Management Bulletin 22-02
This Management Bulletin notifies all California Local Education Agencies of the opportunity to apply for California State Preschool Program expansion funding.Early Education Division
Subject: Fiscal Year 2021–22, Request for Applications, California State Preschool Program Expansion Funds
Number: 22-02
Date: February 24, 2022
Expires: When Rescinded
Authority: Fiscal Year 2021–22 Budget Act, Senate Bill 129, Chapter 69, Statutes of 2021
Attention: California Local Education Agencies (LEA), Including School Districts, County Offices of Education, Community College Districts, and Direct-Funded Charter Schools
Purpose
The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED) announces a Request for Applications (RFA) for the availability of $130 million to expand California State Preschool Program (CSPP) services statewide.
These funds are available to local education agency (LEA) applicants to provide full-day/full-year and/or part-day/part-year CSPP services beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2021–22. Funding will be allocated by county, and within each county by the Local Planning Council (LPC) priority area. Funding awards will be made based on the LPC priority in the order of highest passing score first. In the event that a county does not fully utilize its allocation, the funding will be redistributed to other applicants, based on the LPC priority followed by highest score. The CDE encourages all eligible applicants to apply.
The intent of this RFA is to expand CSPP services statewide to the greatest extent possible. The RFA funding opportunity is available to LEAs that are current CSPP contractors, or to LEAs that do not currently hold a CSPP contract with the CDE, EED. These funds are intended to increase the availability of CSPP services to eligible children and CSPP services must be provided based on the needs of the families in the communities served, and based on the priorities set forth in law. LEA applicants may propose to subcontract CSPP services, and/or propose to provide CSPP services through a family child care home education network (FCCHEN).Policy
The 2021–22 Budget Act, as amended by Senate Bill (SB) 129, Chapter 69, Statutes of 2021, provides $130 million in Proposition 98 General Funds to increase State Preschool slots for LEAs, including school districts, county offices of education, community college districts, and direct-funded charter schools.
Application Submission Requirements
The CSPP Expansion RFA, including the RFA Overview and Instructions, and all required attachments can be accessed on the CSPP Expansion RFA web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/cspp21rfa.asp
LEA applicants must submit the completed application package, including all attachments and required documentation to the CDE on or before April 21, 2022, by 5 p.m.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to carefully review the RFA overview, instructions, and requirements prior to completing and submitting an application for funding. Failure to adhere to the submission requirements may disqualify the application from consideration for funding.
Applicants may submit the RFA electronically by email or physically by mail or in-person (hard copy). Electronic submissions of the RFA are encouraged.
Electronic RFA
- Option 1: Electronic RFA with a Digital Signature
The RFA must be digitally signed by the CSPP contractor’s authorized representative if submitting the RFA electronically to the RFA email box.
- Option 2: Scanned RFA
Applicants may choose to print the RFA, physically sign each of the required forms, and scan and email the RFA to the RFA email inbox. Please note that the size of the scanned attachment must not exceed 25 megabytes.
IMPORTANT: If submitting electronically, email the completed and signed RFA and all required attachments to CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov no later than 5 p.m. on April 21, 2022.
Physical RFA by Mail or In-Person (Hard Copy)
Physical RFAs may be mailed or hand delivered to the CDE, EED.
The original copy requires an original signature of the applicant’s authorized representative and all original signatures in the RFA must be in blue ink.
If submitting hard copies by mail the completed and signed RFA and all required attachments must be date-stamped delivered no later than 5 p.m. on April 21, 2022.
If submitting hard copies by in person the completed and signed RFA and all required attachments must be delivered no later than 5 p.m. on April 21, 2022.
All hard copies must be delivered to the following address:
California Department of Education
Early Education Division
Attention: Administration and Fiscal Services
1430 N Street, Suite 3410
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
Reminder: When mailing or hand delivering a hard copy of the application to the CDE, do not attach additional covers or place applications in binders. Additionally, each application must be adequately stapled in the upper left-hand corner.
No changes, modifications, corrections, or additions may be made to the application once it is received by the CDE. All applicants agree that by submitting the application they authorize the CDE to verify any and all claimed information, including any referenced names in the application.
All submitted applications remain the property of the CDE and may be subject to disclosure in the event of a Public records Act request.
