The Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Translations (CSMT) is no longer offering the following programs:
Braille Reimbursement Program
Low Vision Reimbursement Program
Reader Services for Legally Blind Teachers Reimbursement Program
The reimbursement programs are included in the flexibility stimulus package of
Senate Bill 4 of the 2009-10 Third Extraordinary Session (SBX3 4), Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009. Districts may now use their funds to directly purchase Braille books, large print books, video magnifiers (closed circuit televisions), nonprescription optical aids, or pay for reader services without applying to the California Department of Education (CDE).
A letter dated April 17, 2009, by Scott Hannan, Director, School Fiscal Services Division, was mailed to school administrators providing fiscal and accounting guidance on budget reductions and flexibility provisions relative to the reimbursement programs as well as other programs in the CDE that have restricted funds for designated purposes. The funding source for implementing the reimbursement programs is from the Instructional Materials Funding Realignment (IMFRP) with resource code 7156, and therefore, subject to the flexibility package. The letter may be accessed at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/eb/yr09budgetacts.asp.
For fiscal year 2008-09 through 2012-13, funds may be used for any educational purpose; however, there may be limitations based upon local level restrictions. Your district may choose to continue to use these funds to off set the cost of purchasing instructional materials in specialized media formats and accessibility devices for students with disabilities to access the general curriculum, or employing a qualified reader for your legally blind certificated classroom teacher.
The CSMT will continue to offer adopted materials for grades kindergarten through grade eight through IMODS at http://csmt.cde.ca.gov/index.aspx in the following specialized media formats:
APH Products
ASL Videos
Braille
Digital Talking Books
Recorded Books
Large Print
For program questions regarding this notice, please contact Olga Cid, Education Programs Consultant, at 916-319-0959 or by e-mail at ocid@cde.ca.gov or
Jonn Paris-Salb, Education Administrator I, at 916-323-2202, or by e-mail at
jparis-salb@cde.ca.gov.
Jonn Paris-Salb was kind enough to respond to our questions about the impact of the above, thus:
"It is all a bit confusing, especially since the
issue dates back retroactively to July I, 2008. The funds were not actually cut, but instead lumped into one large fund without
separate budgets. The money for reimbursements is part of the money given to the
district to use flexibly in any way they feel helpful at the local level. In
order for that to happen, they had to remove special funds like the
reimbursements and the instructional materials funds. You can still pay for
materials, or salaries, or whatever the local board requests, but CSMT can no
longer provide the funds to reimburse, as those funds were taken from us to
distribute to all schools in the flexible manner the bill
provides.
LRS Large Print School Books
14214 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061
email: CALargePrint@aol.com
All Rights Reserved © 2009 