Dear Select Charter School Administrators:

New and Expanding Charter Schools Application for Title III English Learner Student Program Subgrant

Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title III, Part A, the California Department of Education (CDE) provides formula subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that enroll one or more English learner (EL) students. Title III funds are to be used to provide supplementary programs and services to EL students. In addition, a state educational agency shall not award a Title III EL Student Program subgrant in an amount that is less than $10,000 (20 U.S.C. Section 6824[b]). The LEAs eligible to receive a subgrant of less than $10,000 must join or form a consortium where the subgrant generated by the participating LEAs collectively equals or surpasses $10,000, apply via the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS), and complete the Consortium Online Application (COA).

Based on the estimated data reported in the 2020 Pupil Estimates for New or Significantly Expanding Charters Report, your LEA is identified as direct-funded eligible for a Title III EL Student Program Subgrant in fiscal year (FY) 2020–21. The preliminary per-pupil amount in FY 2020–21 is $114.40.

All eligible LEAs must annually apply for a Title III EL Student Program subgrant on CARS. Additionally, using the Title III EL Student Program Subgrant Budget form on CARS, LEAs must provide a program budget showing how the projected subgrant will be used. Information regarding the CARS application process is available on the CDE CARS web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/co/cars.asp. LEAs must accept assurances that they will comply with the legal requirements and annual reporting responsibilities related to state and federal programs, and as a condition of funding, must keep copies of the assurances on file.

Eligibility and funding status may change once the actual data is reported via the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). If this occurs, eligibility and funding status may change from direct-funded eligible to consortium eligible status. If the LEA eligibility falls below the $10,000 amount because of the actual data, the LEA will be required to form or join a consortium to participate in the Title III EL Student Program subgrant. The LEAs that are not eligible to receive a Title III EL Student Program subgrant directly because they do not meet the $10,000 threshold must also join or form a consortium and complete the COA available on the CDE Title III Consortium Application web page at https://www2.cde.ca.gov/title3coa/logon_el2021.aspx.

Information regarding program requirements is available on the CDE Request for Applications web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r28/el20rfa.asp. Subgrantee allocations are posted on the CDE Title III English Learner and Immigrant Student Programs web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/titleiii.asp. All LEAs applying for ESSA funds must maintain an updated Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Federal Addendum locally as the ESSA LEA Plan. LEAs applying for Title III subgrant funds for the first time, or those that did not receive CDE approval, must complete the LCAP Federal Addendum and submit it through the CDE LCAP Federal Addendum System at https://www2.cde.ca.gov/lcapfas. LEAs are encouraged to review the LCAP Federal Addendum annually with their LCAP, as ESSA funding should be considered in annual strategic planning.

If you have questions regarding the Title III EL Student Program, please contact Geoffrey Ndirangu, Education Programs Consultant, Language Policy and Leadership Office, by phone at 916-323-5831 or by email at gndirang@cde.ca.gov.

If you have questions regarding the allocation of Title III EL Student Program subgrants to LEAs, please contact Derrick Andrade, Education Fiscal Services Consultant, School Fiscal Services Division, by phone at 916-327-5922 or by email at dandrade@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

/s/

Veronica Aguila, Ed.D., Director
Multilingual Support Division

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