Volume 56 / Number 1  September 2016

5Share’s New Look At the 2016 WASBO Annual Conference, we announced an exciting new partnership with a cutting edge visual analytics team Forecast5. With this partnership came the 5Share platform, a new and innovative place to communicate and share documents with one another free of charge as a WASBO member. Many of you may have noticed the 5Share platform has changed both visually and functionally due to updates and new navigational features. The following new features will boost the user experience and make peer engagement and collaboration easier than ever before.

New Home Page

On the new home page you can now view trending group discussions and filter these discussions by categories within each group. The updated home page also makes it easier to comment on a discussion and with just one click you can instantly share comments with others.

‘Like’ Feature

The ‘Like’ feature lets you add to discussions or comments by clicking the new Star icon. This icon can be found throughout the 5Share platform and is a great way to show your peers support, encourage dialogue and promote site interaction.

Notifications

With new notifications users can really hone in on how 5Share contacts them and what specifically they are contacted about. Set up email alerts to stay current on new content in specific Groups or Discussions as well as when you receive a Direct Message. Easily view and manage these notifications in your profile settings.

Direct Mail

This exciting new feature allows users to send messages directly and privately to Groups or individuals. Also, easily create, save and manage custom mailing lists from your Direct Mailbox and view all of your Direct Message correspondence in the Mail Activity Feed.

Inside This Issue 5Share’s New Look. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Executive Director’s Message . . . . . 3 Professional Development . . . . . . . 4 ASB 2016-17 Training Workshops. . 5 2017 Annual Conference. . . . . . . . . 6 Washington SAO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Angela Watts Elected to ASBO Int’l Board of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Membership Committee . . . . . . . . 10 Associated Student Body Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Child Nutrition Committee . . . . . . 12 Leadership Dvelopment Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Legislative Affairs Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 HHS Addresses Employer Appeals under Affordable Care Act . . . . . . 16 Payroll, Personnel and Retirement Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Purchasing and Warehouse Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Small Schools Committee . . . . . . . 20

Member Directory

Looking for someone? In the new Member Directory, search for Group Members, view Member Contact Details and also view Groups in common. Please contact me at [email protected] for any 5Share related support while learning and exploring this great new platform.

Washington Association of SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS

The WASBO REPORTER September 2016

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President’s Message By Doug Matson, WASBO President How time flies. It is hard to believe September is upon us. I think back to the days when I was younger and remember how summer vacation seemed so long. Now I’m saying is it over already? A professor in psychology was explaining that when you’re five a year is one-fifth of your life while when you’re fifty a year represents one-fiftieth of your life. The time is the same but your life experiences make the time seem shorter. I hate to admit it but fifty is a lot closer than five and the explanation has come to realization. Time is a valuable commodity and I find myself wishing I had more. The workload is continually increasing. I look back at the good old days and remember when I looked forward to February and March. Those were the months that the budget was in place for the year and it was still too early for me to think about the upcoming year. This too has changed and I don’t realize any down time. So you may wonder, if time is valuable why did you volunteer to be president and serve on state committees? As a service organization, WASBO is only as strong as the members it serves and it takes the members to volunteer and step forward to keep the organization viable. A goal I have as President of WASBO this year is to have a cadre of members to volunteer and step forward when needed to provide information to OSPI and the state legislature. WASBO is an organization of knowledgeable staff in all arenas of school finance, but we are an organization often overlooked when it comes to policy decisions affecting our lives. The public education funding system emerged from a 1977 state Supreme Court decision in which Seattle schools sued the state over inadequate funding. The ruling held that the state must fund equally across districts a “basic education” program that went beyond reading, writing and math. Subsequent court rulings over the years have expanded the formula, resulting in an extremely complex system. Currently we are operating under SHB 2276 and ESHB 2261 which established the prototypical school funding model. The model which was established by the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance was to “review the definition of basic education and all current basic education funding formulas.” The committee made a recommendation to the Quality Education Council which then set staffing ratios to the prototypical school model. A huge problem was that when the model was transferred to the current funding model it was to be at a net zero cost to the state. To do this the staffing ratios were reduced from the prototypical school model to work with the current funding model. Then we add the issue of compensation to the mix, which makes the funding deficit even greater. It is important that we look at how we can report better information to the legislature and work towards the goal of providing a quality education to the students of Washington State.

