El Dorado

 

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is the new way in which the State of California funds school districts. For nearly 40 years, California has relied on a public school system that included general purpose funding (known as revenue limits) and more than 40 tightly defined categorical programs. Under LCFF, California funds school districts per student with adjustments based on grade levels and demographic characteristics. The LCFF also requires that school districts develop a Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) that requires parent and community input prior to adoption.

 

 

 

LCFF was approved by the California Legislature and Governor Jerry Brown in June 2013. It went into effect for the 2013-14 academic year. The LCAP was required for the 2014-15 school year.

 

 

 

Implementation of the LCFF began in 2013–14. Initially, the state Department of Finance (DOF) estimated that achieving full funding levels for school districts and charter schools under the LCFF would take eight years based on then-current Proposition 98 growth projections, which would result in full implementation by fiscal year 2020-21. Full implementation for COEs was estimated to take two years. While those initial timelines have not formally changed, we are ahead of the initial implementation schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Districts must develop a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) that is approved by the Board of Education every June at the same time as the budget. The LCAP includes goals and priorities, with particular attention to English Learners, socio-economically disadvantaged students and Foster Youth. The LCAP explicitly documents how expenditures are aligned to academic planning and progress. Parents and other stakeholder groups participate in the development of the LCAP.  The district must adopt a three-year plan and update it annually.

 

 

 

The LCAP is an important component of the LCFF. Under the LCFF all LEAs are required to prepare an LCAP, which describes how they intend to meet annual goals for all pupils, with specific activities to address state and local priorities identified pursuant to EC Section 52060(d).

 

 

 

The LCAP is a three year plan that has to be updated annually.

 

 

 

 

 

Districts must establish and prioritize eight goals areas listed above. They are required to indicate the steps it will take to meet the annual goals. Districts must use a State Board adopted LCAP template and solicit input from various stakeholders.

 

 

 

Districts must adopt an LCAP at the same time it adopts a budget, which is prior to July 1st of every year.

 

 

This refers to the subgroups of students to be included in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). They are the following:

• Black or African American
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Filipino
• Hispanic or Latino
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• White
• Two or more races
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged students
• English Learners
• Students with disabilities
• Foster youth

 

Unduplicated of pupils are students who (1) are English learners, (2) meet income or categorical eligibility requirements for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program, or (3) are foster youth. “Unduplicated count” means that each pupil is counted only once even if the pupil meets more than one of these criteria (EC sections 2574(b)(2) and 42238.02(b)(1)).

 

 

 

The LCAP does not replace the federal requirements related to LEA Plans in Section 1112 of the ESEA. However, the LCAP template will be developed by the SBE in a manner that meets both the LCAP requirements and the federal requirements, and the SBE will take steps to minimize duplication of effort at the local level to the greatest extent possible (EC Section 52064).

 

 

 

According to EC Section 52062, specific actions included in the LCAP, or the annual update of the LCAP, must be consistent with the strategies included in the school plans submitted pursuant to EC Section 64001.