MDR's Free Webinar Series
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Insights Into the Funding Landscape to Help Plan Your Selling Strategy

Q&A Summary:

Q: We offer online math tutoring and understand that is not fundable under SES. Do you have any insight into funding for this highly cost-effective one-to-one learning support, and who makes decisions about such matters at the district level?
JH: The decision makers for this type of service can be several:

• Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
• Math Director or Coordinator
• Special Education Director or Coordinator
• Categorical Programs Director or Coordinator (If the money comes from federal funds or specific state initiatives)
• After-School Programs Director (This position only is found in large districts)
• Virtual Schools Director (If there is an online curriculum)

Funding sources range from Title I – A & G to state initiatives (like New Mexico’s) to private sources (corporate and family foundations like the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation) focused on improving math skills using technology.

Q: Are federal fundings appropriated or actually allocated?
JH: I believe NCLB has only delivered 40% of its budget. Federal funds are recommended by the NCLB office in the U.S. Department of Education. Congress agrees on the budget after negotiations which then is sent to the Appropriations Committee. That is where the actual numbers may change based on MANY different factors (such as funds being diverted to pay for the Iraq war). Also, funds can be apportioned in blocks throughout the year, which is why the programs are not fully funded.

Q: If all teachers are ELL teachers, will there still be specialist ELL directors?
JH: Traditionally, this has been whom we sell to. Absolutely! Remember, the program will GROW, not diminish--that will take management.

Q: What is EETT or E2T2 funding?
JH: EETT = Enhancing Education Through Technology

Q: What is MSP funding?
JH: MSP = Math and Science Partnerships. These require partnerships between districts and institutions of higher education.

Q: What can the Microsoft money be used for?
JH: This varies per state. For details, check the state Web Site or the Microsoft settlement site:
http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/consumersettlements/default.mspx

Q: How much MS settlement money in WI?
JH: Wisconsin received $224M in the Microsoft settlement. The public, tribal, and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools with at least 50% of their students qualifying for the federal free and reduced-price school lunch programs will receive 50% of the unclaimed vouchers that consumers do not process. Eligible schools will receive vouchers to use on a wide variety of computer hardware, software, and professional development services. These vouchers must be turned in for reimbursement by November 14, 2010. The Voucher program is managed by a third party known as the Settlement Claims Administrator (SCA). For Wisconsin, the SCA is Rust Consulting, Inc. The amount of Cy Pres (the fund established for the schools) funding remaining for schools in other settlement states has averaged 60%. For Wisconsin schools, this could mean as much as $134,337,600. The funds will be distributed in two phases. The first started in 2006; the second will be in 2011 or 2012, depending on how quickly the Settlement Claims Administrators process the unclaimed funds and allocate them to the schools. This second distribution will be to public, tribal, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, where greater than 33 1/3% of the students enrolled are eligible to receive free and reduced lunch.

Q: Does product purchased for these districts include attending continuing education programs?
JH: This is not specifically spelled out. If the continuing education course specifically teaches effective use of technology, then the school should contact the Claims Administrator to see if it would be appropriate. Some states have even gotten their technology conference fee included in reimbursable items.

Q: What kind of products can the Microsoft settlement reimbursements be used for?
JH: A wide variety of computer hardware, software, and professional development services.

Q: I have found as a vendor it is hard to get information on the MS funding in order to give to schools. How exactly do they use the vouchers? How do they find out the deadline for their states and whether they are eligible for funding?
JH: The list of closing dates is at the end of this document. The schools had to submit claims with the demographics to prove that they qualified to receive General Purpose and Software Vouchers. The Claims Administrators then provided the vouchers to the schools.

Q: Who are the two potential Secretaries of Education?
JH: Linda Darling-Hammond for Obama, Lisa Graham-Keegan for McCain. Remember, this is not final at all. This is just a snapshot in time--the current buzz!

Q: For the grants Jenny mentioned that have deadlines coming up in the next few weeks, will there be opportunities after that to apply for the following year? How to get schools to apply so quickly?
JH: Having been in charge of a lot of grant writing for years, schools can sometimes turn around an application in a couple of days. Not the best scenario, but those that do this frequently can pull parts from previous applications and put together a great application. There are always new grants becoming available. Just keep on top of it!

Q: How much is the Education MarketView program, alerting (via email) about grants? Is there a fee to use MarketView?
DF: MarketView is MDR’s unique sales and marketing tool that helps you stay on track of changes in the marketplace through email alerts and search tools that track new contacts, new funding opportunities, new construction projects, and thousands of other changes that take place in schools and colleges each year. It is sold as an annual subscription--$239 for an Individual State license; $3,975 for a National subscription, with $700 for each additional license; and $5,500 for a National subscription with School Funding Services, with $800 for each additional license. For more information about MarketView, call your MDR Representative at 800-333-8802 or give it a test run with our fully functional free trial, available at www.schooldata.com.

Q: Do you know of anything pertaining to Business Office administrative software? (human resources or accounting)?
JH: Microsoft settlement monies can be used for this as long as they are not paying for the customization. This pertains to the accounting, especially if this is being used to manage the implementation of the schools receiving and spending money related to the vouchers.

Q: Where can we get a copy of the state spending data online? Is there a Web site that shows which states get what dollars and when they have to use it by?
JH: Here is the Web site for you to get the budget tables for the federal programs by state:
http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/tables.html?src=rt

Q: We sell office products to schools. How can we identify what grants can be used for our products (this could include arts and crafts items)?
JH: If you use MarketView with School Funding Services as part of your subscription, you can do a search with those terms to find what grants are available.

Q: I have found that the process for becoming an approved vendor for the MS funding seems to be different for each state. Is there one place I can find out how to become approved for all of the states that have remaining money?
JH: No, remember that these court cases were conducted separately in their final agreements. So answers may and DO vary.

Q: Each state approves different products. How do you find out which products have been approved?
JH: Most states do not make those lists public. The best way to find out if yours is on the list is to ask one of your customers to find out. Remember, this program is NOT run by the state. It is run by the court-appointed arbitrator. North Carolina is one state that does list hardware and software that are currently eligible:
http://www.signalintechconsulting.com/NCMS/ApprovedSoftware.htm

Q: The Web site for Microsoft settlement says, "To file a claim, you must have completed a Claim Form and returned it with a postmark date no later than July 2, 2007. http://www.microsoftwisuit.com/FAQ.htm." Has this changed?
JH: This was for the consumers, not the schools. For that particular state, that was the drop-dead date to submit a claim for a voucher. Then that consumer has six years to purchase something and submit the reimbursement forms.

MICROSOFT SETTLEMENT END DATES OF FIRST PHASE FOR STATES
State End Date for Phase I

Our expert lineup included:

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