SCHOOL FINANCIAL SERVICES TEAM – DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION – SCHOOL FINANCE BULLETIN #656,August 12, 2016
SAFR CLOSURE -- SAFR PORTAL TO BE CLOSED AUGUST 19-21: DPI is upgrading our Oracle server starting on August 19 with migration and testing on August 20 and 21. SAFR reports should not be accessed from August 19 through August 21.
Do NOT access SFS Team reports during the upgrade--any changes made from August 19 to August 21 WILL BE LOST!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
[August 19 to August 21: SAFR CLOSED FOR MIGRATION. DO NOT ACCESS SFS TEAM REPORTS]
[August 19: PI-1505 Census Report for 2015-16 Due]
[August 31: PI-1505 AC for 2015-16Due]
[September 9: Transfer of Service for Revenue Limit Due]
[September 9: Auditor submits PI-1506 AC Aid Certification for 2015-16]
[September 9: Auditorsubmits PI-1506FB Fund Balances for 2015-16]
[September 16: PI-1505 and PI-1505 SE Annual Reports for 2015-16Due]
[September 30: PI-1563 3rd Friday September and PI-1804 Summer 2016 Pupil Count Reports Due]
[September 30: PI-1547 SS Pupil Transportation Summer 2016 Due]
UPCOMING WASBO[] and WASDA [] WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES:
[WASBO's New School Administrator & Support Staff Conference August 17-18, Holiday Inn Madison at The American Center. Register at . In addition,
Mentorship Orientation on August 16]
[WASBO's Certified School Risk Managers Designation Series – Register at September 20 is Fundamentals of Risk Management; September 21 is Handling School Risks; October 19 is Measuring School Risks; October 20 is Funding School Risks; November 9 is Administering School Risks]
SCHOOL FINANCE CONTACTS:
[Gene Fornecker, Auditor: 608-267-7882
[Brian Kahl, Auditor: 608-266-3862
[Kim Robinson-Richmond, Auditor:
[Victoria Chung, Accountant:
[Bruce Anderson, Consultant: 608-267-9707
[Carey Bradley, Consultant:
[Vacant, Consultant: 608-267-9212 ]
[Karen Kucharz Robbe, Consultant:
[Debi Towns, Assistant Director:
[Bob Soldner, Director: 608-266-6968
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PREVIOUSSCHOOL FINANCE BULLETIN#655,August 5, 2016
SAFR PORTAL TO BE CLOSED AUGUST 19 – 21: DPI is upgrading our Oracle server starting on August 19 with migration and testing on August 20 and 21. SAFR reports should not be accessed from August 19 through August 21. We will notify you of any updates or changes to the plan.
Please plan accordingly.
ENERGY EFFICEINCY EXEMPTION – REVENUE LIMITS: A school board may adopt a resolution to increase the revenue limit otherwise applicable to a school district under s. 121.91 (2m), Wis. Stats., in any school year by an amount spent by the school district in that school year on a project to implement energy efficiency measures or to purchase energy efficiency products. District may use this non-recurring exemption to the revenue limit to pay for an energy efficiency project in a single year or to repay a note, bond, or loan used to finance the project.
Before passing a resolution the Board must enter into a performance contract under §66.0133. Resolutionsand amendments to existing resolutions shall bepassed by October 1st andsubmitted to the department within two weeks of passage. You submit to DPI by going to the SAFR Reporting Portal at and log into your district account. Go to “Financial Data Home” and select “Referenda”. At the top of the page select “Add a new Referendum or Energy Efficiency Resolution”.
Districts are advised to report utility savings for projects financed with debt when savings are known. Districts are encouraged to review their performance contract measurement and verification to determine when savings will be reported to DPI and applied to reduce the tax levy. For some districts it may be the guarantee amount, for others it may be after a period of time. Report savings for the 2016 tax levy (2016-17 fiscal year) before November 1st. It is important to report your 2016-17 savings before the levy is certified; to avoid an over levy and revenue limit penalty.
ESEA FINAL ALLOCATIONS for 2016-17: Final allocations for the 2016-17 Title I, Title II, and Title III grant applications have been posted in WISEgrants and on the DPI ESEA website or directly at The deadline to submit each application is August 31, 2016. Please visit for the link to WISEgrants, as well as many technical assistance documents and short videos related to logging in and getting started. DPI will continue to add content to this page so be sure to check back periodically.
If you have not already done so, please authorize the district’s assurances, debarment, and anti-lobbying forms.Districts will not be able to obligate funds until these forms (assurances, debarment, and anti-lobbying) are submitted. Private school affirmation forms ( should also be uploaded to the application as soon as possible. These forms need to be approved by DPI before the district can submit any grant application. After the forms are submitted, start at the top of the each application menu and work your way down the list. Skipping ahead may cause errors and problems.
Back in May, preliminary allocations were loaded for Titles I and II and districts were able to submit their applications to DPI with the preliminary allocation. There are small differences between preliminary and final allocations. If you submitted your application with the preliminary allocation, a DPI consultant will contact your district if changes need to be made to an application to account for a difference between your preliminary and final allocations.
Feel free to contact the DPI Education Consultant assigned to your district if you have any questions.
Title I: Directory for Title I Consultants (
Title II: Abdallah Bendada ()
Title III:Audrey Lesondak ()
Best wishes for a fun and successful 2016-17 school year.