WYASBO.ORG

Summer 2005

Summer WASBO 2005
Cody Middle School
July 27, 2005

At 9:00 AM President Kay Watson introduced Superintendent Brian Monteith.  Superintendent Monteith welcomed the group back to Cody for the summer WASBO session with a little humor.  The last time WASBO met in Cody was Superintendent Monteith’s first year in Cody.

Ed Watson introduced Katie Mordhorst who discussed school lunch updates that came with the Child Nutrition Reauthorization of 2004.  Most changes start this year.  The reauthorization contains the following changes:

1. Must have two fat contents for milk
2. Cannot have whole milk
3. Milk can be sold at any time during the day or school events
4. All the meals will be based on the guidelines for Americans – we do not have final guidelines at this time
5. School districts are required to inform households participating in food stamps, FDPIR, TANF or WIC may be eligible for free school meals.  The notice can be a flyer, ad in the paper, poster or other means to communicate the possibility of eligibility.  DFS wants to send schools the information on who is already eligible for food stamps so they can be automatically approved for free school meals. 
6. The WDE will be doing training on the WEN later this summer.
7.  Direct certification is now required. – This is not a big issue in Wyoming.
8. Districts shall certify as eligible for free for homeless, runaway, migrant child or direct contact with Food Stamp agency.  Once a child qualifies the child can be counted as free as long as the child is in the community and meets the guidelines.
9. The LEA is now the certifying authority for applications and verifications. 
10. Requires a household application – one application for each household
11. Verification procedures were revised
1. Change in sample dates – October 1 for new applications (do not need to look at old applications at all)
2. Verification completed by November 15
3. A waiver can be requested to extend due date to December 15
4. Method of verification will be changed depending on the “Non-response rate” and “Error prone applications”.  If the non-response rate from the prior year is less than 20% the sample size can follow option 1 (lesser of 3% or 3000) or use option 2 (1% of all applications focusing on error prone applications or 1000 plus the lesser of 500 categorical applications or .5%.  If greater than 20% non-response rate you must use applications that are error-prone plus random selection to meet percentage or number requirements.
5. Must have free long distance phone call ability to reach person handling applications / verifications.
12. Two food safety inspections during the year are now required.  The Department of Agriculture is looking at one on-site inspection and one self inspection each year.  The inspection is the Department of Ag’s problem.  Now the WDE must report this to the USDA. 
13. Inspections now must be posted in the kitchens.
14. Effective July 1, 2005 a HACCP system must be in place.  The system must record and maintain the procedures on how food is handled through the storage and processing procedures.  This year will be a training year for the WDE and districts.
15. We no longer need to do any cost accounting for severe need breakfast.
16. Districts are now required to have local wellness policy.

After the break Katie Mordhorst discussed the problems they have encountered processing school lunch claim reports.  The WDE is looking at setting up online claims processing procedures.  There will be some changes to the handbook on procurement and some policy requirements.  There may be delays for commodities this fall since the WDE does not have a cold storage vendor. 
Turning the topic to the Healthy Kids and wellness policy requirements Katie began discussing wellness policies.  First was the Wellness Policy Toolkit with examples on CD and guidelines for what is required for the policy.  The toolkit was created by the Wyoming Action for Healthy Kids Council.  The WDE has will setup teams to help communities begin wellness policies and how to sustain their programs once they are started to promote a climate of wellness in Wyoming.  A policy must be in place my July 1, 2006.  Katie next handed out the results from the Wyoming Coordinated School Health Programs Results of the 2003 School District Visitation Projects.  This project discusses how to have a coordinated student health program in our district. 

