CASI June 2024 Charter Chat Resource Page

Charter Chat Topics

1. Legislative Updates by Santa Clara County Office of Education
2. Program Hot Topics
3. Fiscal Hot Topics
4. California Department of Education and State Board of Education Updates
5. Upcoming CASI Events
6. Q&A from Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email

Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is provided as a reference only. Charter schools and chartering authorities are encouraged to review the laws and regulations and consult with their own legal counsel regarding the application to their specific situations.

Legislative Updates by Santa Clara County Office of Education

• AB 359 (Holden) Pupil instruction: dual enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships
• AB 1913 (Addis) Pupil safety: child abuse prevention: training
• AB 1984 (Weber) Pupil health: extreme heat
• AB 2019 (Fong) Early and middle college high schools and programs: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships
• AB 2097 (Berman) Pupil instruction: high schools: computer science education courses: graduation requirements
• AB 2254 (Rubio) Charter schools: renewal criteria
• AB 2887 (Maienschein) School safety plans: medical emergency procedures
• SB 997 (Portantino) Pupil health: naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray and fentanyl test strips
• SB 1129 (Ochoa Bogh) Local control and accountability plans: workgroup: template alternatives
• SB 1477 (Ashby) School accountability: independent study, educational enrichment activities, oversight and audit requirements
  
• To follow current legislation at the California Legislative Information website:
  • Under "Quick Bill Search," select either "Bill Number" or "Keyword(s)"
  • Enter the bill number or keyword, respectively
  • Once the desired bill is located, click "Add to My Favorites." This will prompt the user to create a profile and receive email updates on the status of the desired bill.

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Program Hot Topics

• Local Indicator Reporting Window
  The California Department of Education (CDE) opened the reporting window for California School Dashboard (Dashboard) Coordinators to report their local educational agency’s (LEA’s) 2023–24 Local Indicators to the Dashboard on June 3, 2024. These are the local indicators that will be reported on the 2024 Dashboard. This includes reporting the date that the 2024 local indicator results were reported to the local governing board/body on or before July 1, 2024, at the same meeting at which the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is adopted. The 2024 Dashboard reporting window will be open from June 3, 2024 through July 31, 2024. If an LEA does not submit results within the reporting window, a performance rating of “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years,” as applicable, will appear on the LEA’s 2024 Dashboard.
• LCAP Preparation
  Pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 47604.33, each charter school’s LCAP is to be updated annually, approved by the charter school’s governing board, and submitted to the charter school authorizer and to the county office of education (COE) by July 1 of each year.
  
  The components of the LCAP for the 2024–25 LCAP year must be posted as one document assembled in the following order:
  • LCFF Budget Overview for Parents (BOP)
  • 2023–24 LCAP Annual Update
  • Plan Summary
  • Engaging Educational Partners
  • Goals and Actions
  • Increased or Improved Services for Foster Youth, English Learners, and Low-income students
  • Action Tables
  • Instructions

• LCAP Review
  Some authorizers review the LCAP to determine (1) that the correct template is used, and (2) all the components of the document are present in the correct order. Some authorizers also use the California County Superintendents LCAP Review Form (for district LCAPs) to provide feedback to the charter schools, as Charter School LCAPs are approved by their governing boards. Maricopa Unified School District recommends the following LCAP Review Checklist Tools , which were modified from templates provided by Kern COE.
• Planning for Next Year
  Charter authorizing staff should prioritize the following tasks in preparation for next year:
  • Prepare the annual document requests: Update your list of documents and your files for the coming year (including fiscal). Create a tickler system for yourself or find a project management software that will manage the document submission process for you (e.g., Epicenter, Canvas, Document Tracking Service [DTS], or Monday.com).
  • Create a calendar of events: Include your annual visit schedule, and consider the process and procedures for conducting site visits for the coming year. A sample calendar can be found at 2024–25 SCCOE Charter Schools Department Calendar (PDF) .
  • Review your Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Make sure what was promised was delivered, and see if there is anything which might need to be updated or addressed due to any new laws that take effect July 1.
• Update Annual Report Template
  It is considered a best practice for authorizers to use an annual report template. If the authorizer uses one, it is recommended that it is updated to reflect new laws that have come into effect. Additional resources are available in the California Charter Authorizing Professionals (CCAP) Annual Report Toolkit .
  

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Fiscal Hot Topics

• LCAP Process
  While the LCAP has been known as a program compliance item, it is the document which should be closely connected to the budget. The LCAP goals should drive the budget, not the other way around. Make sure your program and fiscal teams are communicating with each other when they are reviewing both documents. When reviewing, please ensure the following:
  • The BOP matches the charter school’s adopted budget.
  • All components of the LCAP have been submitted and posted. This includes the BOP, 2023–24 LCAP Template, Action Tables, and LCAP Instructions.
  • All required elements have been addressed, including, if applicable, the 15 percent Concentration Grant Add-on used to increase the number of credentialed and/or classified staff who provide direct services to pupils.
    
• Annual Budget Process
  Just like districts, charter schools must complete and approve their annual budget. Per EC Section 47604.33 , charter schools are required to submit their board approved annual budget by July 1 of each year.
• Fiscal Planning for Next Year
  Similar to the Program Team, the Fiscal Team is currently preparing for the upcoming year’s fiscal oversight responsibilities. Please refer to the 2024–25 SCCOE Charter Schools Department Calendar (PDF) for a sample of fiscal documents the SCCOE collects as part of our fiscal oversight responsibilities.
  

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California Department of Education and State Board of Education Updates

• The Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) meeting was held on June 4, 2024. It reviewed nonclassroom-based funding determinations. The next ACCS meeting is scheduled for August 6, 2024.
• The California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting was held on May 8, 2024. Nonclassroom-based funding determinations were reviewed. The SBE also approved the state moving forward with applying for the Federal Charter School Grant Program. The next meeting is scheduled for July 10–11, 2024.

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Charter Chat Q&A

Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email

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Return to Monthly Charter Chats

Return to Charter Authorizer Support Initiative