Management Bulletin 24-03

Early Education Division

Subject: Fiscal Year 2024–25, Request for Applications, California State Preschool Program Expansion Funds

Number: 24-03

Date: March 2024

Expires: When Rescinded

Authority: Fiscal Year 2021–22 Budget Act, Senate Bill 129, Chapter 69, Statutes of 2021

Attention: California Local Educational Agencies, Including School Districts, County Offices of Education, Community College Districts, and Direct-Funded Charter Schools.

Purpose

The California Department of Education (CDE), Early Education Division (EED) announces a Request for Applications (RFA) for the availability of approximately $32.7 million in Proposition 98 state education funds for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to expand California State Preschool Program (CSPP) services statewide.

These funds are available to LEA applicants to provide full-day/full-year or part-day/part-year CSPP services (or any combination thereof) beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2024–25. Funding will be allocated by county, and within each county by the Local Planning Council (LPC) priority area. Funding awards will be made based on the LPC priority in the order of highest passing score first. In the event a county does not fully utilize its allocation, the funding will be redistributed to other applicants, based on the LPC priority followed by highest score. The CDE encourages all eligible LEAs to apply.

The RFA funding opportunity is available to LEAs that are current CSPP contractors, or to LEAs that do not currently hold a CSPP contract with the CDE, EED. In addition, all current CSPP contractors are eligible to apply for new or additional CSPP funds, except when one or more of the conditions in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations (5 CCR), Section 17722(a) exist. The intent of this RFA is to expand CSPP services statewide to the greatest extent possible through the award of new CSPP contracts to LEA applicants who do not currently hold a CSPP contract, and/or through the award of additional contract funds for current CSPP contractors to provide CSPP services for additional children. CSPP expansion services may be provided directly by LEAs, through subcontracts with eligible entities, or through Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHENs), with CSPP services provided by eligible and approved family childcare home providers. These funds are intended to increase the availability of CSPP services to eligible children and CSPP services must be provided based on the needs of the families in the communities served and based on the priorities set forth in law.

Eligibility

The RFA funding opportunity is available to LEAs that are current CSPP contractors, as well as to LEAs that do not currently hold a CSPP contract with the CDE, EED. Per EC Section 8205, an LEA is a school district, county office of education, or a community college district. Direct-funded charter schools will be considered an LEA for the purposes of this RFA. Pursuant to 5 CCR Section 17722, all LEAs must be eligible for funding.

Policy

The 2021–22 Budget Act, as amended by Senate Bill (SB) 129, Chapter 69, Statutes of 2021, provides approximately $32.7 million in Proposition 98 General Funds to increase State Preschool slots for LEAs including school districts, county offices of education, community college districts, and direct-funded charter schools.

Application Submission Requirements

The CSPP Expansion RFA, including the RFA Overview and Instructions, and all required attachments can be accessed on the CSPP Expansion RFA web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r2/cspp24rfa.asp.

All applicants must submit the completed application package, including all attachments and required documentation to the CDE on or before May 6, 2024, by 5 p.m.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to carefully review the RFA overview, instructions, and requirements prior to completing and submitting an application for funding. Failure to adhere to the submission requirements may disqualify the application from consideration for funding.

Applicants may submit the RFA electronically via Snap survey or by email. Snap Survey submissions of the RFA are encouraged.

Submission Options

Option 1: Electronic RFA via Snap Survey with a Digital Signature

The RFA will be administered electronically via software called Snap Survey. The RFA signature pages must be electronically signed by the CSPP contractor’s authorized representative if submitting the RFA through this method. Instructions for each signature page are found in each applicable section within the RFA Overview and Instructions document. Upon completing the electronic RFA, an email must be sent to CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov stating: “I have electronically submitted the Request for Applications (RFA) to the California Department of Education on behalf of my agency/organization. I certify that I was authorized to submit the RFA for [Insert Applicant’s Legal Name]. [Insert Applicant’s Legal Name] intends for the RFA transaction to be completed by electronic means, which shall have the same effect as if it were signed in ink on a piece of paper, and that all signatures included with the RFA are intended to be binding upon [Insert Applicant’s Legal Name].”

Option 2: Scanned RFA

Applicants may choose to print the RFA, including all attachments and the certifications, and physically sign each of the required forms, and scan and email the entire RFA application to the RFA email inbox which is CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov. Please note that the size of the scanned attachment must not exceed 20 megabytes.

IMPORTANT: All submissions, including all required attachments, must be received by the CDE no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on May 6, 2024.

No changes, modifications, corrections, or additions may be accepted by the CDE once an application is submitted, except that an applicant may resubmit a complete application by the RFA due date. All applicants agree that by submitting the application they authorize the CDE to verify any and all claimed information, including any referenced names in the application.

All submitted applications remain the property of the CDE and may be subject to disclosure in the event of a Public Records Act request.

Important Dates:

*Dates are subject to change

**Appeals are due to the CDE within 10 business days after receipt of Notification of Ineligibility/Eligibility

Background and Authority

California Education Code (EC) Section 8205 defines “local educational agency” as a school district, county office of education, a community college district, or a school district acting on behalf of one or more schools within the school district. Contractors under contract with the CDE to administer the CSPP are required to comply with all laws, regulations, rules, policies, and reporting procedures of the CSPP contract. LEAs that currently hold a CSPP contract and LEAs that do not hold a current CSPP contract are invited to apply, but agencies ineligible for CSPP funding, as set forth in 5 CCR Section 17722, will not have their application considered.

This MB is mandatory only to the extent that it cites a specific statutory or regulatory requirement. Any portion of this MB that is not supported by a specific statutory or regulatory requirement and is not prescriptive, pursuant to EC 33308.5. If you have questions regarding the information in this MB, please email CSPPRFA@cde.ca.gov.

For programmatic questions, please contact the assigned regional consultant found on the CDE Early Education Division Web page located at located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/assignments.asp.

For fiscal questions, contact the Early Education Nutrition Fiscal Services (EENFS), Fiscal Apportionment Analyst for your county. The EENFS Fiscal Apportionment Analyst Directory web page is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/cd/faad.asp.