Annual Audit Requirements- an Early Reminder

We know that superintendents are busy during this season of hiring and preparation for the new school year. We wanted to get audit dates to School Administrative Unit (SAU) leaders and key personnel as an early reminder, so that you can mark your calendars and take any initial steps needed.

Initial Report to the Commissioner Due November 1st
As is required by Title 20-A MRSA 6051 §4, statements of assurance and Maine Education Financial System reconciliations are due to the Department by November 1, 2021. Please submit via email to DOE.audit@maine.gov .

  • Any adjustments identified by these reconciliations should be uploaded to the Maine Education Financial System in NEO by November 30, 2021.

Annual Audit Reports Due December 30th
Annual audit reports are due within six months after the end of the audit period (e.g., reports for the fiscal year ending June 30th are due on or before December 30th).

  • Per statute, the auditor is required to review the audit with the school board.
  • Per statute, it is the school board’s responsibility to submit the annual audit document unless it is stated in the engagement letter that the audit firm will submit the audit to the Department on behalf of the school board.
  • Municipal school units are required to submit either a combined annual audit or a school department audit and a municipal audit to the Department. The municipal annual report (a.k.a. town report) cannot be accepted in lieu of the complete municipal annual audit.
  • Per statute, Maine DOE must receive a Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards(SEFA), which includes federal award expenditures for all reporting entities, even if a Single Audit (formerly A-133 audit) is not required to be conducted. The SEFA provides information needed by Maine DOE to conduct sub-recipient monitoring as required by the US Department of Education and is due at the time of the annual audit.
  • In municipal school units where a combined audit is not conducted, Maine DOE should receive two audits: an audit with a SEFA for the school department, and an audit for the city/town including a SEFA.
  • If a management letter is prepared by the auditor, a copy must be submitted to Maine DOE with the annual audit, as this letter provides us with information needed to conduct sub-recipient monitoring, as required by US DOE.

Extensions and Subsidy Payments
If an extension or exception is needed for the deadline to submit either the municipal or school department audit, the superintendent must contact us to request the extension.

The forms are available on the Fiscal Review and Compliance webpage, under forms on the menu bar.

  • Initial extension requests will be for a period of 3 months, and 30 days  thereafter.
  • Extension requests will be considered until June 30th (six months after due date); extensions will not be valid after June 30th and all municipalities and school administrative units with overdue audits which have not submitted an extension request before May 31th may have a delay in subsidy release. Those who have not submitted an extension request will have subsidy withheld until addressed.

Please submit all annual audit documents, reports, information requests, questions and other audit correspondence via email to DOE.Audit@Maine.gov.

WEBINAR: New Technology Funding Available Through Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund

Colleagues from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will share information regarding the Emergency Connectivity Fund in an upcoming webinar on July 22 at 2:30pm.  The event will go over information about how your district, school, or library can apply for technology reimbursement, answer common questions they are receiving from district leaders, and will have experts on hand to answer questions from participants. Participants are encouraged to submit their questions in advance when registering for the webinar.

Webinar Info:

July 22, 2021, 2:30pm EDT
Register here

The pandemic has brought equity-related issues such as home connectivity to the forefront, and the need for remote learning forced district leaders to invest more funds for technology than ever before. Fortunately, additional help is on the way.

Are you applying to get your fair share of the federal funds being provided to offset the costs of remote learning? Purchases between July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for student or teacher home use are eligible for this reimbursement, including:

  • Up to $400 per laptop or tablet
  • Up to $250 per Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Monthly service is not capped but is expected to be in the range of $10-$25 per month

Learn more about the Emergency Connectivity Fund and how your district, school, or library can apply. The application deadline is August 13, 2021.

Webinar Guests

  • Allison Baker, Policy Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission
  • Travis Litman, Acting Chief of Staff, Federal Communications Commission
  • Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools (moderator)
  • Ramesh Nagarajan, Acting Wireline Advisor, Office of Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission

Register here. For questions about the webinar, contact Lia Dossin.

WEBINAR: Strategies for Safely Returning to School: The Latest Federal Guidance

The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a webinar series to support educational settings in safely sustaining or returning to in-person instruction. The series features the latest federal guidance, and lessons learned and best practices from faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, early childhood education providers, and other places of educational instruction describing approaches to operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join the next webinar, Strategies for Safely Returning to School: The Latest Federal Guidance.

Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST

Please join us for this informative webinar featuring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ED on preparing to return to school for the 2021-22 school year, including the latest on mitigation strategies, as we continue to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the federal agency updates, practitioner questions will be addressed by the CDC and ED staff to allow field personnel to better understand and ultimately operationalize guidance.

Speakers/Panelists

  • Christian Rhodes, Moderator, Chief of Staff, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
  • Neha Cramer: Lead, Schools Unit, Community Intervention and Critical Populations Task Force at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Jessica McKinney: Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD), U.S. Department of Education Related Documents

This event will reference the following resources, which we encourage you to access in advance of the webinar to inform participation:

For your reference, slides for this presentation will be posted on the event webpage on the day of the event.

Registration – You must register to participate in this presentation. Register Here!

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing from you about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of your students and staff as they return to in-person learning.

New Law Gives Incentives for Schools to Use Local Foods

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce several changes to the Local Food Fund (formerly named the Local Produce Fund) which will be implemented for the 2021-2022 school year.

LD 636, An Act To Encourage the Purchase of Local Foods for Public Schools was signed by Governor Mills on July 8, 2021. The fund matches $1 for every $3 that a school administrative unit (SAU) pays for locally grown or produced foods purchased directly from a Maine producer or producer’s cooperative.

“We’re thrilled to have the support of the Legislature to expand the offerings available via the Local Food Fund,” said Adriane Ackroyd, Maine DOE Child Nutrition Supervisor. “Throughout the past school year, we have facilitated culinary demonstrations to equip local child nutrition professionals with the knowledge needed to skillfully implement local produce into the nutritious meals being offered to our students statewide.” Beginning in August, participating SAUs will notice several important local food fund programmatic updates, including:

  1. Eligible products now include value-added dairy and protein which may include: eggs, beef, yogurt, and tofu.
  2. A maximum reimbursement of $5,000 per SAU or $5,500 if the SAU sends a child nutrition professional to one of the DOE’s local foods trainings.

The Department of Education’s Child Nutrition program offers virtual and in-person local foods trainings. Participation in these trainings allows SAUs to tap into additional funds within the Local Foods Fund. These trainings are designed to be interactive and give school nutrition staff the confidence and motivation to utilize local ingredients in their school menus. Many of the trainings use recipes from the Harvest of the Month program, a state-wide campaign that helps promote the use of seasonally available local produces in schools and early child-care centers.

To learn more, contact Maine DOE Farm and Sea to School Coordinator Robin Kerber at robin.kerber@maine.gov.

Maine Students Earn Honors at the National History Day

Students from across Maine impressed judges from across the globe in the National History Day (NHD) competition. NHD is an international program focusing on studying and learning history in middle and high schools. Students choose a specific topic that fits in with the year’s theme and lead an extensive research project. NHD culminates in the presenting of the students’ projects to experts from across the field of history. The theme of the 2021 NHD contest was “Communication in History: the Key to Understanding.”

Several Maine students were given the Outstanding Affiliate Award. Jillian Muller, Charlotte McGreevy, and Brittany Carrier from Buckfield Jr./Sr. High school received this award for the documentary they created titled “Communicating with Children: How Fred Rogers Approached Tough Topics with Kids.” Uyen Nguyễn from John Bapst Memorial High school was also awarded for her website “United States Involvement in the Vietnam War: The Impacts of Multimedia ON Mainstream Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy.”

The highlight of the tournament for the state of Maine was Maya Faulstich, who took second place overall in the Individual Performance category. Maya, an eighth-grader from Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth, drew on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to create her project “A Climate Carol.”

Maya’s project illustrates how the Keep America Beautiful campaign in the 1950s-1970s had a lasting negative influence on how the public thinks about trash and litter and highlights how the campaign continues to influence public opinion today. Maya’s second-place finish is the highest place a Maine student has taken in the category of Individual Performance on NHD. Maya’s performance can be watched below. In addition, her research and process can be read here.

The Maine DOE congratulates all students and teachers involved in the competition on such an impressive showing.

More details on the NHD completion can be found on the official press release. Extensive information on Maya’s project can be found in her recent interview.

This article was written by Maine DOE Intern Clio Bersani in collaboration with National History Day in Maine and Yarmouth School Department as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Reminder: Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Summer Workshops

Instead of a week-long event this summer, Maine Agriculture In The Classroom (MAITC) will be holding three single day, in-person events focusing on Dairy, Aquaculture, and Wild Blueberries.

