2016-17 DVPUB Memo

TO: Official State Aid Designee March 2018
FROM: Edwin Truax, Associate in School Business Management Revised: April 17, 2018
SUBJECT: 2016-17 STAC On-Line Verification (DVPUB) for School Age 10-Month High Cost Public PlacementsDeadline April 20, 2018 pdf file

Under Section 3602 of New York State Education Law, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) responsible school district may file a Request for Reimbursement Approval for school age special education students in 10-month district or BOCES programs and who have an annualized special education cost that exceeds their district public excess cost threshold dollar amount.  Public excess cost aid is generated to the CSE district for direct special education services that are verified on the STAC online verification screen (DVPUB). 2017-18 public excess cost aid is based on 2016-17 school year enrollment and education costs.  Current year funding is available to districts for 2016-17 claims verified by June 30, 2018.  Prior year funding is available to districts for 2015-16 claims verified by June 30, 2018.

2016-17 DVPUB Online Verification Process Overview:

  • New for 2016-17:  An online High Cost Student Worksheet screen (DCPUB) is being rolled out this year in conjunction with the 2016-17 DVPUB verification process.  Prior to verifying your 2016-17 public high cost claims, districts are required to complete the DCPUB online screen for:
    1. In-District - the top three in-district claim records (in terms of 10-month annualized cost)
    2. In-District - any claim records where the 10-month annualized cost exceeds their district’s public excess cost threshold by $40,000 or greater
    3. BOCES - any BOCES claim records where the claimed cost exceeds the cost listed on the BOCES Year-End Final Cost Report
    4. Selected verification records identified by the STAC and Medicaid Unit.  Districts will be notified of these selected claims via e-mail.

In addition to replacing the paper High Cost Student Data Worksheet, the DCPUB online screen can be utilized as a cost calculation tool prior to verifying any high cost claim.  Districts are permitted and encouraged to complete the DCPUB online screen for any claims not meeting the criteria noted above.

Instructions on how to utilize the DCPUB online screen can be found at:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/stac_online_system/online_instructions/guide_DCPUB.pdf

Please review these instructions before utilizing DVPUB to verify your 2016-17 public high cost claims.

  • New for 2016-17:  A separate DVPUB Signature Form is not required.  Upon completion of your verification process, please complete the "Contact Information" box, click on the "Verification Completed" box, and lastly click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the DVPUB screen.
  • New for 2016-17: Districts will only be required to submit additional back-up documentation substantiating 2016-17 school year claims for verified students selected by the STAC and Medicaid Unit for in-depth review.

    Districts that are required to provide such documentation will receive an e-mail from the STAC and Medicaid Unit requesting IEPs, and other cost documentation, for selected students identified for review.

Before you begin your DVPUB online verification process, please review the "Guide to Online Verification of 10-Mo. High Cost Public Placements" available on the STAC/Medicaid unit website at:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/stac_online_system/online_instructions/guide_DVPUB.pdf

  • The DVPUB online verification screen includes all public (in-district and other district) and BOCES 10-month excess cost school age placements.
  • The DVPUB online verification screen allows amendments in the "To/From" date fields and the "10-month Annualized Costs" field.  Prior to amending the "To/From" dates, check the "Education Provider Program Dates" displayed at the top of the DVPUB screen.  If a student was enrolled for the entire 10-months and the FTE displayed for the student is 1.000, there is no need to adjust the "To/From" dates.
  • DVPUB online verification must be processed one public educational provider (BOCES, in-district, or other district) at a time.
  • For each student, check/amend the "To/From" dates and the "10-Month Annualized Cost" and click the "verify" box on the DVPUB screen. A list of your unverified students can be obtained on either the DQAPP online screen or the DVPUB online screen.

Guidance for Calculating 10-Month Annualized Costs for In-District Verifications:

A list of allowable costs for special education services which may be claimed for Public Excess High Cost Aid and a list of other costs which may not be claimed can be found by clicking on the link below:

https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/schoolage/payments/annualized_cost_calculation.html

Guidance for Reporting 10-Month Annualized Costs for Other-District Verifications:

The educating district may bill the CSE district based on a child-specific non-resident student cost calculation, but only if it calculates child-specific bills for every nonresident student. Otherwise, the educating district must bill for all nonresident students based on the actual "Non-Resident Tuition" NRT rates posted on SAMS. The NRT rates are average cost calculations which include all special education costs for 1:1 aides and related services, so the educating district may not tack on additional charges, if it is billing based on the posted NRT rates.

Guidance for BOCES Verifications:

Refer to the 2016-17 BOCES Year-End Report table posted on the STAC website which lists the name and run-date of each BOCES’ Year-End Cost/Refund Report, which a district must use to correctly amend/verify the "To/From" and "10-Month Annualized Cost" fields on the DVPUB online verification screen.  This BOCES year-end report should be in the Business, CSE, or Superintendent’s Office.

When entering your BOCES verification data onto the DVPUB screen from the 2016-17 BOCES Year-End Cost/Refund Report, you must use the appropriate version of that report indicated on the 2016-17 BOCES Year-End Report table posted on the STAC website:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/schoolage/correspondence/201617_boces_yearend_report_table_EXTERNAL.pdf

If you cannot locate the version of the BOCES Year-End Report listed, do not complete the DVPUB screen for those BOCES’ placements.  Contact the BOCES Business Office or Edwin Truax of the STAC/Medicaid Unit for a copy.  If the BOCES sent you two versions of the report, use the one which has "Summary-Level" in the title or which has a single-line total covering all the educational services for a particular set of "To/From" dates.

NOTE:  If your district provided a BOCES student with additional IEP-approved services either not contracted through BOCES or not included in the BOCES Year-End report (e.g. after-school services), you will be required to complete the "High Cost Student Worksheet" screen (DCPUB) or cost will be capped and locked at amount listed on BOCES report.

Once all your verifications have been processed, please click on the new "Verification Completed" button (inside the "Completion of 10-Mo. Verification" box) located at the top right-hand side of the DVPUB screen.  Next, click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the DVPUB screen.

NOTE:   Verified records reviewed and approved by the STAC and Medicaid Unit will be locked.  If a district needs to amend and re-verify a locked STAC record, contact the STAC and Medicaid Unit.  For questions on calculating 10-month annualized costs or the DVPUB/DCPUB online screens, please contact Edwin Truax, Maureen McCarthy, Adam Lenhardt or Kelly Mason at 518-474-7116.

Last Updated: April 21, 2023