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FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
John L. Winn
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
JULIA L. JOHNSON
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
LINDA K. TAYLOR
October 11, 2005
INCREASING THE QUANTITY AND IMPROVING THE
QUALITY OF EDUCATION OPTIONS
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
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District Superintendents
FROM:
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Lavan Dukes, Chief
Bureau of Education Information and Accountability Services
Virginia Gentles, Executive Director
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Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice
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SUBJECT:
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Enrollment Verification of McKay and Opportunity Scholarship Students – November
2005 Payment
Thank you for working with us to improve the accountability measures within the scholarship programs
in support of our mission to increase the quantity and improve the quality of educational options for
Florida’s parents. The following verification process was introduced in April 2005 to ensure that
scholarship payments were issued only to students participating in eligible private schools. This process
will occur for each scholarship payment in the McKay and Opportunity Scholarship Programs, and your
assistance is needed to make this happen. Your Management Information Systems administrator received
the following information on Monday, October 10, 2005.
Prior to each payment period, a file is posted at the Northwest Regional Data Center
(NWRDC) identifying the students in your district for whom scholarship payments will
be issued. Please compare this file to your student enrollment and attendance records and
indicate whether or not each student is enrolled in a public school in your district. If the
student is enrolled in a public school, provide the date the student was enrolled or re-
enrolled in your district. If the student is not in a public school in your district, provide
the student’s withdrawal date.
The file for November 1 scholarship payments is currently available at NWRDC. This
file uses the attached format and filename. This file must be completed and returned to
NWRDC no later than 4:00 p.m., Friday, October 14, 2005.
VIRGINIA GENTLES
Executive Director
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Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice
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325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 522 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0502 • Fax (850) 245-0875
Enrollment Verification
Page 2
The attached form letter, which certifies the attendance/nonattendance information
contained in the submitted file, must be signed by the superintendent or designee and
submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. October 14, 2005.
Any students identified as being enrolled in public school will be removed from the
payment file, unless the student has been in attendance at a private school for at least 10
days during the payment period. The September scholarship payment period covers
October 1 – December 31, 2005.
If you have any questions regarding the file, please contact Harold McLeod, Education
Information Services, at (850) 245-0400 or harold.mcleod@fldoe.org. If you have
questions regarding scholarship payments or payment periods, please contact the
information hotline at 1-800-447-1636.
After all students are verified, the superintendent signs the attached certification letter. Thank you for
your continued support in improving the accountability of the scholarship programs.
LD/VG/rj
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DISTRICT CERTIFICATION FOR NOVEMBER 1, 2005, SCHOLARSHIP PAYMENTS
ATTENTION: MIKE CARPENTER
Due Date: October 14, 2005
Fax Number: (850) 245-0875
Suncom: 205-0875
Date: _______________
Mr. Mike Carpenter
Florida Department of Education
Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice
325 W. Gaines Street, Room 522
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Dear Mr. Carpenter:
This letter certifies the attendance/nonattendance of students in file
DPSxx.GQ.F70572.Y05062 for students identified as eligible for the November 2005
McKay/OSP scholarship payments for _______________ County School District.
Sincerely,
Signature of Superintendent