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Executive Director’s Message By Nancy Moffatt, Executive Director I hope that all of you had a calm and successful start to the 2016-17 school year and that your enrollment, staffing, and available classroom space is all aligned for your students, teachers and families. We at WASBO are looking forward to continued growth in the development of services and programs for our members. Our 2016 Business Manager’s Conference was held at the Clearwater Resort, July 25th through the 28th and provided excellent speakers and topics for attendees. A special thank you to the Leadership Development Committee and Denise Wolff, Chair, who did an outstanding job of selecting the topics, finding outstanding speakers, and putting together a solid agenda for this year’s event. A special THANK YOU to those who took time away from their summer and start of school planning to share their knowledge and experience with new and not-so-new school business folks from around the state: • Toni Bernethy, Director of Audit Resolution, OSPI • Rick Bonner, Accounting Supervisor, Tumwater School District • Cal Brodie, Chief Financial Officer, ESD 113 • Ross Bunda, Supervisor of School District Personnel Reporting/Data, OSPI • Holly Burlingame, Instructor/Consultant, WASBO • Jennifer Carrougher, Director of Federal Fiscal Policy, OSPI • Scott Emry, Risk, Health and Safety Manager, Lake Washington School District • Jennifer Farmer, Director of Business Services, Everett School District • Marty Fortrin, Learning Centers Director, Association of Washington School Principals • Tim Garchow, Superintendent Rainier School District (Executive Director for WSSDA) • Ramona Garner, Supervisor of School District/ESD Financial Reporting, OSPI • Lisa Jekel, Child Nutrition Services, OSPI • Allan Jones, Director of Student Transportation, OSPI • T.J. Kelly, Director School Apportionment and Financial Services, OSPI • Brianne King, Customer Support, In-Touch Receipting/HD Baker • Dawn Long, Director of Human Resources, North Thurston School District • Angela Merek, Payroll Manager, Bethel School District • Becky McLean, Supervisor of Basic/Special Education Enrollment, OSPI • Cory Plager, Director of School Financial Services, NEW ESD 101 • Scott Sackett, Washington State Archives Central Branch • Mitch Thompson, Executive Director Financial Services, Tumwater School District • Denise Wolff, Director of School Finance, ESD 113 THANK YOU to our sponsors for this year’s Business Managers’ Conference without whom we would not have had such a wonderful event: • WSIPC • D.A. Davidson & Company • OETC – Educational Technology Purchasing Consortium • Forecast5 Analytics 5Share

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Professional Development By Laura Blacklock I had a conversation this summer with Hugh Blane following up on his keynote presentation and release of his “Special Report on Mastering your Mindset.” There are several key success strategies that Hugh offers forward which I believe are very relevant to how people approach their daily work lives and professional development. I know that several of these have helped me make some very positive changes. In the “Special Report,” Hugh identifies 9 of the most common negative thinking habits and provides several success strategies to help shift your mindset. Here are a few that I think are worth making note of:

Reframe Your Past: (This strategy helps to build resiliency) You have to be able to look at negative events in the past and say, “They may not have been ideal, but here’s how I’m going to view these events and what I’ve learned.” In choosing to focus on what is positive you become highly resilient, which will shape your character in positive ways. This can be hard at times, but reframing negative experiences into positive ones is incredibly powerful and within our control.

Use Positive Language: The most effective way to avoid defeatist language is simply to use positive language. When you notice a pessimistic twist to your language, say to yourself, “Wait a minute. My language is negative. Let me frame that idea in a more positive way.” Using positive language is a powerful start to shifting your thinking—and when you change how you think and talk about situations, your behavior follows suit.

Be Comfortable With Feeling Uncomfortable: We all have a comfort zone, a place where things are known, safe, and predictable. However, remaining in our comfort zones doesn’t allow for growth or innovation to take place. If you want to experience something different, more rewarding, and enriching, you have to move out of your comfort zone and be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. And the one that impacted me most recently:

Aim For Progress, Not Perfection: Our mindset is exceptionally good at communicating that we are not good enough, smart enough, or making enough progress. To combat this negative thinking, recognize that perfectionism leads to procrastination and is a devious form of resistance for doing work that is meaningful and helpful. What customers, employees, and family members want from you is not perfection. They want to feel important, valued, and cared for. If you focus on these things you have a powerful and positive impact on people. Taking action when it comes to your personal and professional development is critical to keeping you feeling fresh and not weighted down with all the negativity we combat on a daily basis. If you want to delve a little deeper, either personally or with your team, Hugh is offering a 9-week intensive program. For more information on this program, please email [email protected].

