Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) have been developed to assist you in completing the application. If you require additional assistance please email Mr. Todd Ruh or phone (571) 372-5870.

(Click the link to reveal the answer)

• Question:
  Who may apply?



Answer:
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are eligible to apply for Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities only if they have applied and have received Federal Impact Aid under Section 8003 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for the same fiscal year.
• Question:
  What must be submitted?



Answer:
An application Secretary of Defense Form number 816 (SD 816), and SD 816C continuation sheet.
• Question:
  Where can the application be obtained?



Answer:
The SD 816 and SD 816C forms are available as a fillable adobe PDF and are accessible on DoDEA's Military K-12 Partners website. Applicants must download the form and save it to the hard drive on their computers to work on it. To do this, they will need to have a version of Adobe on their computer. You can download a free version with the application under the Required Forms section.
• Question:
  How are Applications (SD 816 and SD 816C) submitted?



Answer:
Applications are to be submitted by email only, as an attachment toDoDEAimpactaid@hq.dodea.edu. In addition to the email, the signature sheet must be faxed to (770) 268-7498, or scanned and emailed.
• Question:
  Who is the certifying representative of the LEA?



Answer:
The application must be signed by the District Superintendent, or a designated representative authorized to act on behalf of the Superintendent, who certifies that the information submitted is accurate. An original signature must be faxed or sent by email to the required office. The email address of this official shall be included on the signature sheet of the application submission. Do not mail original signatures to DoD -- retain originals in your files.
• Question:
  When are submissions due?



Answer:
Both the electronic application and the faxed signature sheet must be received by 5 PM EDT, July 6, 2012 to be eligible for FY 2012 funds.
• Question:
  Will late submissions be accepted?



Answer:
No, applications sent later than 5 PM EDT, July 6, 2012 will not be accepted.
• Question:
  How are Children with Severe Disabilities defined?



Answer:
Section 222.80(b) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations provides the following definition: Children with severe disabilities means children with disabilities who because of the intensity of their physical, mental, or emotional problems need highly specialized education, social, psychological, and medical services in order to maximize their full potential for useful and meaningful participation in society and for self-fulfillment. The term includes those children with disabilities with severe emotional disturbance, schizophrenia, autism, severe and profound mental retardation, and those who have two or more serious disabilities such as deaf-blindness, mental retardation and blindness, and cerebral palsy and deafness.
• Question:
  Are there a minimum number of military impacted children that must be applied for?



Answer:
Yes, under Section 363(a) of Public Law 106-398, the LEA must have provided services to two (2) or more military dependent children with severe disabilities. These military dependent children with severe disabilities must have been counted by the LEA on the Federal Impact Aid program application for the specified school year.

Only children of active duty military personnel, including active duty Guard and Reserve, are eligible. This includes children with a parent who is an official of, and accredited by, a foreign government and is a foreign military officer.
• Question:
  Where can the required data be obtained?



Answer:

1. The LEA will need to obtain data on special education costs of individual military dependent children who have severe disabilities and meet the threshold for payments. LEAs will need to identify the number of children who were residing on base or off base. If any of the eligible children were residing in base housing or in military housing undergoing renovation or rebuilding, and deemed as eligible for on-base housing, LEAs will also need to identify the number on the front page of the application. This information should be obtainable from the LEA representative that completed the ED Impact Aid Application for the specified year.



2. Additionally, the LEA will need the amount of the average per pupil expenditure for general education in the state in which the LEA is located. The data from EDs National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is available for download on DoDEA's Military K-12 Partners website.

• Question:
  Where can the state average per pupil expenditure for a military dependent child be obtained?



Answer:
The expenditure for military dependent children is the same as for non-military dependent children, but you can only submit the application for the military dependent Children with Severe Disabilities.
• Question:
  What eligible costs can be claimed?



Answer:
An LEA is eligible to receive a payment for a child described in subparagraph (A)(ii), (B), (D)(i) or (D)(ii) of section 8003(a)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 7703(a)(1)) if the LEA serves two or more such children with severe disabilities, for costs incurred in providing a free and appropriate education (FAPE) to each such child, where payment to be made only on behalf of children whose individual educational or related services cost exceeds either (a) five times the national or state average per pupil expenditure (whichever is lower) for a special education (SPED) program that is located outside the boundaries of the school district of the LEA that pays for the FAPE of the student, or (b) three times the state average per pupil expenditure for a SPED program offered by the LEA, or within the boundaries of the school district served by the LEA.
• Question:
  How are special education costs to be determined?



Answer:
Listed below are examples of procedures for determining the special education costs for a specific military child with severe disabilities. It is not mandatory that the LEA use the exact methods listed below, but the costs must be deemed justifiable by the DoD.

A breakdown of special education costs for individual students must be submitted when requested. Only costs that are for special education and related services listed on the child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) are justifiable. These justifiable costs should be expenses that can be easily attributed to the specific military child with severe disabilities for whom the claim is being made and for the specified school year (i.e., the previous school year). These costs can include direct costs and consultation costs but not case management costs, LEA indirect costs, or benefits. All costs (including salaries) should be based on the specified school year.
1. 1. Teacher Cost: The cost of the special education teacher that provides services to the military dependent child with severe disabilities prorated by the number of children in the class.
   
   Example A- Teacher Cost: The teacher's salary is $50,000 and she services ten special education children, one of whom is the military dependent child with severe disabilities, the teacher's salary should be divided by 10 to arrive at a teacher cost of $5,000 for the child with severe disabilities. Please include salary only-- but not benefits or other indirect costs.
2. 2. Teacher's Aide Cost: If there is a special education teacher's aide that is assigned to the class and provides services to the military dependent child with severe disabilities, prorate the aide's salary by the number of children for which she provides services. If she provides services to only one class, prorate by the number of children in the class, but if she provides services to multiple classes, prorate her salary by all of the children in all of the classes for which she provides services.
   
