Business Solutions

The Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus (“MILAF+” or the “Fund”) is a comprehensive cash management program created in 1987 by the Michigan Association of School Boards. The Fund was established for the purpose of allowing Michigan public agencies to pool their investment funds to seek the highest possible investment yield, while maintaining liquidity and preserving capital.

INVESTMENTS DESIGNED FOR MICHIGAN PUBLIC AGENCIES

MILAF+ provides investments tailored to the specific needs of Michigan public agencies, investing only in instruments permitted under Michigan statutes. Investors benefit from the following options:

MILAF+ Portfolio This investment stresses “safety of principal” as its #1 objective – a fact underscored by its AAAm* rating from Standard & Poor’s. This professionally managed portfolio offers two share classes:

• Cash Management Class, designed for flexibility and liquidity, provides unlimited check writing privileges; and
• MAX Class, which offers a competitive money market rate but comes with some restrictions

MILAF+ Term This fixed rate investment offers terms from 60 days to one year and is designed to match the cash flow requirements of Investors with the cash flows from the portfolio.

SPECIALIZED SERVICE OPTIONS

MILAF+ Investors also have access to a range of additional products authorized by the Board of Trustees and administered by PFM Asset Management LLC, the Investment Adviser of the Fund.

MILAF+’s structure differs from that of its competitors, enabling the Fund to offer services exclusively to Michigan public agencies. These attributes set MILAF+ apart:

• MILAF+ is the only investment program sponsored by the MASA, Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB),  and the Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO).
• MILAF+ is owned and operated by the Fund’s Investors, ensuring that the Fund remains focused on the particular needs of Michigan’s public agency investors.
• The Fund’s Investors elect members of the Board of Trustees to govern MILAF+ – a Board that represents Investors of the Fund and representatives of MASA, MSBO and MASB.
• The Board of Trustees is responsible for overall management of the Fund, including formulation and implementation of investment and operating policies.

The MILAF+ Board selects various professional organizations to provide services to the Fund.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about how MILAF+ can meet your needs, please call a Fund representative at 1-877-GO-MILAF or 1-717-724-4999.

Take command of your energy costs with your local school’s energy expert, the Michigan Schools Energy Cooperative (MISEC).

For over 15 years Michigan’s educational community has had an advocate working for them in the procurement and management of their energy needs. The Michigan Schools Energy Cooperative (MISEC) has been providing un-biased insight into the energy markets for over 285 districts statewide.

Organized in 1997 (with the support of MASA, MSBO, MAISA, MASB and MCEA) under the Urban Cooperation Act, this not-for-profit cooperative is managed by an Executive Committee of school officials and is designed to be your strategic partner as it pertains to the complex business of procuring natural gas and electricity for your school district.

Since its inception, MISEC has become the largest program of its type in the United States managing in excess of $100M annually of energy on behalf of Michigan’s public education community. In addition to providing its members with low-cost competitive energy, MISEC also provides its members with a complete portfolio of services such as; competitive bidding of your energy needs, energy contract negotiation and review, complete bill review and audit (100% of utility/supplier error findings returned to the district), consolidated billing, and online energy reporting.

If your district is using MISEC for their energy needs, then you can rest assured that you are getting the most comprehensive program available in the market today. If your district is not utilizing the services of MISEC, you owe it to district to investigate and see what a difference it can make.

START SAVING TODAY
Michigan Schools Energy Cooperative (MISEC)
826 Municipal Way
Lansing, Michigan 48917
Ph: 517.492.1380
Fax: 517.492.1368
Email: Patricia Alderman
www.misec.org

MISEC’S INDEPENDENT ENERGY MANAGER
The MISEC independent energy manager is Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric provides energy management services to organizations in a wide range of industries.  Schneider Electric has experience leading companies worldwide to cost effective and sustainable energy.

Schneider Electric is your independent and unbiased advocate, always focused on the best interest of your district.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF PAYSCHOOLS

• PayForIt is a secure, web-based payment system that simplifies the collection and balancing of funds for school districts.
• PayForIt is the next generation of PaySchools. Parents can make payments, access purchase records, and recover extensive order history detail. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit/debit cards, as well as electronic checks (e-Checks).
• With PFI, you can easily set up fees on a per-name basis. When the parent signs in, they’ll see only the fees for their student. You’ll also be able to set fee and payment types with limits, including family and student maximum charge amounts.
• PFI offers unparalleled options for reporting, ranging from sales and transaction reports to detailed transaction analysis, summaries of which fees have been paid by students, and much more.

BENEFITS FOR PARENTS

• We offer secure payment-method profiles, meaning parents don’t have to worry about remembering financial information when making a payment.
• Parents can set up automatic and recurring payments, according to their own schedule and their own payment amounts.
• Parents can opt in for various types of e-mail alerts, including the option to get a detailed monthly statement.

BENEFITS FOR SCHOOLS

• PayForIt is able to integrate with all student information systems, providing a versatile and easy-to-learn workflow.
• We offer redundancy in the way our hosted site is built, with multiple servers taking part in consistent, always-on operation.
• Our support and IT staff are entirely in-house, aiding in high-quality customer service, support, and development.

We offer a dedicated support team, and we put a priority on knowledge and learning. That’s why we also offer a comprehensive (and still growing!) catalog of training and tutorial videos for parents and district personnel.

