CASI February 2024 Charter Chat Resource Page
Information and resources from the February 2024 Charter Chat, presented by the Charter Authorizer Support Initiative (CASI).Charter Chat Topics
- Legislative Updates by Santa Clara County Office of Education
- Program Hot Topics
- Fiscal Hot Topics
- California Department of Education and State Board of Education Updates
- CASI Annual Survey
- Upcoming Events
- February Charter Chat Q&A
- Q&A from Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email
Disclaimer
The information contained on this page is provided as a reference only. Charter schools and chartering authorities are encouraged to review the laws and regulations and consult with their own legal counsel regarding the application to their specific situations.
Legislative Updates by Santa Clara County Office of Education
- AB 359 (Holden)
Pupil instruction: dual enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships - AB 1299 (Jackson)
School safety: school resource officers: school safety plans
- AB 1913 (Addis)
Pupil safety: child abuse prevention: training
- AB 1984 (Weber)
Pupil health: extreme heat
- AB 2019 (Fong)
Early and middle college high schools and programs: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships
- AB 2097 (Berman)
Pupil instruction: high schools: computer science education courses: graduation requirements
- AB 2254 (Rubio)
Charter schools: renewal criteria
- AB 2887 (Maienschein)
School safety plans: medical emergency procedures
- SB 997 (Portantino)
Pupil health: naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray and fentanyl test strips
- SB 1080 (Newman)
Pupil nutrition: School lunch
- SB 1129 (Ochoa Bogh)
Local control and accountability plans: workgroup: template alternatives
- SB 1380 (Dodd)
Charter schools: establishment
- SB 1409 (Alvarado-Gil)
Pupil instruction: independent study
- To follow current legislation at the California Legislative Information
website:
- Under "Quick Bill Search," select either "Bill Number" or "Keyword(s)"
- Enter the bill number or keyword, respectively
- Once the desired bill is located, click "Add to My Favorites." This will prompt the user to create a profile and receive email updates on the status of the desired bill.
Program Hot Topics
- Charter School Enrollment
CASI participants have requested guidance related to charter school lottery preferences and open enrollment oversight. Below are related statutory requirements and resources:- Lottery policy and procedures, in California Education Code (EC) Section 47605(c)(5)(H)
- Admit all students who wish to attend, in EC Section 47605(e)(2)(A)
- Lottery preferences, in EC Section 47605(e)(2)(B)
- The Charter School Complaint and Notice Form web page includes information for charter school authorizers, charter schools, and parents about the Charter School Complaint and Notice Form
- Lottery policy and procedures, in California Education Code (EC) Section 47605(c)(5)(H)
- Comprehensive School Safety Plans (CSSP)
EC Section 47605(c)(5)(F) requires each charter school to develop a CSSP, including the topics listed in EC Section 32282(a)(2)(A-L), and for that charter school to review and update its plan by March 1 each year. It is considered a best practice for authorizers to require their charter schools to share their CSSP after March 1 of each year and ensure that the CSSP includes all topics listed in EC Section 32282(a)(2)(A-L). The notice requirements to the California Department of Education (CDE) under EC Section 32288 are not extended to charter schools. Newly required CSSP elements for 2024, per EC Section 32282(a)(2), are as follows:
(K) Procedures to assess and respond to reports of any dangerous, violent, or unlawful activity that is being conducted or threatened to be conducted at the school, at an activity sponsored by the school, or on a schoolbus serving the school.
(L) For schools that serve pupils in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, a protocol in the event a pupil is suffering or is reasonably believed to be suffering from an opioid overdose. - Form 700
A Statement of Economic Interests, also known as Form 700, must be completed annually by April 1. Additional information is available at California Fair Political Practices Commission - Form 700. - Renewal Preparation
Charter school renewals will begin again July 1, 2024, after several term extensions. Charter school terms and other information is available through the Charter School Database.