Lunch

Vice-president Ed Goetz restarted the meeting at 1:30 by introducing Jeri Bostron.  Jeri Bostron presented two aspects of HIPPA, privacy and security.  HIPPA the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.  In the last nine years we have gotten through only part of the laws.  They include the health care access and coverage; combat waste, fraud and abuse; to promote HSAs; to improve access to long-term care; and to simplify the administration of health insurance.  Three main groups are impacted by the act; health plans, health care clearinghouse, health care providers who transmit any health information.  Workers Compensation, HSAs, HRAs, and FSAs are not currently covered by HIPPA.  Plan documents should include a list of permitted and required uses and disclosures. Availability of internal practices, books and records are available from the Secretary of State.  Certify that the plan document is amended to comply and the plan sponsor agrees to comply.  Employee health information should not be stored in the employee file unless it is a condition of employment such as a drug test.  We now must have a business contract with our TPAs.  School nurses do fall under the HIPPA rules.  It would be good to get on kit on HIPPA plan administration. 

Ed Goetz, Kay Watson and Vern McAdams presented proposed changes introduced in recalibration.  The Select Committee has stated they want a shopping cart of ideas and costs to consider.  Next Monday Dr. Picus will meet with small school personnel to discuss the small school adjustment.  The next select committee will be the 23rd and 24th. 

We adjourned at 4:00
July 28, 2005
After a short delay getting all the hardware present and working President Kay Watson started the meeting by introducing Colleen Anderson and Judy Brown from the Department of Education.  Colleen Anderson began by discussing the change in Public Superintendent, the process and timelines.  The WDE will conduct follow up meetings with the districts this fall.  Judy Brown discussed the survey analysis and process.  The requirement for formal written procedures for WDE is reporting was dropped due to the changing nature of WDE reporting.  Most districts are complying or exceeding the record retention procedures.  One of the late report issues is CPA audits.  Many of the reports were later than December 15.  Most of the school districts do submit their WDE reports on time.  In response to the visits the WDE is creating data retention policies, enhancing reporting formats, data quality manual, working on an appeal process for Department of Audit findings and scheduling second visits. 
Colleen Anderson finished by discussing the year-end reports.  The formats should not change for next year.  Possibly after next year there may be changes for additional data.  She mentioned data showing health insurance by teacher / staff.  The technology group at WDE will focus on the WISE project.  After that is complete the reports may be wrapped into the WISE procedures.  When they visit with districts they will discuss the problems and procedures for WDE reporting. 

After the break Jack Stott and Rick Van Cleave presented some tips for Excel.  Jack discussed pivot tables and their creation.   Using the menu option for text to columns can be very helpful to separate the accounting numbers into separate columns.  Additionally Jack showed several uses for pivot tables and some of the problems we encounter.  Jack did a great job with his presentation.

Rick Van Cleave presented the website.  We sent much of the time discussing the website and using jfox@pinecc.com to send information for the website.  One of the officers of WASBO should be the filter for all items to place on the website.  To log on to the website for members only the user needs to use the initial for their first name plus their last name then use “system” as the password.  We discussed the need for some training and will set up a future time for training on the groupware side of the.   We discussed the use of a blog on the website. 

Rick Van Cleave moved on to thin client and their use in schools.  Thin clients tend to be more reliable.  Keeping the server up and running becomes the priority.  The costs for the terminals would be cheaper.  Workstations become the biggest annual cost for schools.  Openoffice.org is a freeware that is similar to MSOffice plus it has some other features.  Mozilla.org for Firefox for internet browser is another option.

  
July 29, 2005

President Kay Watson opened the meeting at 9:00 AM and introduced Bernadette Butcher, Amy Young and Scott Bergey.

Personnel Issues and Updates
Beginning with Workers’ Compensation Bernadette Butcher began speaking on workers’ compensation topics.  Rates are based on the types of business we run and the history of our claims.  If a person is injured and unable to return to their prior job there are options for the employee to be retrained for another job.  Up to $30,000 is available for retraining.  The law is rather complicated with a set formula to calculate the actual benefits.  Once an injury happens and the person is working within their guidelines the injury remains covered until they are completely healed or pass away.  We are not required to allow employees to return to work under the light duty restrictions.  There is a form for the employer and employee to sign before an employee returns to light duty.  If a doctor approved the light duty contract and the employee refuses their benefits are cut and it does not count against the employer.  If the employee accepts they will send copies of the employee’s pay stubs to the Department and the Department will pay the difference up to 95% of their pay at the time of injury.  Website for DOE is wydoe.state.wy.us/doe.

Amy Young form the employee tax division for workers’ comp spoke.  The rates are determined on the employer’s experience for the prior three years.  The industry rates are determined annually by an actuary for each industry in the state. Two types of coverage most employees have are required or optional.  For school districts we are only required to cover extra hazardous duty positions. A district may elect to cover everyone.  We are required to obtain a certificate from any contractor, prime or general contractor that is working in the school under Wyoming Statutes 27-14-206(c) and (d) before the work can begin.  The district can be held liable for any injuries.  There is no minimum dollar amount for the Certificate of Understanding.  The request for the certificate can be done over the website. 

Scott Bergey completed the presentation by discussing federal wage laws including the Wyoming has an allowable wage offset law.  Only the items specified can be deducted and even then certain items must have specific documentation.  The details are on their website under wage offset.  Wyoming law requires employees to be paid within five working days after they are separated from their employment.  This also applies to employees that leave voluntarily W.S 27- 4-104(a).  There are no requirements under state law for breaks for lunch periods.  The only thing is unpaid lunch breaks must be completely relieved from any duties. 

Business Meeting
After the break Kay Watson began the business session.  Ed Goetz nominated Lu Beecham for PRC Chairman Laura Walsh seconded.  The motion carried.  Ed Goetz moved we accept the minutes and treasurer’s report as presented, Tammy Price seconded.  The minutes and treasurers’ reports were approved. 

Kirk Schmidt discussed problems with the Department of Audit visits and what has been disallowed for transportation expenditures.  The appeals process was also discussed.  The rules should be out in a couple of weeks.  Kirk Schmidt stated he is preparing items for the next SFDAC and the Department of Audit findings.  The eventual appeal process may shed light on the success of the Department of Audit’s work.  The timing of the reports from the Department of Audit is too long.  Their final reports are not consistent with their exit interviews.  It appears they do not have their work papers complete before they leave.   According to Fred Hanson the appeal process will be done with the WDE.  The SFDAC will be meeting the middle of next week.  We will also discuss WDE reporting. 

ASBO annual convention will be in Boston this October.  Kay has rooms blocked off and we need to make our reservations shortly. 

Executive Committees
Judy Lorenz has resigned. Laura Walsh moved we accept Judy’s resignation.  Tammy Price seconded.  The resignation was accepted.

Ed Goetz nominated Jack Stott for secretary / treasurer and Roxie Taft seconded.  Jack Stott was elected. 

The problems with SFC were discussed.  Fremont # 1 has been waiting for more than ten months for a contract.  This is a common problem with most districts working with the SFC.  Kirk Schmidt is putting together a list to present to Del McOmie about the problems with SFC.

Frank Johnson asked everyone to submit census information for term life insurance coverage for all school districts in the state.

We discussed the timing of the summer meeting.  The current date was set by the former due dates for state reports.  Different dates were discussed.  Kay Watson will put together a survey.  Laura Walsh moved and Ed Goetz seconded to have the next meeting in Dubois.  The motion passed. 

Ed Goetz was contacted by Gary McDowell asking for the WDE survey to be due August 15 this year.  Gary claims the LSO needs the data right away for recalibration.  Ed informed Gary that we needed a later date.  Ed and WASBO did not agree to the August 15th.

J.P. Boulus and Chris Lueders from Arthur J. Gallagher presented the SRRP program.  The program is designed to save on fixed costs and flatten the annual costs from the swings in the insurance market. 

We adjourned at 11:25.

Respectfully Submitted

 

Vern R. McAdams, MBA, CPA
Secretary / Treasurer WASBO