“Due to the wide use of the MARSS data, it is imperative that districts and charter schools report complete and accurate MARSS data in a timely manner. Without such data, much of the districts’ state and federal money cannot be allocated.” Excerpted from MARSS Manual (7/25/12)
We are seeing a growing trend of “last minute” MARSS reporting. We want to emphasize that this practice has the potential to be financially detrimental to your district. By making “last minute” MARSS submissions as your standard practice, you are not allowing yourself enough time to review reports and make corrections to the data prior to submitting to MDE. This review step is CRITICAL in the reporting process as MARSS data does have a significant DIRECT IMPACT on several FINANCIAL CALCULATIONS.
Here are some examples of issues that we encountered during the Final Fall 2017 MARSS submission period:
• A handful of districts under reported students with a ”free” economic indicator as of Oct 1. This economic indicator is utilized in the calculation of compensatory revenue. Do you know what each student with a “free” status means to your district in additional compensatory revenue each year? It’s typically thousands of dollars per student!
• Missing students. One student generates in excess of $6,000.00 in general education revenue alone! Add to that the special ed, transportation, title 1, E-rate, grants, loan forgiveness options, etc., that utilize the MARSS student data in various calculations……suffice it to say, one missing student can make a substantial adverse financial impact.
• Failure to return the signed data release form to the Region I office. The financial importance of the MARSS submission process requires a signed data release form from your district prior to Region 1 uploading MARSS files to MDE. This will continue to be a requirement of the submission process. If you will be unavailable to provide a signed data release form during a MARSS submission cycle, please make sure another authorized staff person is available in your district to provide the data release form in a timely manner.
• MARSS reporting deadline e-mail notices not getting to appropriate staff members. Vacations and other absences from work do occur at inopportune times. To prevent this from occurring in your district, please ensure that you have provided us with multiple staff members to receive our MARSS reporting deadline emails.
To request a current copy of our R1/MARSS process, or for a current list of contacts in your district included in our MARSS Contact list, please email dawnyell@region1.k12.mn.us