FUNDING INFO: IDEA Maintenance of Effort Compliance Test Begins March 1

Special Education Directors,

The purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Compliance Testing is to ensure that local education agencies (LEAs) do not supplant state and local funds with IDEA federal funding sources per 34 C.F.R. §300.203(b). Any LEA that received federal entitlement funds for the IDEA must be tested for MOE Compliance.

While COVID-19 is still a factor in the state of Arizona, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has not issued any waivers or exceptions for any states in testing for IDEA MOE. As such, until ESS receives updated information from OSEP that provides an exemption, we are required by federal law to complete testing for IDEA MOE.

The ESS Program Management team will host a 90-minute webinar on March 9, from 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Register for the webinar by March 7. This year’s preliminary compliance test results show that 125 out of 640 LEAs are at risk of failing to meet the compliance standard. During the webinar, the ESS Program Management team will guide LEAs through the MOE application and each of the allowable exceptions and reductions. The team will also explain how the MOE Compliance test results may be used to inform your LEA of how to budget in FY2022 to meet the MOE Eligibility test later this year.

Please review the FY2021 MOE Compliance Testing Window memo and e-mail the ESS Program Management Inbox with any questions.