which has outmoded requirements for indicating positive and negative values. The new more modern platform uses more current methods for indicating positive and negative values.
What Actions Must School Districts and Municipalities Take to Accommodate This Change?
External users submitting the impacted files must modify their programs to reflect the new requirements for signed fields.
Please see the following webpage for more information:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/electronic_data_transfer_options/
electronic_data_transfer_overview/signed_fields_absuite.html
Changes to School Age AVL Batch Verification Process
What is the School Age AVL Batch Verification Process?
School districts with large numbers of claims have the option of verifying their claims in large batches through a School Age AVL file. The School Age AVL file captures all of the same information as verifying online using the verification screens within the STAC Online (EFRT) System.
Why is the School Age AVL File Format Changing as a Result of the STAC Online (EFRT) System Upgrade?
The file layout used for the current configuration of EFRT had to be updated to take into account certain changes to the online verification process. The new file layout incorporates these changes to ensure that the School Age AVL process matches the current online verification process in EFRT.
What Actions Must School Districts and Municipalities Take to Accommodate This Change?
External users submitting the impacted files must modify their programs to reflect the new requirements for signed fields.
The updated School Age AVL file layout is available here:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/electronic_data_transfer_options/
electronic_school_age_avls/school-age_avl_file_layout_new.txt
Please see the following webpage for more information:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/electronic_data_transfer_options/
electronic_school_age_avls/home.html#SchoolAgeAVLChanges