CASI September 2023 Charter Chat Resource Page
Information and resources from the September 2023 Charter Chat, presented by the Charter Authorizer Support Initiative (CASI).Charter Chat Topics
- Legislative Updates
- Program Hot Topics
- Fiscal Hot Topics
- State Board of Education Updates
- Upcoming Events
- September Charter Chat Q&A
- Q&A from Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email
Legislative Updates
- Assembly Bill 1054 (Berman)
This bill requires governing boards of districts and charter schools to adopt a plan by January 1, 2025, to offer a computer science class for grades 9–12. It passed in both the Assembly and the Senate and was sent to the Governor for signature. - AB 1604 (Bonta)
This bill requires changes to the Charter Schools Facility Grant Program to include returning facility funds if a charter school closes and the facility is owned or leased from a third party. It passed in both the Assembly and the Senate and was sent to the Governor for signature. - Senate Bill 10 (Cortese)
This bill requires that opioid overdose training and prevention be included in safety plans for all schools. It passed in both the Assembly and the Senate and was sent to the Governor for signature. - SB 671 (Portantino)
This bill requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to update their Comprehensive School Safety Plans to include procedures to assess and respond to reports of any dangerous, violent, or unlawful activity conducted or threatened at school. It also requires plans to be in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 plans. The bill passed in both the Assembly and the Senate and was sent to the Governor for signature. - SB 141—Education Finance: Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill
The “Clean-up Language” Trailer Bill was signed into law on September 13, 2023, and takes effect immediately. This bill “cleans-up” language, including, but not limited to, the following:- Early Education Act
- Learning Recovery Emergency Fund
- Administrator/teacher ratios
- Expanded Learning Opportunities Program
- Revises how the 10:1 adult to pupil ratio is calculated in Transitional Kindergarten
- 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
- Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) Reviews
California Education Code (EC) Section 47605(c)(5)(F) requires each charter school to develop a school safety plan, including the topics listed in EC Section 32282(a)(2)(A–J), 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 review that the CSSP includes all topics listed in EC Section 32282(a)(2)(A-J) The notice requirements under EC Section 32288 are not extended to charter schools.
- Charter School Annual Update File
The 2023–24 Charter School Annual Information Update has closed. All data reported by participating charter schools are available at the California Department of Education (CDE) Charter School Annual Information Update web page. This self-reported data collection includes twelve data fields. New or updated fields for the 2023–24 fiscal year include the following: early and middle college high school, exclusive partnership, and organizational type. - Local Indicator Submissions through the CDE Dashboard Web Application
The 2023 California School Dashboard (Dashboard) reporting window opened August 21, 2023, and will close on September 29, 2023. Please note, if an LEA does not submit results within the reporting window, a performance rating of “Standard Not Met” or “Standard Not Met for Two or More Years,” as applicable, will appear on the LEA’s 2023 Dashboard.
Fiscal Hot Topics
- California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Census Day Data
The official submission window for CALPADS Census Day Data is October 4–December 15, 2023. Please note, Fall 1 attendance data is used to calculate unduplicated counts for the purpose of Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) concentration and supplemental grant funding. - Charter 20 Day Attendance Report
Pursuant to EC Section 47652, charter schools that submitted a 2023–24 Pupil Estimates for New or Significantly Expanding Charters (PENSEC) report must also complete the 20-Day Attendance Report. The 2023–24 Charter 20 Day Attendance Report and the signed certification are both due to the CDE by October 31, 2023. - Unaudited Actuals
Charter schools should have submitted to their authorizing agencies their Unaudited Actuals Reports by September 15, 2023. Once received, district authorizers submitted the reports to their county offices for review and submission to CDE. County offices must transmit the report to CDE no later than October 15, 2023. - Standardized Account Code Structure (SACS) Web System Unaudited Actuals Reporting Takeaways
The Santa Clara County Office of Education Charter Schools Department completed its review process of the 2022–23 Unaudited Actuals reports in the SACS Web System. Please note the following:- For the Unaudited Actuals dataset review process, re-run the Technical Review Checklist (TRC) and ensure all TRCs are passed and that any Warning Error messages have an explanation with sufficient details to promote to CDE.
- In the Fund balance/Net position section, even though a charter school’s dataset passed the fatal technical check for the current year beginning fund balance matching the prior year ending fund balance reported to CDE in the unaudited actuals report, the system does not verify that the adjusted beginning fund balance matches the audit report. It is recommended that this be reviewed prior to promoting the dataset to CDE.
State Board of Education Updates
- The California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting was held September 13, 2023, and included the following:
- An appeal of the denial of the establishment of a classroom-based charter school was heard. The CDE recommended that the SBE affirm both the District’s and County’s determinations to deny the charter petition. The SBE voted to support the CDE’s recommendation.
- The next SBE meeting is scheduled for November 8–9, 2023.
- The Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) meeting
scheduled for October 3, 2023, has been canceled. The next ACCS meeting is scheduled for December 5, 2023.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming CASI Events
- Monthly CASI Charter Chat, October 25, 10–11 a.m.