Important Dates:
*Dates are subject to change
**Appeals are due to the CDE within 10 business days after receipt of score
| Item | Date* |
|---|---|
| Request for Applications released | February 28, 2022 |
| Instructional Webinar | March 17, 2022 |
| Applications due to EED | April 21, 2022 |
| Notification of Scores to Applicants | June 1, 2022 (Previously scheduled for May 12, 2022) |
| Appeals due to CDE** | June 15, 2022 (Previously scheduled for May 26, 2022) |
| Awards Announced | June 27, 2022 (Previously scheduled for June 15, 2022) |
| Start Date of Contracts | July 1, 2022 |
Background and Authority
California Education Code (EC) Section 8205 defines “local education agency” as a school district, county office of education, a community college district, or a school district acting on behalf of one or more schools within the school district. Direct-funded charter schools will be considered a LEA for the purposes of this RFA.
Contractors under contract with the CDE to administer the CSPP are required to comply with all laws, regulations, rules, policies, and reporting procedures of the CSPP contract.
CSPP contractors must sign CSPP contracts attesting that they will comply with the Early Education Act, commencing with EC Section 8200, the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), commencing with Section 18000, including the CSPP Free or Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility and Enrollment Implementation Guidance and any successor regulations adopted by the CDE, EED; the California Code of Regulations, Title 22 (22 CCR), Child Care Licensing Regulations, as applicable, and the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Code of Federal Regulations, Title 2 (2 CFR Part 200). Contractors are also required to follow all requirements in the federal School Accounting Manual as well as the CDE Audit Guide, both available on the CDE website. The EED strongly recommends applicants review and understand the statutory and regulatory references cited above prior to completing and submitting an application. The CDE School Accounting Manual web page is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/ac/sa/. The CDE Audit Guide web page is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/au/pm/.
Applicants that are awarded a CSPP contract will be required to adhere to all applicable laws and regulations associated with the contract as well as the terms and conditions set forth in the Contract Terms and Conditions (CT&Cs) applicable to the fiscal year in which the services are provided under the CSPP contract. The current CT&Cs and the CSPP Program Requirements for FY 2021–22 are available on the CDE, Child Development web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/ftc2021.asp. LEA applicants that are awarded a CSPP contract must also adhere to the Standards and Procedures for Audits of California K–12 Local Education Agencies issued by the Education Audit Appeals Panel (EAAP) as regulations. These regulations are available on the EAAP Audit Guide web page at https://eaap.ca.gov/audit-guide/
Applicants that are awarded a CSPP contract are permitted to subcontract in accordance with the EC, 5 CCR, and the CT&Cs set forth in the CSPP contract. As set forth in 5 CCR, Chapter 19, Subchapter 2, Article 2, or any successor regulations, all subcontracts not otherwise exempt must be approved by the CDE in accordance with the regulations. If approved, the applicant contractor remains responsible for ensuring that the subcontractor complies with all administrative, programmatic, and fiscal requirements of the CSPP contract.
Note: Reimbursement of administrative costs shall not exceed a total of 15 percent of either the net reimbursable program costs or the actual administrative costs for all contractors and subcontractors, in accordance with EC Section 8258.
Applicants may apply for CSPP funding to operate the CSPP via a family child care home education network (FCCHEN). The applicant contractor is responsible for administrative, programmatic, and fiscal compliance with the CSPP, CT&Cs, and program requirements, as well as compliance with the laws and regulations pertaining to FCCHENs.
A CSPP contractor operating via a FCCHEN must adhere to the requirements set forth in EC Section 8223, which requires FCCHENs to:
- Recruit, enroll, and certify eligible families
- Recruit, train, support, and reimburse licensed family child care home providers
- Collect family fees in accordance with contract requirements
- Assess, according to the standards set by the department, the educational quality of the program offered in each family child care home in the network
- Assure that the developmental profile is completed for each child based on observations of network staff, in consultation with the provider
- Monitor requirements, including quality standards, and conduct periodic assessments of program quality in each family child care home affiliated with the network
- Ensure that basic health and nutrition requirements are met
- Provide data and reporting in accordance with the contract requirements
Resources
If your school district or county office of education does not currently have sufficient facilities to house a CSPP, your school district or county office of education can apply for funding to construct or modify existing facilities through the California Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, and Full-day Kindergarten Facilities Grant Program. School districts can also apply for the facility funding on behalf of charter schools who operate on district property. Applicants may apply for grant funds in advance of having a CSPP contract in place, indicating in the application for grant funding as a "future contractor." For more information on the California Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and Full-Day Kindergarten Facilities Grant Program, visit the Department of General Services (DGS) Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) Services web page at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OPSC/Services
If you have questions regarding the information in this Management Bulletin, please email CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov.
The Early Education Division, Program Quality Implementation Office, Consultant Directory web page is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp.
The Early Education Nutrition Fiscal Services, Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory web page is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.