December 13, 2006
Dear County Superintendents of Schools, Auditors, and Treasurers:
NOTICE OF THE FIRST APPORTIONMENT FOR THE
ARTS AND MUSIC BLOCK GRANT
FISCAL YEAR 2006-07
This apportionment, in the amount of $78,750,938, is made from funds provided in Item 6110-265-0001 of the Budget Act of 2006 (Chapters 47 and 48, Statutes of 2006) in support of the Arts and Music Block Grant.
Estimated entitlements for each local educational agency (LEA) are based on a rate of $15.94 per pupil enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve as reported in the October 2005 California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) enrollment collection and minimum funding of $2,500 for school sites with 20 or fewer students and a minimum of $4,000 for school sites with more than 20 students. This apportionment reflects 75 percent of the estimated entitlement. Final entitlements will be calculated after October 2006 CBEDS enrollment data are certified in spring 2007, and the remaining funding will be released in a second apportionment in May 2007.
Funds are allocated to LEAs to be used as provided in budget act language to support standards aligned instruction in arts and music (i.e. visual and performing arts); and specifically for: (1) hiring of additional staff; (2) purchase of new materials, books, supplies, and equipment; and (3) implementing or increasing staff development opportunities. These funds are ongoing and are to supplement, not supplant existing resources for visual and performing arts.
The budget act language does not prescribe the manner in which LEAs are to allocate the funds within the LEA. LEAs may bring together teachers, school site administrators, district level administrators, parents and students to collaborate on assessing needs and developing a local plan that will support high quality instruction in the visual and performing arts.
Charter schools are eligible for these funds. The schedule of apportionment identifies the amount for direct-funded charter schools separate from the district or county amount. Funding associated with all other charter schools is included in the district or county amount. Charter schools that are new in the 2006-07 fiscal year will receive 100 percent of their entitlement in the second apportionment.
Warrants will be mailed to county treasurers approximately four weeks from the date of this Notice. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 6760, Arts and Music Block Grant, and Revenue Object Code 8590, All Other State Revenue. County superintendents of schools are requested to inform LEAs immediately of this apportionment.
If you have any fiscal questions regarding this apportionment, please contact Elizabeth Dearstyne, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Programs Unit, at 916-322-0494 or by e-mail at edearstyne@cde.ca.gov. Questions regarding visual and performing arts should be directed to Nancy Carr, Visual and Performing Arts Consultant, Curriculum Leadership Unit, at 916-445-5669 or by e-mail at ncarr@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
JACK O’CONNELL
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814