- CASI October 2023 Quarterly Regional Training
- CASI will hold its October 2023 Quarterly Regional Training on the topic of Charter Board Oversight. Authorizers will learn tips and tricks regarding the continuum of oversight practices regarding charter school boards. Topics to discuss include the Brown Act, Political Reform Act, Government Code Section 1090, and board bylaws, policies, and articles of incorporation. School district and COE staff with authorizing responsibilities are encouraged to attend.
- October 20, 2023, 9–11 a.m., virtual (all welcome)
- Zoom Registration
for the virtual session is required.
- Zoom Registration
- October 23–November 3, 2023, subject to interest
- In-person Quarterly Trainings onsite where at least five participants can meet. CASI will schedule a training if there is sufficient interest in a local training and at a particular date.
- Please complete the October CASI Interest Survey
by Thursday, October 12.
Upcoming Charter Authorizer Connection Professional Learning Events
- January 26, 2024, 9–11 a.m.—Charter School Governance Oversight with the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) and the National Charter School Institute
- Authorizers vary in their approach to oversight when it comes to charter school’s governance. Together with FCMAT and the National Charter School Institute, join us as we dive into governance best practices and how to fold this important element into your annual oversight checklist.
- Registration for Charter School Governance Oversight
- 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.
- Registration for Charter School Renewals
Charter Chat Q&A
September Charter Chat
How can authorizers verify whether or not a charter school has submitted their Local Indicators on the California Department of Education (CDE) Dashboard Web Application?
The County Office of Education (COE) Regional Assessment Network (RAN) network received a list of local educational agencies (LEAs) with incomplete submissions. It is recommended that authorizers reach out to their COE for additional information. It is also possible to reach out directly to the California Department of Education (CDE) at LCFF@cde.ca.gov.
Previous Charter Chats and CASI Email
Are charter schools required to enroll students who have been expelled from a district?
A charter school is required to comply with its approved charter petition. While expelled students are not allowed to enroll in any district school, charter schools are usually independent from the district and any student may be eligible for enrollment as they are schools of choice, depending on space and enrollment practices described in their charter petition. Additionally, a charter school is required to comply with comprehensive safety plan requirements regarding notification of dangerous students. It is recommended that authorizers consult with their legal counsel for legal advice.
How are authorizers monitoring for a charter that is counseling students to disenroll?
Pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 47605(e)(4)(A), charter schools are not allowed to discourage a pupil from enrolling or seeking to enroll in the charter school because the pupil exhibits any characteristics such as students with disabilities, academically low-achieving, English learners, neglected or delinquent, homeless, socially economically disadvantaged, foster youth, or based on nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Additionally, charter schools are not allowed to request a pupil's records before enrollment or encourage a child who is enrolled in a charter school to disenroll or transfer to another school.
AB 126 requires a Charter School Complaint Notice and Form to be included on every charter school website with instructions to submit the complaint notice and form to the charter authorizer. A parent, guardian, or pupil (18 years or older) may file a Charter School Complaint Form to the authorizing entity if they suspect the charter school is in violation of EC Section 47605(e)(4)(A–E).
Charter authorizers should review the forms on the charter school’s website to ensure that the authorizer is listed as the submission location. A best practice is to monitor those complaints and review the California Department of Education (CDE) enrollment data at renewal, pursuant to EC Section 47607(d)(1). Additional information can be found at the CDE Charter School Enrollment Data web page.
There are some regulations which have not yet been updated to include changes from AB 1505, such as timelines. Does the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, sections 11966.4–11966.6 apply to upcoming renewals?
For any legal advice, such as legal analysis and conclusions based on competing provisions, an authorizer should consult with their legal counsel.
How are grant notices, for example, Proposition 28, Arts and Music Education Funding, made known to the authorizer? And how does the charter school know?
The California Department of Education (CDE) provides information on the Available Funding web page on topics including grants, allocations, and apportionments as well as instructions for joining a CDE Funding listserv. The CDE Funding Results web page reports recipients of grants, contracts, and apportionments. Individual local educational agencies (LEAs) will receive Grant Award Notification (GAN) letters regarding any awards. The authorizer will not receive a copy of the GAN unless they ask the charter for a copy. However, the authorizer will see that award applied on updated interim reports through increases in revenues and expenditures.
Are there waivers to allow charter schools to have up to 20 percent of students on independent study? Can charters apply to the California State Board of Education (SBE) to receive nonclassroom-based funding (NCB) if they are not an actual NCB charter school?
No, there are no waivers to allow up to 20 percent of students to be on independent study. If a charter school’s classroom-based average daily attendance (ADA) falls below 80 percent of its total ADA, it may not receive Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding for its nonclassroom-based or independent study ADA, unless the school has an active funding determination approved by the SBE.
A charter school that offers both classroom-based and nonclassroom-based instruction, and whose classroom-based ADA is close to falling below the 80 percent threshold, may consider requesting a funding determination in the event that its nonclassroom-based ADA exceeds 20 percent of its total ADA.
Please note, a charter school’s status as nonclassroom-based or classroom-based is not dependent upon it having or not having an approved funding determination. Rather, a charter school’s status as nonclassroom-based or classroom-based is determined by its reported ADA at its Second Principal (P-2) Apportionment certification.
Please review the California Department of Education (CDE) presentation on Nonclassroom-Based Funding Determinations during the CASI November 2022 Charter Chat. Additional information is available on the CDE Nonclassroom-Based Determination of Funding web page.
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