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2016 - 2017 ASB Workshops WASBO and AWSP Present: The “ASB Funds: Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures” Workshops Dates and Locations of the scheduled 2016 - 2017 ASB Workshops: September 13, 2016 Bellevue Bellevue SD, Wilburton Instructional Service Center, Bellevue September 15, 2016 Pasco Red Lion, Pasco September 21, 2016 Tumwater ESD 113, Tumwater September 29, 2016 Vancouver ESD 112, Vancouver October 5, 2016 Renton Puget Sound ESD, Renton

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2017 Annual Conference By Cal Brodie, President Elect and Annual Conference Chair

WASBO 73rd Annual Conference Spokane Convention Center | May 10-12th, 2017 Volunteer to become a member of WASBO’s 2017 Conference Planning Committee and help organize the conference program, decorations, exhibitions, raffle and speakers. As President-Elect for the 2016-17, it is my pleasure to serve as the annual conference committee chair. With Your help, it’s going to be the best one yet! We are asking WASBO members in the Spokane area to help us and become members of our 2017 Conference Planning Team. The commitment on your part is attending four meetings, assist in the planning tasks, and completing any follow-through tasks you may agree to do for the conference. We need approximately 20 volunteers on the committee. Activities of the team are helping to develop the program including theme and colors, decorations, Wednesday social activity, scholarship bucket raffle, wellness walk/run and to help identify speakers and entertainment. Also, food tasting and just having fun! The WASBO staff provides the logistical work. As a member of the committee, you will be assisting your professional association in developing WASBO’s most important function of the year. Please respond back to Ruth Foster at [email protected] as soon as possible, no later than September 15th. We’re looking forward to working with you and hosting a great conference in Spokane! Cal

COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Are scheduled for 10:00 am until 2:00 pm

DATES: • Monday, October 3, 2016 • Friday, November 4, 2016

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• Friday, January 13, 2017

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Auditor’s Office works with OSPI to keep school districts ‘low risk’ Under the new Federal Uniform Guidance, government agencies that do not report financial status using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and are not required by state law to report using a regulatory basis of accounting, no longer qualify as “low risk” for single audit purposes. We worked with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to revise the Accounting Manual for Public School Districts, allowing districts that prepare and report with the required F-196 financial statement to qualify as low-risk. We met with the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Department of Education to address the added language, which reinforces that the F-196 is the financial statement required by state law, and clearly states that districts must prepare and submit financial statements using this other comprehensive basis of accounting (OCBOA). Both OIG and the Department of Education have reviewed the changes to the Accounting Manual and agree that the revisions address previous concerns regarding the required OCBOA presentation allowing school districts in Washington State to qualify as “low risk.”. For more information, contact Cheryl Thresher, Audit Manager of School Programs, at Cheryl.Thresher@sao. wa.gov or (360) 725-5608.

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The WASBO REPORTER September 2016

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Angela Watts Elected to the ASBO International Board of Directors Angela Watts, MBA, CSBA, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations for the West Valley School District in Yakima, was recently elected to the ASBO International Board of Directors. We are very proud of Angela and want to acknowledge how hard she has worked on behalf of WASBO and to earn an impressive majority of votes (70.5%) from ASBO International members. Washington State has only had three other members — John Boyle, Lowell Freeman, and Neil Sullivan who have served on the ASBO International Board of Directors. While Angela will be following in the footsteps of these three outstanding individuals, we are confident that she will work tirelessly to help ASBO and WASBO continue to move from good to great. Angela is joined as a newly elected Board member by Michael Johnston, MS Educational Leadership, Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services for the Clovis Unified School District in Clovis, California, and both will be joining current ASBO Board members when sworn in at the ASBO International Annual Conference September 23-25, in Phoenix. • Brenda Burkett, CPA, CSBA, SFO, Chief Financial Officer, Norman Public Schools, Norman, Oklahoma • Jennifer Bolton Carls, Ed.D. Deputy Superintendent, Otsego Northern Catskill BOCES, Grand Gorge, New York • Charles Peterson, MBA, PRSBA, SFO, Director of Cooperative Business Services and Operations, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit #16, Milton, Pennsylvania • Avery Embry, MBA, Director of Finance/Chief School Financial Officer, Talladega County Schools Talladega, Alabama • Tom Wohlleber, CSRM, Chief Financial Officer, Gilbert Public Schools, Gilbert, Arizona • Claire Hertz, SFO, Chief Financial Officer, Beaverton School District, Beaverton, Oregon • Ed Chapal, Director of Finance, Mount Pleasant Community School District, Mount Pleasant, Iowa • John Musso, CAE, RSBA, Executive Director, ASBO International Congratulations Angela!!

