Week 3: How do you ensure that the resources for your program are allocated and used appropriately given federal, state and local requirements?
School districts are provided funding by the state based on the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and resources are then allocated to different programs based on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) that must be written and approved by the district. This provides the school districts with more control than before (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p. 71). The state provides more funding to districts that have certain subgroups of students such as English learners, students that qualify for free or reduced meal plans and foster youth (“Local Control Funding Formula Overview,” 2015). Most of a school district’s funds come from the state (about 80%) and the federal government provides about 13% of funding (ED-Data, 2011). Attached to these funds are certain requirements, like creating and annually updating a LCAP at the district level (“Local Control Funding Formula Overview,” 2015).
School districts are obligated to include many different groups when developing the LCAP to decide how funding should be spent. Parents, teachers, staff, members of the community and even students should be involved (Townley & Schmieder, 2015). This ensures that funding is spent the way the community, parents, staff and students want it to be spent. “The plan must describe the school district’s overall vision for students, annual goals, and the specific actions the district will take to achieve the goals” (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p. 75). By having multiple stakeholders involved in the budget process, resources will be allocated to programs that are worthwhile and valuable for everyone involved.
While developing the LCAP, districts normally “tie goals and achievements to program budgets” (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p.83). To manage this, most school districts have a chief business officer (CBO) to handle district finances and budget appropriately for the goals outlined in the LCAP (Townley & Schmieder, 2015). Additionally, each program that receives funding must be assessed throughout its duration to analyze how effective it is. School district LCAPs will be assessed against a rubric that will be adopted on October 1, 2015. This will allow the state to decide if the district is meeting the goals it has outlined and/or budgeted appropriately. If a school district does not adopt an acceptable LCAP, requests assistance or fails to make adequate achievement towards outlined goals, the State Board of Education may step in (“An Overview of the Local Control Funding Formula,” n.d.). This will ensure that resources are being allocated appropriately because the LCAP is a living document that must be updated and assessed regularly. If programs are not successful or meeting goals outlined, the district will have to make changes. If appropriate changes are not made, it will have to report to the State Board of Education. This keeps districts in check with their funding.
Resources
An Overview of the Local Control Funding Formula. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://lao.ca.gov/reports/2013/edu/lcff/lcff-072913.aspx
Ed-Data. (2011, April). A guide to California’s school finance system. Retrieved from http://ed-data.k12.ca.us
Local Control Funding Formula Overview. (2015, January 9). Retrieved June 3, 2015, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp
Townley, A. J., & Schmieder-Ramirez, J.H. (2015). School Finance: A California perspective (10th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
School districts are provided funding by the state based on the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and resources are then allocated to different programs based on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) that must be written and approved by the district. This provides the school districts with more control than before (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p. 71). The state provides more funding to districts that have certain subgroups of students such as English learners, students that qualify for free or reduced meal plans and foster youth (“Local Control Funding Formula Overview,” 2015). Most of a school district’s funds come from the state (about 80%) and the federal government provides about 13% of funding (ED-Data, 2011). Attached to these funds are certain requirements, like creating and annually updating a LCAP at the district level (“Local Control Funding Formula Overview,” 2015).
School districts are obligated to include many different groups when developing the LCAP to decide how funding should be spent. Parents, teachers, staff, members of the community and even students should be involved (Townley & Schmieder, 2015). This ensures that funding is spent the way the community, parents, staff and students want it to be spent. “The plan must describe the school district’s overall vision for students, annual goals, and the specific actions the district will take to achieve the goals” (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p. 75). By having multiple stakeholders involved in the budget process, resources will be allocated to programs that are worthwhile and valuable for everyone involved.
While developing the LCAP, districts normally “tie goals and achievements to program budgets” (Townley & Schmieder, 2015, p.83). To manage this, most school districts have a chief business officer (CBO) to handle district finances and budget appropriately for the goals outlined in the LCAP (Townley & Schmieder, 2015). Additionally, each program that receives funding must be assessed throughout its duration to analyze how effective it is. School district LCAPs will be assessed against a rubric that will be adopted on October 1, 2015. This will allow the state to decide if the district is meeting the goals it has outlined and/or budgeted appropriately. If a school district does not adopt an acceptable LCAP, requests assistance or fails to make adequate achievement towards outlined goals, the State Board of Education may step in (“An Overview of the Local Control Funding Formula,” n.d.). This will ensure that resources are being allocated appropriately because the LCAP is a living document that must be updated and assessed regularly. If programs are not successful or meeting goals outlined, the district will have to make changes. If appropriate changes are not made, it will have to report to the State Board of Education. This keeps districts in check with their funding.
Resources
An Overview of the Local Control Funding Formula. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://lao.ca.gov/reports/2013/edu/lcff/lcff-072913.aspx
Ed-Data. (2011, April). A guide to California’s school finance system. Retrieved from http://ed-data.k12.ca.us
Local Control Funding Formula Overview. (2015, January 9). Retrieved June 3, 2015, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp
Townley, A. J., & Schmieder-Ramirez, J.H. (2015). School Finance: A California perspective (10th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
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