Beginning this year, California’s complicated education
funding model will be replaced by the simplified Local Control Funding Formula
(LCFF).
What does that mean for our schools?
First of all, it will give school districts more freedom
with how they spend their money.
The old funding model included money set aside for about 50
various programs that state lawmakers decided were a priority. School districts
didn’t have much of a say in how these “categorical” funds were spent.
That will no longer be the case. Most of those “categorical”
programs have been eliminated.
Now, most of the funding will be based on a per-pupil dollar
amount that varies slightly for different grade levels. Additional money will
be available based on the number of students within a district that need extra
support. These include English language learners, students from low-income
families, and foster youth.
It will now be up to educators, administrators and community
to decide how that money will best serve students in our local districts. Eventually, the new funding formula is
expected to give most school districts more money than they now have to spend on
each student.
As part of the budget planning process, school districts
across the state now will have to put together a Local Control and Accountability
Plan, or LCAP. This plan will identify goals and measure student progress.
Parent and public input will be used in developing and revising the plan each
year.
The new funding formula presents a historic opportunity to
focus on improving student outcomes, closing achievement gaps, and increasing
the level of communication between our schools and our community.
To learn more about The LCFF or LCAP, visit the San Diego County Office of Education's LCAP page or the California Department of Education webpage.