The Arizona Department of Education Empowerment Scholarship Account Program
What is an Empowerment Scholarship Account? An Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is an account established to provide an education for qualified students. The program s main purpose is to provide options for parents to freely choose how and where to educate their children with financial assistance from the state. Replace monies given to public schools Not intended to supplement them (cannot attend public school and receive ESA funds at the same time) Kindergarten through 12 th grade Funding based on Primary eligibility (special needs students) Grade level Kindergarten funded at half of the normal level Public school district
ESAs In Action: How Does it work? ADE School Finance Formula Fund Public Schools Child ESA Applicant Parent Alternative Education Choice
What Does Accepting an ESA mean for me, a parent? EMPOWERMENT = NEW RESPONSIBILITIES The Applicant Parent Becomes: The School A Program Coordinator A Liaison to the Department of Education & other agencies A Teacher (In some cases) An Administrator An Accountant
How Does My Child Qualify for an ESA? 1. Be an Arizona Resident AND 2. Attend the first 100 days in an Arizona public school OR have received a School Tuition Organization (STO) scholarship for Displaced and Disabled students the year prior applying for OR be eligible for Kindergarten the year you would receive a scholarship 3. AND be identified in one of the approved student populations: A child with a disability A child of an active duty military parent A child who is the ward of a juvenile court and is residing in prospective permanent placement foster care A child who is the ward of a juvenile court and has achieved permanency through adoption A child who attended a letter grade D or F public school the prior year For a child entering Kindergarten they must reside within the boundaries of a D or F public school or district
The 100 Day Rule FAQ s In order to qualify for an ESA, a student must have attended an Arizona public school full-time for the first 100 days of the school year prior to the one in which they are applying for. My child attended public school for the 2012-2013 school year, but not during the 2013-2014 school year; could he/she still qualify? We will only look at enrollment for 2013-2014, so this student would not qualify unless they received a qualifying STO scholarship during 2013-2014 What if I enrolled my child late after school had already begun? As long as the student did not miss more than the first 10 days of school My child is regularly sick and often misses days in school, does he/she qualify? As long as the student did not miss more than 10 consecutive days or 18 school days total attendance is different than enrollment. What if we changed schools and there was a gap in enrollment? As long as there is not a gap greater than 10 school days between enrollment dates
The Application Process January 1 April 1, 2014 (3pm) First come, first served 5,480 students Only complete applications will be accepted Final 100 will be a lottery All applications can be found at www.azed.gov/esa/applicants Required documentation for each application Once approved you will receive: Initial acceptance letter --- Return Acceptance letter by April 25, 2014 by 3pm Contract packet --- Must be returned by June 16, 2014 by 3pm Official notice of pupil withdrawal Bank of America pre-paid debit card Receive 1 st Disbursement of Funds July 15-30 th
What Not To Do On An Application Do NOT submit additional documentation to supplement an IEP/MET/504. Only submit documents that are requested. No medical diagnosis will be accepted Only submit ONE application copy unless otherwise requested. Do NOT cross out words on the application and substitute other words that fit what you are submitting. For example, Public School Private School. Check and double check the dates of your documentation (IEPs/METs etc.) We cannot accept determinations if they expire on or before July 15, 2014. Please do not wait till the last moment to submit your paperwork.
Applicant Parent Issue In the application you will notice that it states that there will be an Applicant Parent. The applicant parent must be the one who submits all documentation and signs the contract, attestation forms, expense reports, any forms required by the bank of the Arizona Department of Education, etc. This must remain constant throughout the process. The applicant parent will be the responsible party and the one that will be issued an ESA debit card.
Now What? You ve turned in your application, received ESA debit card, and are now ready to use the funds to educate your child, but what can you spend the money on? Private School Tuition Fees and required textbooks Educational therapies from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider (special needs only) Tutoring services from an accredited provider or organization Paraprofessional or aide (special needs only) Curriculum, that must include at a minimum reading, grammar, mathematics, science, social studies Tuition and fees from a private online learning program in Arizona Fees for nationally standardized tests, college placement Contributions to a qualified Coverdell education savings account Tuition, fees, and required book for a public community college or university in Arizona Account fees administered by Bank of America Services provided by a public school
What Can ESA Funds NOT Be Used For? Computers & Hardware Medical services ipads Chiropractor Flash drives Psychiatrist Consumable Supplies Pencils, paper, folders, notebooks, etc. Acupuncture Medical Insurance Lunches Copays Transportation Sports Equipment Uniforms Musical Instruments Field trips Parks and recreation Cannot split payments between insurance and ESA Massage Therapy Yoga Assistive Technologies 529 Plans Day Care Summer Camps
ESA Quarterly Funding Schedule Quarter Submission Deadline Disbursement Date 1 September 30 th October 15 30 th 2 December 20 th January 15 30 th 3 March 31 st April 15 30 th 4 June 20 th July 15 30th Due by 3 pm on respective deadlines dates Disbursement dates = 15 day period Could be funded anytime between 15 th 30 th Plan accordingly! (Let your school know timeframe) Do not throw away pre-paid ESA debit card Use the same card until it expires
The Quarterly Funding Process ADE ESA Staff Parent submits expense reports Auditing Accounting Parent s ESA card Bank State Treasurer s Office
Once On The ESA Program A child remains on the program until the 12 th grade Students progress in a cohort Unused funds roll over from year to year After 12 th Grade --- 4 years to use any unspent funds The following are required to renew an ESA from year to year: Quarterly Expense Reports Maintain current primary eligibility through an MET or Reevaluation Waiver (children with special needs only) Public school is no longer responsible for providing an IEP Renewal contracts submitted by May 1, 2014 at 3pm *Failure to comply with these requirements could result in removal from the program
Looking To Apply For 2014-2015? Things To Keep In Mind Make sure your child s IEP/MET does not expire on or before July 15, 2014 If it does, please: Return to your current district to have Reevaluation done This can be a timely process! Schools can take up to 60-90 days to start the process! Submit early! (January 1 st ) Check with prospective private schools to see if they can accept an ESA pre-paid debit card Credit/debit card machine PayPal Square for smartphones Smart Tuition TADS Keep checking the ESA Facebook page and webpage for important news and deadlines www.facebook.com/empowermentscholarshipaccount www.azed.gov/esa (monthly newsletter) or (ESA Updates)
For additional information regarding the ESA program, please visit our website or feel free to contact our staff at: Telephone: (602)364-1969 Email: esa@azed.gov Website: www.azed.gov/esa