Funding
Alberta Education provides the Association for Christian Schooling in Calgary South with a grant of $1510.35 for every home-educated student registered by September 30, 2010. $755.18 is made available to parents for curriculum or educational classes; the other half is used to cover administrative, educational assistant, office and family support expenses.
Under the 2006 Home Education Regulations, Alberta Education’s funding is available for instructional materials and instructional classes relevant to the child’s education. Although the following is incomplete, here is a list of commonly reimbursed items:
• curriculum books and materials necessary to teach the curriculum including encyclopedias
• miscellaneous supplies that would enhance the program (globe, atlas, research books)
• membership in educational organizations (i.e. Calgary Zoo, Science Centre)
• computers and/or related hardware/educational software
• schooling supplies including those for subjects such as art and science
• educational videos, audio cassettes, DVD’s, electronic games, etc.
• calculators, tape recorders
• swimming lessons, French classes, writing classes
Items not eligible for reimbursements include:
• travel costs
• remuneration of immediate family members
• other expenses usually paid for by a parent of a student in school.
Roots strives to make reimbursement funding available to homeschooling parents as quickly as possible. Since Alberta Education sends funding in October, February and May, Roots must have sufficient funds available before receipts can be reimbursed; therefore, initial reimbursements may need to be limited. Since Roots has been successful in putting funds aside for early reimbursements, families who request immediate reimbursement start receiving reimbursement payments in mid-October. From then, cheques are issued monthly in time for the monthly support group meetings.
Procedure
Reimbursement Cheque
• Funding is accessible by submitting to the Roots bookkeeper the reimbursement forms with your original receipts attached. These forms are available on the Roots website and the deadline is the second Monday of each month (October to May).
Requesting a Purchase Order (PO) from the Roots bookkeeper
• Between August 15 and May 1, Roots families may request a Purchase Order (PO) by e-mailing the bookkeeper with the name of the store and the amount required. The PO will be issued within one week and parents must take the PO document issued to the designated store to make a purchase. Each PO may only be used once, and it must be used within one month of the date issued. A hold will be placed in the family’s file for these funds until the actual invoices are received for the purchases made. In other words, a PO is permission for you to request that a store bill Roots directly for homeschooling supplies. Families requesting a PO before October 1 must sign an agreement that if they withdraw their membership from Roots prior to October 1, they assume responsibility to make immediate reimbursement to Roots for the items received on that PO.
All family accounts close on May 31st; please ensure that all receipts are submitted before May 31st.
Questions regarding reimbursement may be directed to the Roots bookkeeper.