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Belonging to an Organization By Joli Valentino, Membership Committee Chair As Chair of the Membership Committee, I have been reflecting on what “membership” means and putting thought into belongingness. According to humanist psychologist, Abraham Maslow, our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs. As a humanist, Maslow believed that people have the need for personal growth. In order to accomplish growth, Maslow believed that a number of basic needs must be met first (such as the need for food and safety). Once those physiological needs are met, people then address psychological needs such as belongingness. As a WASBO member, I have enjoyed some of the benefits, which include an exposure to twelve active committees. These committees help members to keep current in their profession, which calls us to keep up with a myriad of legislative changes and demands. The mission of WASBO calls us to provide programs and services to promote best practices of school business management, professional growth and the effective use of educational resources. I attempt to use my WASBO membership to enhance my sense of belonging. With a community of 1,198 members, we belong to an organization that strives to provide support on multiple levels – from the macro to the micro. Being intentional about strengthening my relationships with fellow WASBO members has increased my sense of belonging. I propose that we use our WASBO relationships to unlock creativity and passion. Let’s strive to create warm, open-minded dialogue where difficult issues and concerns are discussed with rigor, humor, and respect. Increasing our sense of belonging in the WASBO community is arguably the greatest gift we can give to public education by providing professionals with opportunities to solve problems and make meaningful connections to enhance and support student learning. Know anyone who might be interested in joining us? Contact WASBO for membership information!

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ASB Committee Report By Brianne King, ASB Committee Chair Welcome back! Thank you to our past chair, Marianne Bigelow of Tacoma School District. Her dedication and leadership for the past several years has been valuable to the Committee’s success. My name is Brianne King and I will serve as the ASB Committee Chair for the 2016-17 school year. I started with school districts in 2008, with very little knowledge about ASB. It was through the committee and networking with others that I was able to learn the rules and regulations surrounding ASB. We are lucky to have Marty Fortin continue as the Co-Chair. We look forward to providing you with the resources to help your district run a successful ASB program. Our first goal is to update the ASB Procedures Manual. We’ve assembled a 14-member team to review and edit the current manual. Final edits will take place in early October and publishing will soon follow. We also have several ASB Workshops scheduled throughout the state. The ASB Committee encourages you to participate in the monthly meetings. It’s a great way to network with other districts and gain knowledge about various ASB topics. Too busy to attend in person? We have a new option which allows you to watch the meeting at your desk. We also plan to record meetings and post them on the ASB Committee page. Tacoma School District will still be the host site. You can also network with other neighboring districts or within your own district. WASBO membership isn’t required to attend, but access to materials will be limited. For more information follow the link to the ASB Committee WASBO page: http://www.wasbo.org/?page=9 Contact the WASBO ASB Committee Chair (info below) and you will be added to the meeting distribution list. We meet the 4th Tuesday of every month and begin at 9:30 am. Please join us if you can! 2016-17 dates and topics:

September 27th



October 25th



November 29th



December



January 24th



February 28th



March 28th



April 25th

Auditor’s report (SAO)



May 23rd

10 Pretty Hard ASB Questions and year end reminders

New school year startup, fundraising using third party vendors, fundraiser reconciliations, meeting minutes and constitutions Raffles, Gambling, and amusement games (WSGC) COPPA, HIPPA, McKinney-Vento, Title IX and other Federal laws that affect ASB; also ASB Manual update report No meeting Trademarks and Copyrights: ASB Crests and Mascots, Yearbook Photos, game videos. Creating and Operating nonprofits/ Boosters ASB budgeting from the student’s point of view (Central Valley HS in Spokane).