   Example B- Teacher's Aide Cost: The teacher's aide's salary is $20,000 and she services ten special education children, one of whom is the military dependent child with severe disabilities, the aide's salary should be divided by ten to arrive at an aide cost of $2,000 for the child with severe disabilities. However, if that aide also provides services to another class of ten children, her salary should be divided by 20 to arrive at an aide cost of $1,000. If the aide is assigned only to the child with severe disabilities, her entire salary may be used for special education cost. Please include salary only-- but not benefits or other indirect costs.
3. 3. Supplies and Equipment Cost: If "special" supplies or equipment have been purchased for the particular military dependent child due to his/her educational plan, the cost of those supplies and/or equipment can be included. If, however, the supplies and/or equipment are purchased for more than one child, the cost must be prorated among the number of children. Depreciation must be factored into the cost of equipment by using a five-year period for all equipment except computers, which require a three-year depreciation period. Depreciation, as used here, is the allocation of the cost of an asset over a period of time for accounting and tax purposes.
   
   -Example C- Supplies Cost: Supplies purchased by the LEA for a special education class of children with severe disabilities cost $5,000. These supplies were used by ten children with disabilities during the school year. Divide the cost of the supplies by the ten children to arrive at a cost of $500 per child. Therefore, $500 would be the cost the LEA can assess for the military dependent child with severe disabilities in the class.
   
   -Example D- Equipment Cost: The LEA purchases a $2,000 computer unit for a special education class of children with severe disabilities. The computer is used by 20 children with disabilities during the school year. Since computers are depreciated over a three-year period, divide the cost of the computer equipment by three (years) to get $666.67. Next, divide the yearly cost of the computer by the 20 children who used it to arrive at a cost of per pupil cost of $33.33. Therefore, $33.33 is the cost the LEA can assess for the military dependent child with severe disabilities who used the computer, for the cost of the computer.
4. 4. Transportation Cost: If the LEA provided special transportation for the child with severe disabilities according to the child's IEP, the cost of the transportation services and the driver's salary should be prorated among the number of children that are serviced by the vehicle and the driver. The vehicle, however, must be depreciated over five years with the salvage value taken into consideration. The driver's salary must be prorated among the number of children for whom the driver provided services. If the vehicle is leased, the annual lease cost can be prorated among the number of children that are transported in the vehicle.
   
   Example E- Transportation Cost: A school bus is purchased for $60,000 for use for special education children. The bus was used to transport 40 children during the school year. Since vehicles are depreciated over a five-year period and the salvage value is expected to be $8,000, subtract $8,000 from $60,000, which equals $52,000. Then divide $52,000 by five (years), which results in $10,400 per year. Next, divide the yearly cost of the bus by 40 children to get $260. Therefore, $260 is the cost the LEA can assess for the military dependent child with severe disabilities for the cost of the bus. In addition, if the driver is paid $20,000 a year (for a part-time driver) and he provides three bus runs for 120 children, the LEA can divide $20,000 by 120 to arrive at a driver's cost of $166.67 per child. The LEA can then assess a cost of $260 plus $166.67 or $426.67 for the transportation for the child with severe disabilities but only if it is included as a service on the child's IEP.
   
   -If the LEA can justify transportation costs for the child, and there is an aide assigned to the bus for the special education children, the aide's salary can be prorated in a similar method as determined for the bus driver, and included in the transportation cost. For both bus drivers and aides, please include salary only-- not benefits or other indirect costs.
5. 5. Tuition Cost: If the military dependent child is in a program where there is a set cost or tuition per special education child, the tuition cost can be submitted. However, additional cost of staff, supplies or equipment cannot be included unless the LEA is responsible for the direct payment of these costs in addition to the costs of tuition.
6. 6. Related Services Cost: If the LEA is responsible for the costs of related services providers (speech, occupational therapy, etc.), the service provider's cost could be prorated by the number of children serviced to arrive at a per child rate.
   
   Example F- Related Services Cost: If the occupational therapist makes $50,000 and sees 20 children for approximately the same amount of time, divide the $50,000 salary by 20 children to arrive at a per child cost of $2,500 for the military dependent child.
• Question:
  What if some groups of students have different expenditures than others?



Answer:
A separate page SD 816C will need to be filled out for each group of students with different expenditures.
• Question:
  The application says to "enter the actual payment made on behalf of the child with a severe disability that meets the criteria of 1.a. or 1.b. above." What payment is this question referring to?



Answer:
(See Application page two question two) This requests either the costs paid to another LEA to educate the child or your own LEAs cost for educating the child with severe disabilities.
• Question:
  Where can the amount received from sources other than state, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, or Federal Impact Aid be obtained?



Answer:
(See Application page two, question three) An example of such a payment would be from Medicaid. If the LEA receives such payments, it should be able to identify the amount of the payments for the eligible children. This information would, most likely, be obtained from its finance office. If the LEA is not aware of any such payments received for the eligible children, it should put a zero in box number three.
• Question:
  How are payments calculated?



Answer:
Determinations of payment amounts will be based on the total amount of funds requested. If the funds appropriated for the specified year are not enough to pay the full amount to all LEAs for justified costs, the payments to LEAs will be ratably reduced by an equal percentage.
• Question:
  When can notification and payment be expected?



Answer:
Notifications to eligible LEAs on the amount of payment of DoD Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities are estimated to be made by August 15, with a payment date of approximately September 30.
• Question:
  How can the Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities Funds be used?



Answer:
Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities is a reimbursement for money previously spent for military dependent children with severe disabilities and, therefore, may be used without restriction.