Each professional development event for PK – Grade 12 educators will offer 7 contact hours or .7 CEU’s (Total possible = 21 contact hours or 2.1 CEU’s)

Each event will start at 8:30 AM and finish at 4:00 PM. A lite breakfast, snack, and lunch will be provided at each training.

Dairy – Thursday, August 12
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

A full day of resources, lessons, and programs surrounding dairy will be provided by MAITC and the Maine Dairy Nutrition Council. In the afternoon participants will visit dairy farms, including the Flood Farm in Clinton, and experience a day in the life of a dairy farmer! Learn about silage, see a milking parlor, and learn much more about our local dairy farms!

A Day of Aquaculture – Thursday, August 19
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Join MAITC for a day of exploring aquaculture at the picturesque Downeast Institute on Beals Island. We will spend the day exploring aquaculture with hands-on activities, hosted by Dr. Anne Langston Noll. In the morning, topics include aquaculture through history, online resources for production, ocean temperatures, salinity, etc. and an introduction to aquaculture globally, in the U.S. and Maine. Later we will tour the Institute’s working shellfish hatchery, and research facilities, including spawning shellfish and (if successful!) observing fertilization and cell division, and data collection for a real-life research project piloting the farming of sea scallops in ME lobster pounds. Last but not least we will explore resources available for teachers through MAITC and our colleagues at 4H and have the opportunity to try out activities included in the 4H teacher “toolkits”. Please bring your own computer or iPad if you are able. WIFI will be available. Venue: Downeast Institute – 39 Wildflower Lane, Beals, ME 04611

Wild Blueberry Emersion – Friday, August 20
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Our day will begin at the Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant, 78 Main Street in Machias. After a lite breakfast we will join teacher Eric Brooks for exploration of MAITC Wild Blueberry resources and curricula. Representatives from the Wild Blueberry Commission will host an afternoon tour of local farms and barrens to view harvest, culture, and production of Maine’s official berry! Do you know that Maine produces more wild blueberries than anywhere else in the world? Do not miss this opportunity!

Registration Fees & Information

  • 1 Training – $35
  • 2-Trainings – $60
  • All 3 Trainings – $75

Download registration form to mail a check

Online registration

Limited space – register early! Pre-Registration only – Deadline August 6, 2021. For more detailed information, including options for accommodations please visit: https://me.agclassroom.org/programs/summer/

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture, and housed at the Maine Department of Agriculture. Our goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so that they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies and local agriculture endeavors.

For more information visit https://me.agclassroom.org/ or contact MAITC at (207) 287-5522 or maitca@maine.gov

MEDIA RELEASE: Call to Action for Maine Parents: Complete the Meal Benefit Application at School This Year – Even if School Meals are Free

Maine needs all parents and caregivers to take action this school year––by taking the time to complete the confidential Meal Benefit Application through your local school, even if school meals are already free for all students. Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, and this application is important for a number of reasons.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when school meals became complementary, there has been a significant drop in Meal Benefit Application returns––meaning less families are filling out the application.

The family income data provided by the application informs key funding for school resources. This includes school meal reimbursements, funding for Title I programs, funding and resources for after school programs, funding provided to schools from the Maine State Legislature for essential programs and services at school, funding for special education, teacher loan forgiveness, and much, much more!

Federal and state government use the aggregate data from the application to distribute education funding to schools across the county and state of Maine. In other words, if there is no data to inform the needs of the community, it could result in less education funding for your local district and for Maine.

By completing the Meal Benefit Application, you are directly investing in your child’s education and the children and families in your community.

Specific programs that are funded by the data collected from Meal Benefit Application:

How can I complete the Meal Benefit Application?  The application is available through your local school administrative unit (SAU) school nutrition program and it is completely confidential. Most SAUs have the application available to be completed online. Follow this link to access your SAU’s online application (if your school district is not listed, please contact them directly). A printed version of the application is also required to be available––it will often be part of beginning of year paperwork that comes home with your child.

This past school year has certainly had its challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are thrilled that, despite these challenges, all Maine children have had the opportunity to access free healthy school meals on a daily basis. We would like to extend our gratitude to Maine parents and caregivers who have participated in their SAUs’ meal programs. We know that with the continued support of Maine’s incredible families, we can ensure the best for our children.