Contact Information: ASB Chair: Brianne King, InTouch Receipting, CSBO (Former Business Manager at University Place and Director of Finance & Operations at Orting) [email protected] or 253.252-7588 ASB Co-Chair: Marty Fortin, AWSP [email protected] or 360.497.7131

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USDA Focus on Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs By Wendy Barkley, RD, Child Nutrition Committee Chair Child Nutrition Programs are required to use proper procurement procedures in the purchase of food, supplies, and services using the non-profit school food service account. Local education agencies receiving an Administrative Review of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program in school year 2016-17 will receive a procurement review before June 30, 2017. The LEA will identify all of the contracts for Child Nutrition Programs, dollar amount of the contract, and the type of procurement used. Child Nutrition Services will review a sample of actual contracts. The USDA procurement tool will be used to evaluate procurement processes. The USDA has published policy memorandum SP 45-2016 Draft Tool for Local Agency Procurement Reviews for School Food Authorities in SY 2016-2017 with additional details. Visit the Child Nutrition Services webpage for a list of Local education agencies scheduled for an Administrative Review in school year 2016-17.

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Leadership Development Committee Report By Denise Wolff, WASBO Leadership Development Chair

Your Next Adventure Are you at a point in your career where it seems like you actually are in control instead of racing after the runaway cart? Now, what do you do? You have become an adrenalin junkie. You’ve lived on stress so long, that you fear slowing down will make you bored and depressed. I have a solution for you! It’s called “giving back.” One of the best places to give back to is your professional organization called WASBO. This is a great place to contribute your energy because you can start with something small, like doing a presentation for a committee meeting on a subject you have extensive knowledge in, or becoming a moderator at the WASBO Conference and introducing a speaker. You could actively participate on a committee and suggest ideas for future trainings and workshops. Eventually you could move into the assistant chair or chair position. If you are a little shy about getting up in front of people, ask a committee chair what you can do to help out. An activity like taking notes and doing the minutes for the meetings can be a huge help to a committee chair. The annual conference is a great place to get involved. Volunteer to help with decorations, one of the activities, the welcome desk, or whatever you are comfortable with. This is a great opportunity to meet folks from other districts and form friendships through shared activities. You might start with something as simple as an email to a committee chair with a suggestion for a training at one of the committee meetings. By the way, I’m the committee chair for the Leadership Development Committee and I love getting emails from people with suggestions for trainings or a request to get on our mailing list. My email is [email protected].

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The WASBO REPORTER September 2016

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Legislative Update By Dan Steele, WASBO Legislative Consultant and Corine Pennington, Legislative Affairs Committee Chair