ONLINE PAYMENT OPTIONS

Food Service

• PFI manages Student Lunch Accounts
• Purchases & balances can be reviewed online
• Parents can fund student accounts online
• Adult menus can be posted & meals can be pre-ordered online
• Kitchen cashiers can take payment from student accounts, and inform students of their balances
• PFI can auto-replenish accounts and/or send an automated email

Optional Fees

• The functionality of activities is very similar to fees, however, activities are offered (rather than applied) by the district & activities are optional, as opposed to required fees
• A district will offer an activity to a student or group of students; however, it is not applied to a student’s account until the parent chooses it using PFI
• Examples of activities may include: Prom tickets, Field Trips, etc.

Assigned Fees

• PFI enables school districts to define their fees exactly as needed
• Examples may include: uniform fees, exam fees, school supply fees, photo club fees, field trip fees, etc.
• Fees can be applied by the district on a student-by-student basis, or the district may assess a fee on a group of students (i.e. All Elementary schools in the district, 10th graders only, the football team players, etc.)
• When setting up fees, the district can define the effective dates, the fee type (trip, camp, exam, etc), the General Ledger account for remittance, the payment type (weekly, monthly, one-time, installments, etc.), due dates, etc.
• Parents are emailed reminders prior to the due dates and receipts after the auto-payment have been applied

Fundraisers

• Fundraisers can be solicited & collected online
• Payments can be made by both account holders and individuals who do not have a PFI account

After School Programs

• After school programs are typically offered multiple dates/days and have a maximum number of participants allowed
• Parents pick and choose dates/days for their students, based on availability

Our number-one goal is providing a best-in-class product experience to our districts. DBS looks forward to providing exceptional service and support to the Michigan School Business Officials, and to your district.

Take a look at our PayForIt.net brochure or visit us at www.databusys.com for a more detailed look at our company and the opportunities we offer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• To set up a demonstration of any of our products, send us your request to sales@databusys.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
• Contact Bob Dwan, MSBO, at (517) 327-2581.

MASA is pleased to make available the Michigan Purchasing Card Consortium led by MSBO, with MASB as partners, PFM, LLC, and BMO Harris Bank as the provider for our statewide program. The program is open to all school districts, colleges and universities in the state. Because we are aggregating the “spend” of a large group of schools, the bank offers a rebate.

• BMO Spend Dynamics — Benefits Sheet — Standard Functionality
• BMO Spend Dynamics — Benefits Sheet — Premium Functionality

Summary Information Sheet includes highlights of the purchasing card program and MSBO, PFM, LLC, and BMO Harris Bank contact information on a statewide basis.

An example of the Purchasing Card Program Agreement between the district and the Michigan Purchasing Card Consortium is provided for your reference. This agreement has been reviewed by Thrun Law Firm, P.C. and Clark Hill PLC law firm and will need to be executed by the district. Send two originally-signed copies to MSBO. We will return one copy to you once signed by the Consortium. Before being issued bank documentation for a purchasing card program, your respective PFM, LLC representative will need to have the underlying credit exposure approved before initiating the implementation. Contact Beth Smith, PFM, LLC at 631.542.5315.

Sample forms, policies, and procedures are provided below. Use them as references when developing policies for your district.

• Sample Board Policy
• Sample Cardholder Agreement I
• Sample Cardholder Agreement II
• Sample Cardholder Agreement III
• Sample Cardholder Agreement IV
• Sample Cardholder Agreement V
• Sample Cardholder Guide
• Sample Cardholder Request Form
• Sample Internal Audit Report
• Sample Policies and Procedures
• Sample Resolution I
• Sample Resolution II
• Case Study from Traverse City Area Public Schools
• Purchasing Card Manual Sample

U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance (U.S. Communities) is the leading national government purchasing cooperative, providing world class government procurement resources and solutions to your local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education institutes, and nonprofits looking for the best overall supplier government pricing.

The U.S. Communities program provides local agencies in the U.S. with competitively bid public contracts for various products and services. Most local agencies are allowed to piggyback on a contract competitively bid by another public agency, thereby eliminating the need to re-bid. Through the buying power of large government purchasers in the U.S. Communities program, all local government agencies and nonprofit organizations receive access to excellent pricing and contract terms.

U.S. Communities offers local agencies:

• No sign up fees
• No user fees
• No minimum purchasing requirements
• Best overall supplier government pricing
• Quality brands
• Integrity and experience
• Management by public-purchasing professionals
• Green eco-friendly products

E-Commerce Marketplace

The U.S. Communities Online Marketplace is available at no cost, provides quick visibility into products and pricing, and integrates many U.S. Communities supplier contracts into a single shopping environment, making it easier than ever to shop and compare prices. The marketplace offers access to thousands of products from multiple suppliers with a single payment using a p-card, credit card or purchase order. Try it today!

It is quick and easy to join U.S. Communities! Visit the U.S. Communities website at www.uscommunities.org and click on “Register Now” and begin to save!

About U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance

U.S. Communities is a nonprofit government purchasing cooperative that reduces the cost of goods and services by aggregating the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide. U.S. Communities provides world class procurement resources and solutions to local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education, and nonprofits. NLC is a sponsor of U.S. Communities and serves on its governing body.