2013–14 Advance Apportionment Letter

July 19, 2013

Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

2013–14 ADVANCE PRINCIPAL APPORTIONMENT

Towards the end of July, select county treasurers will receive a warrant that reflects state aid for programs included in the 2013–14 Advance Principal Apportionment (Advance) for elementary, high, and unified school districts; charter schools; and county offices of education. The California Department of Education (CDE) certified the Advance on July 19, 2013 pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 41330. The statewide total is $26,735,314,361.

The Advance for 2013–14 is based on a statutory derivation pursuant to EC sections 14002 through 14007 and 41301. Section 41330 directs the CDE to apportion money in the Advance on the basis of the Second Principal Apportionment (P-2) from the preceding fiscal year.

Assembly Bill 97 (Chapter 47, Statutes of 2013), as amended by Senate Bill 91 (Chapter 49, Statutes of 2013), established the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which represents a significant change in how California’s kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) local educational agencies (LEAs) are funded, including county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools.

While the new LCFF is effective July 1, 2013, the CDE has not yet incorporated many of the LCFF provisions into its apportionment systems. Consequently, this Advance includes only minimal changes enacted by the 2013 Budget Act and implementing legislation, including AB 97. Because this apportionment is merely a means to begin allocating funds in accordance with EC Section 41330, it should not be used for budget purposes. Actual final funding under the new LCFF formulas will differ from this Advance. The CDE intends to calculate LEA funding using the new LCFF formula in the 2013–14 P-2 apportionment, which will be certified on or before July 2, 2014.

In the near future the CDE will issue a Budget Letter, which provides a general overview of the LCFF as well as other provisions contained in the budget package. This letter will be available on CDE’s Education Budget Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/eb/. In addition, the School Fiscal Services Division plans to issue a letter outlining the 2013–14 LCFF funding implementation schedule and other 2013–14 funding information.

All LCFF communication will be available on the CDE’s Web site and funding specific information will also be sent electronically via the CDE’s PASE listserv. The listserv provides LEAs and other interested parties important information, such as notifications regarding LCFF updates, software releases, key deadlines, reminders of due dates for submission of data, and any other pertinent topics related to the Office of Principal Apportionment and Special Education (PASE) and the Office of Charter Apportionments and District Reorganization. If you do not already belong to the PASE listserv and would like to subscribe, send a "blank" message to: join-pase-contacts@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

The CDE is also developing a Web page to address LCFF issues, including correspondence, answers to FAQs, and other relevant information, as they become available. When available, the LCFF page will be accessible from both the main CDE Web page (http://www.cde.ca.gov) and from the Principal Apportionment page (http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/index.asp).

A summary of the calculations that the CDE used in the Advance is available as an Attachment to this letter. Both the letter and the attachment, as well as apportionment Excel files that provide detail funding amounts for this Advance, are available on the CDE Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/pa1314.asp. Funding for the Apprenticeship program is not included in the Advance as the funding responsibility has been transferred to the California Community Colleges. County superintendents of schools should advise school districts and charter schools immediately of this apportionment.

If you need assistance, or have any further questions, please contact the Office of Principal Apportionment and Special Education or the Office of Charter Apportionments and District Reorganization by phone at 916-324-4541 or by e-mail at PASE@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Dearstyne, Administrator
Office of Principal Apportionment and
Special Education

Caryn Moore, Administrator
Office of Charter Apportionments and
District Reorganization

ED/CM:nc

Attachment [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/calc1314adv.asp]