McCleary v. State Update The ruling in the historic McCleary v. State of Washington education funding lawsuit was handed down by the Supreme Court in January 2012. Since then, there has been much activity in the Legislature to address the decision (although most educators would agree there has not been enough positive activity). This month the State and the plaintiffs—the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools or NEWS—were called to meet with the Supreme Court to argue whether the current contempt of court order should remain and, if so, what should be done about the imposition of sanctions. While we wait for the results of that hearing, perhaps a review of how we got to this point is in order. On January 5, 2012, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled for the plaintiffs in McCleary v. State, unanimously declaring that the State of Washington is violating the constitutional rights of children by failing to live up to its constitutional “paramount duty” to amply fund the education of all K-12 students. Additionally, the Court ruled that the State’s unconstitutional underfunding of education (in particular employee compensation) was forcing an unconstitutional overreliance on local school district levies. The Court ordered the Legislature to make steady, real and measurable progress each year and to fully fund K-12 public education by 2018. Taking an unusually step, the Court retained jurisdiction in the case. As a part of the McCleary decision, the Court required the State (i.e., the Legislature) to submit a “complete plan fully implementing its program of basic education for each school year between now and the 2017–18 school year,” including a “phase-in schedule for fully funding each of the components of basic education.” The 2013 Legislature essentially ignored the order and on January 9, 2014, the Court reiterated the demand. Following the 2014 session, legislators said they tried to adopt a plan, but it proved to be too difficult. They then tried to excuse away the lack of action. The Court expressed its frustration with the Legislature’s lack of action and on June 12, 2014, they ordered the State to appear at a “Show Cause” hearing on September 3, 2014, wherein they were to explain why they should not be found in contempt of court. The state’s attorney representing the Legislature acknowledged that they had not complied this the Court’s orders, but urged the Court not to find them in contempt or impose sanctions because legislators recognized “the need for legislative action by the 2015 Legislature.” In arguing against a contempt finding the attorney clearly and boldly told the Court that all the Legislature needed was time. He argued that legislators knew that 2015 was THE year for the necessary “grand bargain” to solve the education funding problem. Justices responded promptly and on September 11, 2014, the Court unanimously held the State in contempt of court; however, they accepted the State’s promise to act and postponed sanctions until after the 2015 session, if necessary. The 2015 Session turned out to be an agonizing, record-breaking 176-day affair. While the Legislature adopted a new two-year budget with $1.3 billion in McCleary-related basic education enhancements, the investment continued to fall short of the necessary funding to put the Legislature on the path of full funding by 2018. Additionally, the Legislature again failed to adopt the required spending plan. Following the end of the session, the Legislature again acknowledged they had not adopted a spending plan and attempted to explain why they had not complied with the Court’s orders. In essence, they argued they knew better than the Court and to comply with its orders was not worth the time. The Legislature’s excuses, however, were rejected and on August 13, 2015, the Court ruled the State was still in contempt and ordered immediate sanctions. The sanctions consisted of a $100,000 per day fine. Rather than pay the fine to the State Treasurer, the Court ordered the accumulated fine to be segregated and spent on K-12 education. The total fine is now approaching $40 million. The Court, recognizing they had no power or authority to force the Legislature to return to session to adopt the necessary plan, encouraged Governor Inslee to call a special session. Inslee declined to do so. Instead, he convened a McCleary Workgroup, comprised of two members from each of the four legislative political caucuses. He charged this Workgroup with coming up with the required plan. The Workgroup met (behindclosed-doors) in the fall and just prior to the convening of the 2016 Session, it was announced they had article continues on next page

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Legislative Update continued from previous page found “common ground” to address the Court’s request for a plan. The “plan,” introduced as SB 6195 turned out to be more of a “plan to plan,” requiring further study rather than establishing any specific plan. Ultimately, E2SSB 6195 was adopted by both houses and signed by the governor. The bill continued Governor Inslee’s McCleary Workgroup, reconstituted as the Education Funding Task Force, and charged them with providing a series of recommendations. To assist the work of the Task Force, an independent consultant has been hired to collect and analyze data regarding school staff compensation. The Task Force has begun to review the consultant’s initial analysis of the collected data. The Task Force must release a final report with recommendations by January 9, 2017—the first day of the new session. The State, pleased with the Legislature’s adoption of E2SSB 6195, notified the Court a bill had been signed into law which comprises the “plan that complies with the Court’s orders.” They argued “the Court should respond by dissolving the contempt order and terminating the imposition of sanctions.” On July 14, 2106, the Court responded by again summoning the parties to reappear before the Court on September 7, 2016, for oral arguments to address: “(1) what remains to be done to timely achieve constitutional compliance, (2) how much it is expected to cost, (3) how the State intends to fund it, and (4) what significance, if any, the Court should attach to E2SSB 6195 in determining compliance with the Court’s order to provide a complete plan.” The hearing was held just as this newsletter is going to press. With the hearing completed, we now wait for a response from the Court. There is no indication how the Court will act. In simple terms, they could: dissolve the contempt order and sanctions; maintain contempt and escalate sanctions; or simply continue to impose the current sanctions. There is also no indication when the Court will act; however, most observers believe they will issue a new order without much delay. Stay tuned.

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The WASBO REPORTER September 2016

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HHS Addresses Employer Appeals under ACA Provided by American Fidelity

