OPUS-CDS Frequently Asked Questions

The Online Public Update for Schools (OPUS)-County-District-School (CDS) application is a web-based application that allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to view and/or change CDS information pertaining to their LEA and the schools authorized by their LEA, including charter schools. OPUS-CDS is also used to maintain LEA CDS coordinator information. For details on the type of data that may be updated through OPUS-CDS and for instructions on submitting data changes, please refer to the Instructions for Submitting CDS Changes web page.

For more information about OPUS-CDS, go to the OPUS-CDS Application and Resources [https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/ds/opuscds.asp/] web page.

The CDS Coordinator is appointed by the Superintendent or his/her designee. The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the LEA's office and school CDS information are accurate. The coordinator updates CDS data by submitting change requests through the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/].

The LEA’s user name and password are emailed to the CDS Coordinator and Superintendent each August. This information will only be given out to the CDS Coordinator or the Superintendent. Please contact the CDS Administrator for assistance at 916-327-4014 or email cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov.

No. Currently the CDS Administrator is not changing or providing additional user names or passwords to LEAs unless there has been a security breach and people not authorized to update the data have obtained the user name and password. In this case, please contact the CDS Administrator for assistance.

Yes, you may share your password, with the understanding that you are granting "update" access to your COE or district and school-level data, for which you remain responsible.

Go to the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] web page. Enter the user name and password and then select the “CDS Coordinator Update” option from the Main Menu. Click on the "Update" button to amend the contact, phone and address information as necessary. Click on the “Submit” button to save your changes.

County-District-School (CDS) codes uniquely identify schools and are used for funding, assessment, accountability, grant applications, data reporting, and tracking purposes.

To request a CDS code for a new school, complete the Application for a CDS Code and submit the application along with board minutes showing approval of the formation and establishment of the school. Please review the CDE’s Definition of a School [https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/si/ds/dos.asp] to ensure that the proposed new school meets the requirements for receiving a CDS code.

A completed application for a CDS code may be submitted at any time, however, a CDS code for a traditional school (non-charter) will not be assigned more than nine months prior to the school's opening date; for a charter school, CDS codes are will not be assigned more than twelve months prior to the school's opening date.

You may contact the Educational Options Office to discuss the requirements for opening an educational options school. For contact information and additional resources, please visit the Educational Options [https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo/] web page. If the school meets the requirements, complete the Application for a CDS Code and submit it along with the required information to the CDS office. The CDS office will obtain approval from the Educational Options Office prior to issuing a CDS code.

If the district has submitted an Application for a CDS Code and the CDE has already assigned a CDS code, the school information will be available for modification via the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/]. If a CDS code has not yet been assigned, email your changes to cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov with a note that the change is for a new school application previously sent.

The CDS Coordinator uses the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to request the school status be changed from pending to active and, if necessary, modify the Open Date. The pending status can be changed no sooner than two weeks prior to the school’s open date, which should correspond to the first day of classroom instruction.

We ask that all CDS Coordinators log on to the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to review and confirm accuracy of the County/District listings and associated schools in August of each year, and to review their data again in February to address any mid-year changes. CDS Coordinators, however, are encouraged to update their info as soon as they know of a change, at any time throughout the year.

During the August review, if all of the County/District and school information is accurate and there are no change requests to submit, the CDS Coordinator will be asked to select the “Confirm No Changes Are Required” button.

Log on to the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] web page. Select the district or school record you want to update. To add a contact, select the “New” button and enter the required information.  To remove a contact, select the contact and check the “Replace” button. To edit an existing contact, select the contact and check the “Edit” button and change the information (e.g., email address, title, phone, etc.).  After the update(s) are made, click on the “Submit Change Request” button to send the changes to the CDE. The change request will have a “Pending” status until it is reviewed and approved by CDE staff.

Please note: The CDS Administrator requires that each LEA list an active or interim superintendent for the County/District and at least one active principal for each school. CDS also requires email addresses for both superintendents and principals.

Log on to the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] web page. Select the district or school record you want to update. The left screen displays the site related fields. The grayed-out fields cannot be edited. Change the appropriate fields, and then select the “Submit Change Request” button. To add or change contact information, see the answer to number 15. The change request will have a “Pending” status until it is reviewed and approved by CDE staff.

The CDS Coordinator uses the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to request a grade span change. Include the reason for the grade span change in the “Note/Comment” field.

The CDS Coordinator uses the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to request a school closure. Enter the last day of instruction in the “Date Closed” field and include the reason for the closure in the “Note/Comment” field. Some school closures require approval from CDE program office staff. In such cases, the CDS Administrator will not close a school until the change request is officially approved. In addition, closures can only be approved on or after the closure date.

The CDS Coordinator shall use the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to submit a request for a school name change. School name change requests will then be reviewed and approved by the CDS Administrator and/or appropriate CDE program staff.

To change the name of a school district or COE, the LEA must comply with specific requirements of Education Code Section 35001 (i.e., signed petition, public notice, and governing board resolution). After these requirements are met, the CDS Coordinator uses the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/] to request a district or County Office of Education (COE) name change and leaves a note of the requested change in the “Note/Comment” field.

Change requests submitted through OPUS-CDS must be reviewed and approved by the CDS Administrator and/or appropriate CDE program staff prior to being updated into the California School Directory. Depending on the volume of change requests, it may take up to two weeks to process your request, although most requests are processed within a few days.

You may check the status of your change request through OPUS-CDS by viewing the school or LEA. If the status is “pending,” then the CDS Administrator and/or CDE program staff have not yet reviewed it, and you may submit additional changes to the request, if necessary. If the status is "in progress," the CDS Administrator and/or CDE program staff are in the process of reviewing your request. During this time LEAs may not submit additional changes to the request. If there is no status next to the school or LEA’s name, your request has been approved, and the changes you requested should be reflected in the California School Directory.

Yes, CDS Administration staff are available to assist LEA’s with difficult or time sensitive requests. If LEAs need assistance submitting a request, or need to expedite a request, please contact CDS Administration staff via email at cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov and specify "Urgent CDS Change Request" in the subject line, or call our office at 916-327-4014.

Charter schools are to work with their authorizing LEA's CDS Coordinator to request updates to their CDS information. The LEA CDS Coordinator with then submit the requested changes through the OPUS-CDS Application [https://www3.cde.ca.gov/opuscds/]. Although LEAs are responsible for updating and maintaining CDS information for all the schools in their LEA, charter school personnel should periodically review their school's data through the online California School Directory [https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/] and communicate any updates to their LEA’s CDS Coordinator.