The Channel

Dr. Roark Horn, AEA 267 Chief Administrator

Last spring, in meetings on the impact of the state budget cuts to our AEA, I promised to update you with final information regarding the cummulative effect of the 2011-12 $20 million reduction, along with any new information that I could provide regarding the result of the additional $20 million reduction for the 2012-13 school year. At the time, I only had estimates on numbers, and although we have not certified through our auditors that the numbers I will provide you below are absolutely correct, they are going to very close. Thus, I did not want you to have to wait for another two months before getting an update. If anything changes significantly during or after the audit, I will send out another update, but I feel very confident that the information below is where it will all end up!

Fiscal Year 2011-2012

A reminder that the total loss of revenue for AEA 267 in 2011-12 due to the reduction of state aid to the AEA system was $3,850,902. We began the year with an unrestricted balance of $5,832,795, which represented about 12% of our yearly operational budget of $47.5 million. I estimated that $2.5 million of that reserve would have to be used to meet expenses, with the additional use of $1 million of federal special education Part B money.

It ended up a bit better than expected, as the actual use of reserves was $2,157,377. In addition, we only had to use $500,000 of federal special education Part B money instead of the projected $1 million. When I visited with you last spring, this was the best case scenario that we could have hoped for.

Fiscal Year 2012-2013

We begin the 2012-13 year with an unrestricted balance of $3,675,418, or about 8% of the fiscal year budget. Because we did not use the projected amount of Part B money last year, we also have $500,000 more of that money to start with. Another piece of good news is that we have been told by the Federal Department of Education that federal sequestration will not affect us this year, so the worry of a mid-year cut of about $1 million to our AEA is mitigated. We have also reduced expenses, mainly through the attrition of personnel.

However, all of that does not eliminate the fact that we have another cut in state aid to AEA 267 of $3,850,902. Between our balances, federal Part B money, 2% allowable growth (revenue of about $450,000) and reduction of expenses, it is likely that we will finish this year with a small balance of funds, barring any unexpected major expenses.

Absent another state aid reduction, and if the specter of federal sequestration is lifted, working together we will have weathered two very difficult years, although our operational balance will be greatly compromised. However, if the state continues to cut aid to the AEAs and/or if 10% of federal money is cut due to sequestration at the end of this year, we will need to continue to work in tandem to figure out how to continue to provide the outstanding service that you provide with continued depletion of funds.
Phew! That’s a lot of information but I want you to have the facts and the most current information about our situation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

As always, thank you for everything you do to support the children, families and educators we serve!

Charles Vaughn, who has served the AEA system as a board member since 1999, has retired from the board. Charles was a tireless supporter of staff, educators and most of all, children.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met on Wednesday, September 5 at the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center. During the meeting, the board:

• Approved the consent agenda
• Heard a program review by Dennis Scudder, Director of Finance regarding the Certified Annual Report and agency finances.
• Approved all contracts and agreements. (See the official “board book” for specific details.)
• Made the following appointments: Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson to the IEC Board of Directors; Dr. Debra Rich, IEC Management Committee; Dr. Roark Horn, IEC Management Committee and IAEP Executive Committee; Jerry Schnabel, IEC Operations Committee and Oversight Committee.
• Accepted the Excellence in Education Enrichment Grant from the R.J. McElroy Trust.
• Accepted the resignation of longtime board member Charles Vaughn.
• Held a public hearing to review Internet Policy/Regulation 101.4R2 and approve Acceptable Use Policy.

Did that headline catch your attention? Many of us have laughed over the years about the lack of understanding people still have about what the AEA system is and does. We have been confused with many groups–including “AA” or Alcoholics Anonymous”. The next time someone asks you, “what’s an AEA?” here are some helpful words to use in your response!

Congress enacted the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) in 1974, and Iowa developed Area Education Agencies (AEAs) to provide support services required by the act. Though 75 percent of the AEA budget is tied to special education, the Iowa legislature assigned many other responsibilities to the AEA to provide support to schools. Some of the most frequently used of these services include:

• Media (books, videos, on-line Websites and curriculum materials)
• Professional Development
• Technology (email and access to the Internet)

The AEA system assures families that each child will receive quality educational services and materials regardless of where they live – in a large district or a small one.