Releases Sample Subsidy Notice As most large employers are now well aware, the trigger for penalties imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is receipt of financial assistance in the form of an advanced premium tax credit and/or a cost sharing subsidy by a full-time employee who was not offered affordable, adequate employer sponsored coverage. The ACA requires notification to employers when an employee enrolls in a qualified health plan via an Exchange (Marketplace) and receives such financial assistance. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon begin to notify employers when an employee has enrolled in a Federal Exchange coverage and received financial assistance. In 2016, employers will receive a notice if an employee received an advance premium tax credit for at least one month in 2016 and if the Federal Exchange has a complete address for the employer. A copy of the sample subsidy notice is available on-line. If the employee identified on the notice incorrectly stated that he or she was not enrolled in employer sponsored coverage or was not offered adequate or affordable employer sponsored coverage, the employer may appeal. The IRS will independently determine any liability for the Employer Mandate penalty, but a successful employer appeal may prevent an incorrect report by the Exchange concerning an employee’s eligibility for coverage. Employers have 90 days from the date of the notice to request an appeal. More details about the employer appeal process and a download of the employer appeal request form is available on-line. Employers in states with State Exchanges should note that each state may have a different notification and/ or appeal process. A State Exchange may have its own appeals process or it may follow the federal appeals process established by HHS. California, Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, New York, Kentucky, and Vermont have announced that they will utilize the federal appeals process. Employers in other states with State Exchanges should follow the appeal instructions provided by that state. For more information about this and other regulatory developments, visit our website at www.HCReducation.com.

THREE dECAdES

PROTECTING SCHOOlS

PROACTIVE

PROGRESSIVE

Phone: (206) 394-9737 • (800) 488-7569 • Web: wsrmp.com Paid Advertisement

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Payroll, Personnel and Retirement Committee Report By Angie Marek, Payroll, Personnel and Retirement Committee Chair Welcome to the new school year! I hope 2016-2017 will bring great things for each of you. Looking ahead, the PPR Committee has some exciting things planned. Our committee meetings fall on the first Tuesday of each month with the exception of November (workshop), January, May (WASBO Conference), July, August and September. You can attend via the K20 system or in person at one of the designated locations. The meetings will be run out of ESD 113, we hope to have a couple of other locations you will also will be able to gather as a group such as possibly PSESD and a location east of the mountains. If you would be interested in hosting, please contact either Angie Marek at [email protected] or Darlene Gjelsteen at [email protected] we would love to hear from you. By meeting in groups when possible it allows for additional sharing and networking opportunities. Back by popular demand will be a workshop on November 10th at PSESD in Renton. Registration information will be coming out soon, and I encourage you to attend. We will have several presenters who will be sharing information on hot topics such as ACA, Garnishments and more…. Thank you for all your suggestions as we are incorporating them into the November meeting as well as our monthly PPR Committee meetings. The first PPR Committee meeting will be on October 4th at 9am. We are hoping to have a presentation on records retention. Watch for information on the upcoming meetings and presentations. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me at the email above or at 253-683-6040. Thanks and have a great school year! Angie Marek

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Purchasing and Warehouse Committee Report By Darren King, Purchasing & Warehouse Chair (509) 228-5476 – [email protected]

Procurement Cards (P-Cards) Travel Issues and More As a consumer, traveling can be easy, just use your credit/debit card, show your I.D. and you’ll be fine. For government or business travel it isn’t always that simple. Renting a car or checking into a hotel while using a government issued p-card may require an employee to use their personal card if certain criteria are not met. Either way, ensure to ask at the desk if you are receiving the government rate when using your p-card.

RENTAL CAR PAYMENT Rental car companies may suffer a greater loss than just their rental fee if their car is wrecked. Card companies, such as Visa and MasterCard, will not enforce disputes between the rental company and the driver if they are not authorized to use the card. There are some options that you may use to ensure that staff travel has less speedbumps. Avis-Rent-a-Car has their Global Electronic Billing (GEB) service that allows an account to be set up for government agencies and corporate entities. Setting up the account starts by calling a representative at (800) 331-1212. Reservations are made on the GEB service through their reservations group at (800) 222-2847. Once the reservation is made, the staff member must only show their valid driver’s license and the rental is charged against the p-card on file. Like Avis-Rent-a-Car, National Car Rental will charge a rental to a card other than the driver if a card is already set up on an account or they also can “direct bill to a bank account”, although it is unclear how that type of transaction is done. Enterprise, (800) 847-3722, also operates like National Car Rental except they are also able to bill a purchase order on file on the account. State of Washington contract 03710, can be used to access rates from Enterprise up through October 18, 2017. Rates start at around $32 per day. Remember the Alamo? Alamo-Rent-A-Car doesn’t offer any government or corporate services at this time that would bill against a single p-card or purchase order.

