- When is the Letter of Intent for the Mandate Block Grant (MBG) due?
- How can the Letter of Intent to participate in the MBG be submitted?
- Who is authorized to sign the MBG Letter of Intent?
- Does the district need any kind of board approval or resolution to participate in the MBG?
- We did not receive the application to participate in the MBG. How can we get a copy?
- Our LEA has elected to not participate in the MBG. Do we need to notify CDE of our decision?
- How can we verify that CDE has received our application?
- If we submit the Letter of Intent to participate in the MBG for FY 2012–13, will we automatically be required to participate in the future?
- Do locally funded charter schools have to submit a separate application for the MBG or can locally funded charter schools be included in the application of the district?
- Are charter schools that begin operation in the 2012–13 FY eligible for the MBG?
- Does an LEA need to be in compliance with all of the mandates listed in the MBG for the 2012–13 FY in order to receive funds? If an LEA elects not to participate in the MBG, does it still have to perform the mandates?
- If an LEA participates in the MBG, will a compliance audit for the specific MBG mandates be performed during the annual audit? If so, what required documentation would need to be kept?
- May an LEA file a mandate reimbursement claim with the State Controller’s Office for 2012–13 mandates not included in the MBG?
- Which mandates are not included in the MBG?
- If there are new mandate claim programs approved during the year, could a separate reimbursement claim be filed or would those programs become part of the MBG?
- In the past, COEs included some of its districts’ reimbursement costs (those under $1000) as part of the COEs’ mandate reimbursement claim. If the COE elects to participate in the block grant funding and participating districts do not, is there a vehicle available for those districts to still receive reimbursements for the mandates?
- Is necessary small high school average daily attendance (ADA) included in the MBG calculation?
- Our district reported revenue limit ADA in FY 2011–12. In FY 2012–13 two district schools were converted to charter schools. How will our MBG apportionment be calculated?
- My district has been designated for a 2012-13 basic aid offset. Will the MBG apportionment be offset to repay the basic aid obligation owed by the district?
- The MBG application states that funding may be prorated if participation exceeds the total budget allocation. What percentage of funding will be allocated in 2012–13?
- When will funding be allocated?
- When is the Letter of Intent for the Mandate Block Grant (MBG) due?
The Letter of Intent to Receive Mandate Block Grant Funding for the 2012–13 fiscal year (FY) is due to the California Department of Education (CDE) on or before Monday, October 1, 2012.
- How can the Letter of Intent to participate in the MBG be submitted?
CDE is accepting Letters of Intent via e-mail, fax, or mail. Please send the completed Letter of Intent by only one method to one of the following:
Electronically: E-mail the scanned document in pdf format to: mandate@cde.ca.gov.
Fax: 916-327-4873 — Attention: Mandates
Mail:
California Department of Education
School Fiscal Services Division - Mandates
1430 N Street, Suite 3800
Sacramento, CA 95814 -
Who is authorized to sign the MBG Letter of Intent?
It is up to each local education agency (LEA) to determine the authorized representative who can sign the MBG Letter of Intent.
- Does the district need any kind of board approval or resolution to participate in the MBG?
The MBG legislation does not specifically require board approval or a resolution to participate in the MBG. However, each LEA may have its own policy for identifying items that require board approval.
- We did not receive the application to participate in the MBG. How can we get a copy?
An individualized Letter of Intent was e-mailed to each district, county office of education (COE) and charter school on August 27, 2012. The e-mail was sent to the administrator or contact listed in the California School Directory. Please check the junk mail of that e-mail address and also make sure that the e-mail was not rejected by your server prior to contacting CDE. If you cannot locate the application please send a request to mandate@cde.ca.gov. Requests should include the complete LEA name and CDS code for each missing application and an e-mail address where the documents could be resent.
In addition, if the contact information on the California School Directory is incorrect, please notify CDE of the changes to ensure receipt of future correspondence. Updates to school and district information may be requested by authorized LEA personnel using the OPUS-CDS application, or the CDS forms [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/ds/] posted on the CDE website.