The AEA provides specialists who work in the schools in support of teachers and students. These special roles include, but are not limited to:

• Speech-language pathologists
• School Social workers
• Physical and occupational therapists
• School psychologists
• Audiologists
• Special Education Consultants

In smaller districts, the student caseload may require less than a full-time person. AEAs hire these specialists and provide these services to multiple schools and districts.

In larger districts, the AEA provides many behind-the-scene services in addition to providing these same services. The AEA helps districts meet the requirements of public mandates such as No Child Left Behind, the Individuals with Disability Education Act, Common Core, and the Iowa Teacher Quality Initiative.

Currently, Iowa is divided into nine service areas with each one served by an AEA. All public and accredited nonpublic schools receive AEA support services. State law also requires the AEAs to provide services to parents home-schooling their children.

Iowa’s AEAs are impacting lives. Visit http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/ to read the “Impacting Lives” blog newsletter, which is a statewide effort to communicate AEA success stories and services across the state. If you have a story to share, contact Beth Strike, Site Superintendent/Director of Communications or Lori Thomas, Secretary to Site Superintendent/Director of Communications.

As part of overall efforts to update the agency’s Emergency Response Plan, fire and disaster drills will be conducted on each of the agency’s main campuses (Clear Lake, Marshalltown and Cedar Falls) sometime between September 11-18. Please consult the Emergency Response Plan so that you are prepared to act if you are in one of the impacted buildings when a drill is conducted. (Special schools conduct their own drills and are not included in these plans.)

September is National Emergency Preparedness month. Plan ahead today to ensure you are prepared in a crisis situation!

The popularity of Google Sites has lead to an increase in sites authored by AEA 267 staff. The agency now has approved AEA 267 Google Sites Guidelines to ensure the appropriate use of this great tool both internally and with those we serve. Please review the guidelines and ensure that you understand them if you are a Google Sites user. Questions? Please contact Deb Versteeg, Digital Teaching and Learning Coordinator.

Please make special note to let Gus Delamore, Lead Maintenance, and Dyan Johnson, HR Secretary/Central Services Receptionist, know if you are cancelling a room you had previously reserved on the AEA 267 Cedar Falls campus, if the cancellation is within three days of the event. This will help to avoid unnecessary room setup and preserve the efforts of our custodial staff.

Copyright has become an important topic in recent years–especially for educators! A helpful guidebook has been created with answers to your most frequent questions.

As the date of our all-staff kick-off meeting quickly approaches, please be aware of some final details to ensure a successful day. We are looking forward to seeing you!

• Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Coffee, water and light snacks will be available in the lobby. Lunch will be provided.
• Parking at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus is limited. Please reference the information on parking before venturing to Cedar Falls. (Watch for signs!)
• Those that signed up for agency-sponsored transportation have been notified via email regarding departure times and locations. Please check your email if this applies to you. The transportation sign-up is now closed.
• Dress for the day is professional casual. Please note that the building is sometimes chilly so please dress accordingly!
• The agenda for the day includes keynote speakers from members of Administrative Cabinet, Ron Steele (KWWL-Channel 7) and Dr. Jason Glass (Iowa Department of Education). We will end promptly at 3 p.m.
• Please come with an open mind, positive attitude for learning and patience as we work together to make the day a success!

An updated AEA 267 Director District map was approved by the AEA 267 Board of Directors this month.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met at 6 p.m. on August 1, 2012 at the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center.  During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review from Dr. Jon McKenzie regarding EdInsight, a web-based statewide educational data warehouse that gives educators consistent, reliable and accurate quality data about Iowa education.
• Approved the mileage rate at $.37/mile for 2012-13.
• Approved purchase of a financial and human resources software, which will give staff members 24/7 access to human resources records, leave data, pay stubs, and other information beginning July 1, 2013.
• Approved a contract with Pruckler Physical Therapy.
• Approved the 2012-13 transportation contract with EPI/Northland Regional Transit.
• Renewed an agreement with Eldora-New Providence Schools for 2012-13.
• Approved the E-Rate management proposal for 2012-13 with Let Me Help You with That, LLC.
• Took action to close the AEA 267 Hampton office effective July 1, 2013.
• Approved agreements with Statewide System for Vision Services.
• Approved a revised Director District map.
• Approved a contract extension for Dr. Roark Horn to run from 2013 through 2016. Roark is in his last year of his current three-year contract.