Fiscal Hot Topics
- Second Interim
Pursuant to EC Section 47604.33(a)(4), on or before March 15, a second interim financial report, reflecting changes through January 31, is due to the chartering authority and county office of education (COE), or just the COE if they are the authorizer - California Universal Meals Program
Background, policy, provisions, webinars, resources, FAQs, and contacts regarding California’s Universal Meals Program can be found at CDE Universal Meals Program. Senate Bill 348
amended EC Section 49501.5, which became operative on January 1, 2024. In sum, this section provides that charter schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 shall make available a nutritionally adequate breakfast and nutritionally adequate lunch free of charge to all children each school day. EC Section 49501.5 has been amended to include the following provisions:
(g) The chartering authority shall, upon request by a charter school and to the extent feasible within existing resources, provide technical assistance to the charter school in implementing this section.
(h) A charter school may enter into a partnership with an existing school food authority for the purposes of implementing this section.
(i) The chartering authority shall, upon request by a new charter school, contract with a charter school to make available a nutritionally adequate school breakfast and a nutritionally adequate school lunch until the charter school is an approved school food authority or until July 1 of the school year after the charter school becomes operational, whichever occurs first. The contract shall not exceed the actual costs to provide meals to the charter school, including, but not limited to, additional staffing costs and delivery of meals to the schoolsite, that are not covered by federal or state meal reimbursement.
California Department of Education and State Board of Education Updates
- The Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) meeting for February 2024 was canceled. The next ACCS meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2024.
- A CDE Panel on the Impact of Charter Schools occurred on February 23, 2024. Representatives from the ACCS, California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), Credo Higher Education Consulting, California Teachers Association (CTA), Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT), Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), and the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) participated in the Zoom webinar.
- The California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting was held on March 6, 2024.
CASI Annual Survey
Please complete the CASI Annual Survey
if you have not already done so.
Upcoming Events
CASI Events
- Monthly CASI Charter Chat, March 27, 10–11 a.m.
- CASI Quarterly Regional Training, “Road to Renewal” (Virtual Only)
- April 19, 2024, 9–11 a.m.
- The CASI Quarterly Regional Training on the “Road to Renewal” will include current charter school renewal petition requirements and best practices for authorizers.
- Register in advance at the following Zoom link: CASI Road to Renewal- Zoom Registration
- CASI Charter Authorizing and Oversight 101, June 18–19, at the 2024 California Charter Authorizing Professional (CCAP) Conference
. Save the date for June 18–21, 2024, at the Irvine Marriott.
California Department of Education Charter Authorizer Events
- California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Conference
- March 18–21, 2024
- On Wednesday, March 20, CDE Charter Schools Division Director Susan Park will be co-presenting with CDE Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division (AMARD) Kim Mundhenk and San Diego Unified School District Director Deidre Walsh at the CCSA Conference in Long Beach, on the topic of Performance Categories, Renewal, and Oversight.
Other Charter Authorizer Events
- California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) Charter Schools Professional Council
- March 13, 2024, 11 a.m.–noon
- The LCAP: Bridging Educational Outcomes and Expenditures: To what extent do your educational program and expenditures align with the greatest needs of the students in your local educational agency (LEA)? Reflect on this question and more at the upcoming LCAP presentation.
- Register for The LCAP: Bridging Educational Outcomes and Expenditures
- Charter Authorizer Connection Professional Learning
- May 10, 2024, 9–11 a.m.
- Charter School Renewals: Join us as we hear an attorney’s perspective about the legal landscape of charter school renewals and what information your team will need to consider when a renewal petition is submitted to your office.
- Register for Charter School Renewals
Charter Chat Q&A
February Charter Chat
For independent study (IS) schools, are meals required only for eligible students or for all students on campus two or more hours?
Under the CDE Universal Meals Program, if a student is on campus for two or more hours, regardless of eligibility status, they must be provided breakfast and lunch.
Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email
How does the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) impact nonclassroom-based charter schools?
Only an LEA, defined as a school district or charter school that serves classroom-based instructional programs in grades TK/K–6, not including a charter school established pursuant to EC Section 47605.5, is eligible for funding. Additional information can be found on the ELO-P FAQs web page.
When is the Charter School Performance Category Data File going to be released?
The CDE released the Charter School Performance Category Data File, including Performance Categories as determined by the criteria outlined in AB 1505, on March 12, 2024.
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Questions: Charter Authorizer Support Initiative | CASI@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-6029
Last Reviewed: Thursday, March 14, 2024
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