- Our LEA has elected to not participate in the MBG. Do we need to notify CDE of our decision?
An LEA is not required to notify CDE if it chooses not to participate in the MBG; however, it is helpful if we receive an e-mail declining the MBG. CDE will be send a “follow up” e-mail to LEAs that have not submitted a response and those LEAs who have declined the MBG will not receive further contact.
- How can we verify that CDE has received our application?
Please check the Mandate Block Grant Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/mandatebg.asp] for a list of received applications. The status of applications will be updated periodically. If you still have concerns at that time, please resend your request to mandate@cde.ca.gov.
- If we submit the Letter of Intent to participate in the MBG for FY 2012–13, will we automatically be required to participate in the future?
Participation in the MBG is an annual election. Therefore, if an LEA submits a Letter of Intent electing to participate in the MBG, it only applies to the 2012–13 FY.
- Do locally funded charter schools have to submit a separate application for the MBG or can locally funded charter schools be included in the application of the district?
Both direct and locally funded charter schools must each apply independent of their authorizing agency to receive MBG funds. An individualized Letter of Intent was sent to each charter school (both locally and direct funded) and must be completed and returned to the CDE to receive MBG funding.
Apportionments for direct funded charter schools will be issued to the charter school and apportionments for locally funded charter schools will be included in the payment issued to the authorizing agency.
- Are charter schools that begin operation in the 2012–13 FY eligible for the MBG?
Charter schools that begin operation in FY 2012–13, either as a new school or a newly authorized school (school with new authorizing entity in 2012–13), are not eligible to receive MBG funding in the first year of operation. Funding for 2012–13 is based on the average daily attendance (ADA) reported at the second Principal Apportionment period (P-2) for FY 2011–12. New charter schools or newly authorized charter schools reported no attendance for FY 2011–12 P-2 and therefore are not eligible to receive funds for the FY 2012–13 MBG.
- Does an LEA need to be in compliance with all of the mandates listed in the MBG for the 2012–13 FY in order to receive funds? If an LEA elects not to participate in the MBG, does it still have to perform the mandates?
Districts, charter schools, and county offices of education are all legally required to provide or perform all applicable mandated activities. Participation or non-participation in the MBG does not alter that requirement. The MBG funding is being provided to support the applicable mandated activities listed in Government Code (GC) Section 17581.6(d).
- If an LEA participates in the MBG, will a compliance audit for the specific MBG mandates be performed during the annual audit? If so, what required documentation would need to be kept?
The 2012–13 Audit Guide does not contain audit procedures on any of the mandated programs in the block grant.
If audit procedures are added to future Audit Guides, then those added procedures are required to be published prior to the start of each fiscal year. Knowing the audit procedures prior to the start of a fiscal year would give each LEA an opportunity to discuss the required documentation with its own external auditor.
If an audit found an LEA to be out of compliance with a mandate requirement, then the LEA would be required to take corrective action; however, the LEA would not be required to forfeit any of the block grant funding.
- May an LEA file a mandate reimbursement claim with the State Controller’s Office for 2012–13 mandates not included in the MBG?
Yes. If the mandate program is not suspended or specifically listed in GC Section 17581.6(d), then a mandate reimbursement claim can be filed with the State Controller’s Office for FY 2012–13. However, a mandate reimbursement claim can only be paid when the Legislature appropriates funds for it.
- Which mandates are not included in the MBG?
Currently, the mandate programs that are not included under the MBG are Graduation Requirements, Developer Fees, and Teacher Incentive Program. However, incentive grants are no longer awarded under the Teacher Incentive Programs, so LEAs would not undertake activities and should have no reimbursable costs for FY 2012–13. These active mandate programs do not currently have an appropriation to support payment of the claims.
Senate Bill (SB) 1028 (Chapter 575, Statutes of 2012) was signed by the Governor on September 26, 2012, and added five active mandates to the list of programs covered under the block grant. Those five programs are:
- Academic Performance Index (01-TC-22; Chapter 3 of the Statutes of 1999, First Extraordinary Session; and Chapter 695 of the Statutes of 2000).
- Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting (01-TC-21: Chapters 640 and 1459 of the Statutes of 1987; Chapter 132 of the Statutes of 1991; Chapter 459 of the Statutes of 1992; Chapter 311 of the Statutes of 1998; Chapter 916 of the Statutes of 2000; and Chapters 133 and 754 of the Statutes of 2001).
- Expulsion of Pupil: Transcript Cost for Appeals (SMAS; Chapter 1253 of the Statutes of1975).
- Inter-district Attendance Permits (CSM 4442; Chapters 172 and 742 of the Statutes of 1986; Chapter 853 of the Statutes of 1989; Chapter 10 of the Statutes of 1990; and Chapter 120 of the Statutes of 1992).
- Student Records (02-TC-34; Chapter 593 of the Statutes of 1989; Chapter 561 of the Statutes of 1993; Chapter 311 of the Statutes of 1998; and Chapter 67 of the Statutes of 2000).
A complete list of programs covered under the block grant can be found on the Mandate Block Grant Request for Application Web page http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r14/mandatebg12rfa.asp.
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If there are new mandate claim programs approved during the year, could a separate reimbursement claim be filed or would those programs become part of the MBG?
Legislation would be required to add any new mandates to the Mandate Block Grant. Unless that occurs, a mandate reimbursement claim can be filed with the SCO for any mandate program or newly approved active mandate program not specifically listed in GC Section 17581.6(d).Please note that there are several programs currently under consideration by the Commission on State Mandates that are not included in the Mandate Block Grant including Behavioral Intervention Plans.
- In the past, COEs included some of its districts’ reimbursement costs (those under $1000) as part of the COEs’ mandate reimbursement claim. If the COE elects to participate in the block grant funding and participating districts do not, is there a vehicle available for those districts to still receive reimbursements for the mandates?
According to the SCO, even if a COE elects to participate in the MBG, the COE may still submit a reimbursement claim on behalf of districts that do not elect to participate in the MBG. The reimbursement claim should identify the districts included in the claim, clearly state that the COE is participating in the MBG, and state that the COE is filing on behalf of districts that elected to not participate in the MBG.
- Is necessary small high school average daily attendance (ADA) included in the MBG calculation?
The ADA for necessary small schools is included in the MBG. It is part of a larger total shown on line D3 of the district form. A link to the list of included ADA can be found on the Mandate Block Grant Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/mandatebg.asp].
- Our district reported revenue limit ADA in FY 2011–12. In FY 2012–13 two district schools were converted to charter schools. How will our MBG apportionment be calculated?
For 2012–13 the MBG is calculated using the LEA’s 2011–12 P-2 ADA. Therefore, the district would receive funding in 2012–13 based on the total reported 2011–12 P-2 ADA (which includes the conversion charter schools) multiplied by $28. The two new charter schools are not eligible to receive separate funding in 2012–13 since those schools reported no ADA at the 2011–12 P-2 apportionment.
Conversely, if two charter schools closed at the end of 2011–12 and the students returned to district schools, the district would only receive funding based on the district’s 2011–12 P-2 ADA, which would not include the ADA reported by the two closed charter schools.
- My district has been designated for a 2012-13 basic aid offset. Will the MBG apportionment be offset to repay the basic aid obligation owed by the district?
No. Basic Aid offsets will not be applied to the MBG.
- The MBG application states that funding may be prorated if participation exceeds the total budget allocation. What percentage of funding will be allocated in 2012–13?
Based on the number of LEAs that have elected to participate in the MBG, funding will not be prorated for 2012–13.Statutes require that funding be proportionately reduced to stay within the total available funding. If 100 percent of the LEAs participated in 2012–13, the funding would have been decreased to approximately $27.92/ADA for districts, $13.96/ADA for charter schools, and for county offices of education, $27.92/ADA plus $.99/countywide ADA.
- When will funding be allocated?
Although the original schedule was to pay the MBG in two installments, the MBG will now be paid 100% in November 2012.