SAVE THE DATE: School Resource Officer Summit Aug 10th & 11th

Save the date for the School Resource Officer (SRO) Summit offered both in-person at Windham High School and virtually online. This opportunity is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center, the Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, and Restorative Justice Project Maine.

The summit will be held from 9:00am – 4:30pm on August 10th and 11th (doors open at 8:15am for check-in). Coffee and pastries will be served as well as a lunch for in-person participants. This opportunity is available to Maine school resource officers as well as district and school administrators, staff, and educators.

Key Note Addresses:

August 10th – Restorative Justice Board: A Showcase of Options for Thinking about RJ and Community Impact

August 11th – Lt. Carlos Camacho, Nashua, NH Police Department

Breakout Topics:

  • Racial Disparity & Equality
  • MOUs
  • EOPs
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Behavioral Threat Assessment
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences 101 &102
  • Effective Police Interactions with Youth /Mirror Mirror Project

Registration link and further information will be forthcoming for both in person and virtual options.

Download the SAVE THE DATE flyer here.

For further questions, contact the Maine School Safety Center.

Promoting Public Pre-K Through Partnerships—A Technical Assistance Series

The Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with Governor Mills’ Children’s Cabinet, is pleased to announce a new technical assistance opportunity focused on building Public Pre-K and Community Partnerships.  This 3-part series will focus on partnerships between public school administration units (SAUs) and community providers, such as private center and home-based childcares and Head Start programs.  The series will:

  • Explore the benefits of partnering,
  • Examine common misconceptions about partnerships,
  • Identify successful steps for  navigating potential barriers of partnerships, and;
  • Outline how to start the process of forming partnerships to establish high-quality Public Pre-K opportunities for children in Maine.

These sessions will be approximately 60 minutes each, with 45-minutes of content followed by time for questions from attendees. The sessions will be provided through Zoom and will be recorded and posted for future viewing.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

  • Session 1, Wednesday August 4th from 12-1pm: Overview of High-Quality Partnerships
  • Session 2, Wednesday August 11th from 12-1pm: Panel Discussion with Experts in the Field Currently Engaged in Community Partnerships
  • Session 3, Wednesday August 18th from 12-1pm: Building a Partnership: Where to Begin

Attendees are asked to pre-register here.

For questions and clarifications, please contact:

WAVES Summer Camp Esports Week: Calling All Maine Teens!

You may have heard from us back in June about WAVES Virtual Summer Camp. Since then we’ve connected with PlayVS, a safe online platform already being used by existing Maine school-based E-sports teams! We’ve adapted our E-sports week programming so Maine teens can join exciting E-sports tournaments, called July Jam, which PlayVS is hosting July 13, 14 and 15. We are eager to connect teens across Maine to prep and practice and then engage in the tournaments. Maine teens can hop onto the PlayVS platform this summer as individuals. It’s sort of like summer ball! Registration deadline for PlayVS July Jam is July 11. Check out PlayVS July Jam and register if you’re interested!

League of Legends and Rocket League are the games offered for PlayVS July Jam and the practice sessions. You are welcome to join practices and/or July Jam, whatever works for you! Practices will be hosted by esteemed E-sports coach Frank Rapp (Brewer School District). All programming is offered July 13, 14 and 15. Maine Teens’ Prep and Practice are fun and informal. The schedule is as follows:

Offering Time Practice Link
Rocket League 12:00-1:00 Rocket League with Maine teens here!
League of Legends 1:00-2:00 League of Legends with Maine teens here!

PlayVS’s July Jam Esports Tournaments will occur on the same days, July 13, 14 and 15, during these times:

Rocket League: 3:30

League of Legends: 4:00

Maine teens are welcome to participate in any and all offerings. Remember, to be a part of July Jam, teens must register by July 11 here: PlayVS July Jam.

Again, make sure you enroll by July 11 if you’d like to be a part of the tournament. You are welcome to join practices with Maine teens regardless, but we don’t want you to miss the deadline if you’d like to be a part of this safe and exciting E-sports tournament, which is open to interested teens nation-wide!

Educators are welcome and encouraged to incorporate WAVES Summer Camp into their students’ summer programming. Please do not hesitate to reach out to WAVES Project Director Sarah Woog (sarah.woog@maine.gov) to get involved.

Stay tuned for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp Weeks 2, 3, and 4- Design Thinking, Communicating for Impact, and Arts Weeks! And encourage your teen students to register here for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp and email updates.