Charter School FAQ Section 9

Responses to these frequently asked questions are advisory only. Charter schools and authorizers are encouraged to review the actual laws and regulations that provide the basis for these responses and consult with their own legal counsel regarding the application of any of these issues to a specific situation.

Funding and Apportionment

1. What is the difference between a locally funded and a direct-funded charter school?

   The difference between the two types of charter schools is the way the schools receive funding. Local Control Funding Formula apportionment funds for a locally funded charter school flow from the county treasurer to the school's local chartering authority whereas funds for a direct-funded charter school may flow directly from the county treasurer to the charter school. The selection also affects how a charter school applies for funding, including but not limited to, other state funds, federal funds, grants, consolidated application, as well as data reporting. This decision may be reconsidered on an annual basis. Note that due to the impact the fund type selection has on many programs, the fund type selected may not be changed during the fiscal year.

   Additional information regarding direct-funded charter schools is available at Charter School Funding Types.

2. Do nonclassroom-based charter schools receive the same amount of funding as classroom-based charter schools?

   Nonclassroom-based charter schools may receive up to the same amount of funding as classroom-based charter schools provided that it requests and obtains a nonclassroom-based determination of funding from the State Board of Education (SBE) pursuant to Education Code Section 47634.2. The request may be approved for 70 percent funding, 85 percent funding, 100 percent funding, or may be denied (no funding). This school's nonclassroom-based average daily attendance (ADA) is adjusted by the percentage approved by the SBE. For example, a school that is approved for an 85 percent determination of funding shall receive 85 percent of the funding for its nonclassroom-based ADA; the school's classroom-based ADA would not be adjusted, so the school would receive the full amount of funding for its classroom-based ADA. Without the determination of funding, the school may not receive funding for nonclassroom-based instruction.

   Additional information regarding this topic is available at Nonclassroom-Based Determination of Funding.

3. Where can I find additional information about charter school funding?

   Additional information about funding for charter schools is available at Fiscal Support/Nonclassroom-Based Funding, Charter School Funding, and Principal Apportionment.

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