In June, The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) held a Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP) training workshop. The DPI presented several PowerPoints over four hours featuring 245 slides of information on agency rules and state statutes governing the program.
WCRIS staff attended and provide this summary of key takeaways for schools too busy to attend:
- Create and implement SNSP school policies and accounting practices prior to joining the Choice program as a trial run for the program. This will help gauge whether or not your school is ready to participate.
- A Section 504 accommodation plan does not fulfill the Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirement.
- Schools are advised to hire a certified public accountant (CPA) who has read all of the available financial bulletins from the DPI.
- The school’s Choice Administrator must get a copy of the student’s IEP or services plan from the Local Education Agency (LEA) when the student applies, even if the school already has one on file.
- Out-of-state IEPs or services plans are eligible, but only if the school can get a copy from the out-of-state school district.
- Reviewing the SNSP student applications requires meticulous attention to detail. There are numerous disqualifying errors that render an application ineligible. Schools should spend time going over every application to ensure accuracy so students are not declined from participation on a technicality using the DPI’s application checklist.
- Schools must process and verify all applications received even if all the available SNSP seats are filled. Eligible students who do not have a seat are placed on the school’s waiting list and parents must be notified of their position on the list.
To read WCRIS staff’s complete notes, click here. These notes are a good update and appendix to the WCRIS Special Needs Scholarship Program Handbook. If you do not have a copy, order one today. You can learn more about the handbook here.
