This Commissioner’s Memo(CM) is an update of the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Office of Computer Science facilitated Computer Science Educator Bonus programs. It outlines changes to the application and disbursement windows that were previously shared on Commissioner's Memo COM-20-097. 

Beginning in fiscal year 2022 (FY22), which began July 1, 2021, the ADE Office of Computer Science is adjusting the application and funding distribution windows to align more appropriately with the school year:

• Districts will receive disbursements by November 15 for approved applications/awards received between August 15 and September 30; bonuses are to be paid to appropriate educators by December 31.
• Districts will receive disbursements by April 15 for approved applications/awards received between February 1 and March 15; bonuses are to be paid to appropriate educators by May 31.   

Note that the application windows will only be open August 15th through September 30th and February 1st through March 15th of each school year.

This changes in the application windows and distribution timelines allows our office to more effectively communicate with schools and educators, during the school year, about submitted applications and financial disbursements. This will help our team avoid many of the issues that arise because of attempting communication with personnel during their off-contract summer break. It will also assist our school districts by providing distributions within the school year, instead of during the summer months.

Links to all bonus application systems may be accessed at: https://csforar.info/Bonuses  

This change does not affect any of the Computer Science and Computing Initiative reimbursement programs authorized by the ADE Office of Computer Science.
 
Finance and Payment Processing Computer Science Bonuses

The revenue the district receives for supplemental salary for Computer Science Bonuses shall be receipted in fund 2941 to revenue code 32221. The bonuses shall be paid from the TS fund 1941.

This is a one-time unique/separate annual supplemental payroll for this select group of employees. A specific pay code, job class, and budget unit must be used for this bonus. 

For those employees whose regular salary is paid from a federal fund, the sixteen-digit expenditure budget unit to pay this bonus for the Computer Science Bonus must be keyed to the payroll timecard (or spreadsheet) to fund 1941.  The expenditure object for bonus salary (61510) will default from the designated required pay code.

The following pay code and job class has been added to all eFinance database tables for paying the Computer Science Bonuses from ADE to employees in the one-time annual bonus. 

• Pay Code: 615 – ADE SUPPLEMENTAL SALARY BONUS
• Job Class:  B002 – ADE COMPUTER SCIENCE BONUS 
• Pay Code 615 will default to a time card with this job class

This payroll will be subject to taxes and ATRS only. It is the district’s responsibility to follow IRS tax withholding guidelines for supplemental pay. 
For additional help in processing bonus please see “Computer Science Bonus” outline on apscn.org>FMS procedural outlines page> Payroll - Computer Science Bonus - 5.2