Accreditation is another word for credible. Most LEAs don’t think about their accreditation status unless it’s in jeopardy, but it is extremely important. Without proper accreditation from the State, a charter district can no longer be recognized by the State and forced to close. With the current accountability system, an LEA can have their accreditation … Read More
Special Program Intent Code (PIC) Allotments
Program Intent Codes (PIC codes) are a critical part of budgeting, and it is good to be “PIC-y” and “PIC” the right one! Reporting expenses by PIC shows the State that you are spending funds intended for certain programs on the correct student groups. This in turn should improve services and student achievement of those … Read More
Full-Day Prekindergarten Waiver
Do your schools currently offer half-day prekindergarten (PK)? Are you aware that full-day PK for eligible four-year-olds was required starting in 2019-20? If your Charter District currently offers a half-day program, an exemption (waiver) must be submitted by March 2, 2020. Several steps must be completed prior to applying for this waiver, and CSS has … Read More
Download this free Commonly Used Acronym Cheat Sheet
Any person involved in charter school operations knows that the world of acronyms brings a strong game to the table! Even for those of us with of years of experience in the school world, keeping up with these acronyms can have a dizzying affect. For those of us who are new in our charter school … Read More
Certification Requirements for Charter School Teachers
In many ways, ISDs and Charter schools share common requirements and compliance items. However, in just as many ways, requirements between the two entity types differ. The realm of teacher certifications brings one of these differences to the forefront. Are teachers at open-enrollment charter schools required to hold a certification? The short answer is, it … Read More
Service Records
Do you feel overwhelmed with all the “must-knows” and “must-dos” of service records? Don’t be! We’ll review frequently asked questions and provide helpful tools that will guide you to success. What is a service record? A service record is the official document used to record years of service claimed for salary increment purposes. Service records … Read More
Time to file Quarter 4 941 reports
It’s time to file your final 941 Quarterly Payroll Reporting to the Internal Revenue Service and report wages to the Texas Workforce Commission for the previous calendar year. Quarter 4 941 forms are due JANUARY 31, 2020. What is a 941? IRS Form 941 is a quarterly report of wages paid to employees and the … Read More
Teacher Incentive Allotment Update – Letter of Intent Deadline is January 24, 2020
For those of you interested in having your campus and teachers participate in the Teacher Incentive Allotment, the Letter of Intent to participate is due to TEA by January 24, 2020. TEA has released information about timelines based on the data capture year your campus will use to develop your local teacher designation system. Please refer … Read More
Do Not Hire Registry
To enhance efforts for protection and welfare of Texas students, House Bill 3 (HB3, Article 2A) brought us new HR reporting requirements, one of which was the charge for TEA to create and maintain a new internet portal, a “Do Not Hire Registry.” The purpose of this registry is to list persons (certified and non-certified) who … Read More
Time to file Form 990
Charters are required to file Form 990 every year, and your organization’s form is due on the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of the charter’s taxable year. There are two deadlines for filing this form depending on the fiscal year of the charter school. For those charters beginning July 1, the deadline was November … Read More