Pro-Pay

Through its “pay-as-you-build” Progress Payment System, the MSBA reimburses districts for eligible project costs during construction. After a community enters into a Project Funding Agreement with the MSBA and submits project costs that have been incurred and paid locally, the MSBA audits the submitted invoices and reimburses the district for its share of eligible project costs. The MSBA typically makes payment within 15 days of receiving a complete reimbursement request.

The major benefits to the system are:

• Communities avoid having to borrow the MSBA’s share of project costs, which reduces both the amount of debt on the local books and interest costs related to financing.
• Communities receive the full amount of the MSBA’s share of project costs during construction and its close-out audit.
• The MSBA is auditing projects as they are built, avoiding the many-year delay between project completion and final cost reconciliation.
• Consistent, predictable payments allow communities to better manage their cash flow.

In 2007 the Pro-Pay web-based system became fully operational. It allows districts to enter cost information and submit a request for reimbursement electronically. This system gives districts:

• The ability to enter and manage budgets that better mirror the MSBA process (Feasibility Study, Scope and Budget Agreement and Funding Agreement).
• Budget management functionality, including the ability to request and approve budget revisions.
• Streamlined and simplified cost categories (chart of accounts).

In addition to the benefits of the Progress Payment described above, the use of Pro-Pay on all its current projects allows the MSBA to collect and analyze a wealth of electronic information to continue to support management of the School Building Assistance program.

PRO-PAY TRAINING  

Pro-Pay Trainings are generally offered at our offices once a month on a Friday, but this schedule is subject to change.  Please contact Donna Paul at 617-720-4466 to reserve a spot in our training class no later than noon of the preceding Thursday.  We require that districts have an executed Feasibility Study Agreement or Project Funding Agreement before attending training.  We also strongly recommend that attendees obtain access to our system prior to training.

I hope this gets talked about at future discussions involving the new school. Most importantly is that the Town Treasurer and Accountant not only get trained up in their respective positions, but get trained up in doing business and record keeping with regards to MSBA business. This is important to taxpayers to ensure not only prompt reimbursement, also that all eligible costs are recouped by the TOWN.


Jeff Bennett