Ltr-12: K-3 CSR

July 25, 2012

Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

NOTICE OF THE FINAL APPORTIONMENT FOR THE
KINDERGARTEN AND GRADES ONE THROUGH THREE
CLASS SIZE REDUCTION PROGRAM
FISCAL YEAR 2012–13
(AMOUNTS DEFERRED FROM FISCAL YEAR 2011–12)

This apportionment, in the amount of $532,324,700, is made from funds provided in Section 58 of Senate Bill (SB) 70 (Chapter 7, Statutesof 2011), in support of the Kindergarten and Grades One through Three Class Size Reduction (K-3 CSR) Program.

The county superintendents of schools were notified of this apportionment by e-mail which was sent to their CDEfisc e-mail addresses. The California Department of Education (CDE) requested that the e-mail be forwarded to the school districts and charter schools in the county, and included the link to this letter and the apportionment schedule which are posted on the CDE Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/k3csr.asp under fiscal year 2012–13.

Direct-funded and locally funded charter schools that applied for the K-3 CSR Program on their own behalf are listed separately on the apportionment schedule. Funding for locally funded charter schools that did not apply on their own behalf is included in the authorizing entity’s entitlement if that entity included the charter school’s data on its 2011–12 Form J‑7CSR.

Only those school districts and charter schools that applied for fiscal year 2008–09 funding by January 31, 2009, are eligible to receive 2011–12 program funds. Their funding is capped by the number of classes they applied for on their 2008–09 Operations Applications.

The apportionment for each school district or charter school is based on actual enrollment in participating classes as submitted on the Form J‑7CSR, less any amounts received in the September 2011 Advance Apportionment and February 2012 Provisional Apportionment. Funds are apportioned at $1,071 per pupil in an Option 1 class (full day), and at $535 per pupil in an Option 2 class (half day).

Some school districts and charter schools submitted their Form J-7CSR in a manner that could not be processed. Those entities that did not submit a certified revision to the CDE by Thursday, June 21, 2012, are not included in this apportionment. The affected school districts and charter schools must ensure that a revised certified 2011–12 Form J-7CSR is received by CDE by February 15, 2013 in order to receive funding in the Revised Final Apportionment scheduled for April 2013, and avoid having their 2011–12 funding recovered.

Section 57 of SB 70 requires that fiscal year 2012–13 categorical funding allocations to school districts that were basic aid in fiscal year 2011–12 be reduced by the lesser of: (1) the district’s 2011–12 total revenue limit subject to the deficit factor, calculated as of the 2011–12 certified second principal apportionment, multiplied by 8.92 percent or (2) the amount of the district’s excess taxes. In implementation of SB 70, we have reduced the amount paid to basic aid districts in this apportionment. The amounts reduced are shown on the schedule of apportionment.

The apportionment reduction for basic aid school districts does not affect the districts’ entitlements to funds in subsequent years for this program. To view the list of basic aid districts and the total amount to be reduced from their 2012–13 categorical funding allocations, please go to the CDE Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/documents/basicaidcut2012.xls.

This apportionment also includes recoveries for the following overpayments:

1. Per Section 35 of Assembly Bill 1610 (Chapter 724, Statutes of 2010), the K-3 CSR appropriation of funds deferred from 2009–10 to 2010–11 was cut from $570 million to $230 million (a $340 million decrease). The CDE proportionately reduced 2009–10 program entitlements and recovered funds accordingly from 2010–11 program funds in February and July 2011. Subsequently, revised 2009–10 final claims, which were due on June 30, 2011, were processed and resulted in an approximately $680,000 additional shortfall to the 2009–10 K-3 CSR Program. As such, 2009–10 entitlements were prorated once again. The CDE recovered $678,126 in the February 2012 Provisional Apportionment. Some school districts and charter schools did not have sufficient funds in their provisional payment, however, to recover their full share of the overpayment. Thus $1,770 is being recovered in this payment for this purpose, as detailed in the ‘Refund to Reverted (from 2009–10)’ column on the apportionment schedule. Please note that this is not an additional deferral of K-3 CSR Program funds, and funds recovered for this purpose will not be paid at a later date.
2. 2010–11 K‑3 CSR Program funds that were overpaid to school districts and charter schools based on submission of revised final claim forms.

As a result of these recoveries, the net final payment is $531,874,931.

Warrants will be mailed to each county treasurer approximately four weeks from the date of this Notice. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 1300, Class Size Reduction, Grades K-3, and Revenue Object Code 8434, Class Size Reduction, Grades K-3. School districts and charter schools should record the net current apportionment in Resource Code 1300.

If you have any questions regarding the K-3 CSR Program or this payment, please contact Rebecca Lee, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Allocations and Management Assistance Office, by phone at 916‑324‑4533 or by e-mail at relee@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Jeannie Oropeza, Deputy Superintendent
Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch