February 19, 2021

Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

Third Quarter Apportionment for the Education Protection Account, Fiscal Year 2020–21

This apportionment, in the amount of $2,216,946,938, is made from the Education Protection Account (EPA) in accordance with Section 36 of Article XIII of the Constitution of the State of California in support of county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools as directed by law.

With the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in fiscal year 2013–14, EPA entitlements will continue to be calculated based on adjusted revenue limits, including the allowance for necessary small schools, and charter school block grant funding. In accordance with Section 36 of Article XIII of the Constitution of the State of California, these funding amounts continue as components of the LCFF. The California Department of Education (CDE) will allocate EPA revenues on a quarterly basis through the 2030–31 fiscal year. Charter schools newly operational in the 2013–14 fiscal year and after receive the EPA minimum funding level of $200 per unit of average daily attendance (ADA).

A local educational agency’s (LEA) governing board is required to make spending determinations for EPA funds at an open public meeting and post on the LEA’s website an accounting of how much money was received from the EPA and how that money was spent.

2020–21 Third Quarter Entitlement Calculation

Using a 2020–21 EPA revenue amount of approximately $8.8 billion, the CDE calculated estimated EPA entitlements using a factor of 37.69258175 percent based on the statewide total of revenue limits and charter school block grant funding as of the 2020–21 First Principal Apportionment. Each LEA’s EPA entitlement was then reduced so that funding from local property taxes and the EPA combined did not exceed the LEA’s adjusted revenue limit or charter school general purpose funding, provided that each LEA received the minimum EPA funding of $200 per unit of ADA.

Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 98 (Chapter 24, Statutes of 2020) and SB 820 (Chapter 110, Statutes of 2020), current year (fiscal year 2020-21) attendance for apportionment was not collected. Instead, LEAs were funded on either the 2019–20 ADA adjusted according to provisions specified in Education Code (EC) Section 43502, or current year ADA proxy calculated pursuant to EC Section 43505. The SB 820 ADA Determination Calculation for Growth LEAs and Newly Operational Charters Schools (XLSX) has been posted to the CDE website.

For most LEAs, EPA funding offsets LCFF state aid allocated through the Principal Apportionment. EPA entitlements will be recalculated at the 2020–21 Second Principal (P-2) Apportionment and will be based on both P-2 Apportionment data and a revised EPA revenue estimate to be provided by the Department of Finance in June 2021. EPA entitlements for 2020–21 will become final as of the 2020–21 Annual Certification.

Payment Information

This apportionment equals approximately 75 percent of each LEA’s 2020–21 EPA entitlement, net of 2019–20 adjustments, less any amounts apportioned in September 2020 and December 2020. Future payments may be adjusted for ADA changes, local property taxes, and previous over or underpayments of EPA funds.

The State Controller’s Office estimates that payments for this apportionment will be issued to county treasurers on March 25, 2021, and school districts and charter schools should be advised immediately of this apportionment. For standardized account code structure (SACS) coding for current year funds, use Resource 1400, Education Protection Account, and Revenue Object 8012, Education Protection Account Entitlement. The 2019–20 EPA Entitlement adjustment from P-2 to Annual that was not accrued in the prior year should be recorded to Resource 1400 using Object 8019, Revenue Limit State Aid – Prior Years.

Resources

For additional information on EPA calculations, letters of apportionment, payment schedules, spending restrictions, frequently asked questions, SACS financial reporting, and more, please refer to CDE’s EPA web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/epa.asp.

If you have questions regarding the EPA entitlement calculation, please contact the Principal Apportionment Section by email at PASE@cde.ca.gov. For questions related to SACS financial reporting, please contact the Office of Financial Accountability and Information Services by email at sacsinfo@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Wendi McCaskill, Associate Director

School Fiscal Services Division

WM:lv