HOTEL PAYMENT Hotels offered a fairly standard response in how they handled payments when the name on the card doesn’t match the guest’s name. The key to success, and a room, is to ask at the time the reservation is made if the cardholder will have to complete, sign, and return by fax (emails are a security risk) an authorization form prior to the reservation date. Each hotel contacted had a standard form, one for each of their specific locations. Simply bringing the form and presenting it at the desk upon check-in is not an option for many hotels. The guest will still be required to show valid “state” identification during check-in. The Shilo Inns Suites, Hotels & Restaurants added that when checking in their guests, often a family member will have the card and Shilo will call the bank to ensure they are authorized on the account. Shilo also will direct bill government customers when a purchase order is provided prior to check-in.

REDUCING TRAVEL PAYMENT PROBLEMS One way to better manage the travel process is to use a centralized approach. If a few key members in your organization make the majority of the reservations, travel payment problems will be reduced. Some organizations have all travel-related payments made in a central location or one office at each building. Often the centralized process will have a card or two that stay in the office. Staff members who need to travel ensure all the travel authorizations are complete and then work with the designated travel person who make the arrangements and process the necessary pre-approvals. There are other ways to optimize the travel function. Using a set per-diem rate for meals and allowing advanced travel expenses to be given to the staff person reduces the need for a p-card for meals, parking, and other incidentals. While making it easier on the traveler, per-diem rates also simplify the accounting function. Collecting receipts for food may cause questions about what expenses are reasonable and necessary and may be questioned later. Per-diem instead makes audits much easier.

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Purchasing and Warehouse Committee Report continued from previous page BACKUP CARD FOR OUT OF TOWN TRIPS For those with card-lock cards for fuel for your buses, consider several months ago when the network of fuel pumps for City Services Valcon had their network go down for more than 24 hours. All of their pumps were down in several states and if there were buses out of town without enough fuel, they may have been stranded. If your organization has a single fuel card, checking out a standard p-card for fuel or other emergencies may be something to consider.

BIRTHDAY REQUIRMENT Bank of America Merril Lynch (BofAML) has notified their commercial accounts that starting in March of 2017, all new cards issued will require the date of birth of the cardholder. BofAML commented the new requirement was to become compliant with “economic sanctions policies” so it’s possible that other banks will also be making the requirement soon if they are not already compliant.

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Small Schools Committee Report By April Kaech, CSBO, Small Schools Committee Chair Here we are again, starting another busy school year. If you are like me working in a small school district you wear multiple hats. Wearing multiple hats in your district makes it very hard to keep up on all of the changing requirements and reporting that comes with each of those jobs. We do not become masters at any one topic, but as knowledgeable as possible in each area to make sure we are staying compliant and are able to complete the task as quickly as possible. I know the overwhelming feeling that comes with change, new regulations, and added reporting. It can be debilitating at times and I know that feeling all too well. However, I want you to know that there are so many resources out there to help you grow quickly in your knowledge base, walk you through new reporting, answer your quick questions, and keep you moving forward. WASBO classes and trainings are amazing at keeping you up to date with the changing requirements and giving you tools and best practice at the topic you are inquiring about. Their trainers come with years and years of experience and they are so great at providing you with examples and documents to help you update systems in your schools. Your local ESD’s are also an amazing resource and have people on staff to help you with yearly processes and accounting rules and regulations. If they do not know they answer they can direct you to a person that does. Last, but not least your peers. Building a network of peers in your profession will be your saving grace. They will be there to quickly answer questions and just be there to listen to you vent when you are in the middle of a crisis and let you know they have been there too. One way to build these relationships is by attending WASBO and ESD trainings and events. Another way is by signing up and becoming active on 5Share. 5Share is a free networking tool that will allow all WASBO members to ask questions and share information (documents, resources, spreadsheets) related to their specific discipline. Please contact John Grieco at WASBO if you have any questions or need assistance with setting up your profile or password. If you are like me I love taking other peers spreadsheets and making them my own. Why recreate the wheel when there are already so many documents available to you? The more individuals that become active in 5Share the more powerful of a resource it will become. I wish you all the best this school year and look forward to being your Small Schools Committee Chair. Please know that I am interested in hearing what topics you are struggling with and need more training and resources for. By providing me with this information I can report back to WASBO what the needs are and we can make sure that trainings and events provide you with the information you need.