New Tool Helps Parents Understand their School District’s Budget

By Asena Tui’one, Arc of Justice Fellow
Click here for the Spanish-language version of this post. 

We at Public Advocates want you to know about a new tool from the California Department of Education called the Budget Overview for Parents.

Specifically, the Budget Overview uses charts and graphs to show the following;

1. How much Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funds and other revenue the district expects to receive, including how much LCFF funding is generated by high need students (called supplemental and concentration funds);
2. How much the district plans to spend overall compared to what funds are reported as actions in the LCAP to address students needs; and
3. What the district budgeted to spend in the past year on the LCAP to increase or improve services for high need students compared to what it actually spent.

The Budget Overview for Parents is supposed to be attached as a cover to your District’s LCAP. It is also included in the review and approval of the LCAP and posted online. Below are more details about the Budget Overview for Parents to help in your understanding. We hope you find this information helpful to be able to engage and foster more relevant and effective supports for all of our students!

• Consider how much revenue your district generates based on its population of high needs students (called supplemental & concentration funds). 
• Ask, how does this number compare to the general purpose revenue (the remaining funds)? Does this make sense to you? If not, why not?

• Does your District or Charter clearly explain what spending is not included in the LCAP? Does this make sense to you?
• The LCAP is supposed to be a comprehensive planning tool. Ask your District how it is tracking and evaluating its spending that is not in the LCAP.
• Ask the District to include more of its educational spending in the LCAP.

• Did the District or Charter spend most or all of its funds generated by high need students?
• If not, find out what happened and what their plan is to make sure high need students benefit from these additional funds going forward.

We noticed that Districts and Charters vary in how much of their spending is reflected in the LCAP – from 15% to 100%. Districts and Charters must explain what funding they are excluding from their LCAPs. The LCAP is a tool to help districts explain how they are serving students’ educational needs and for evaluating what’s working and what’s not working. When funds are excluded from the LCAP, community cannot transparently see how those funds are being spent or how the district is reflecting on whether those funds are being spent effectively to serve students.

Check out your District or Charters Budget Overview for Parents:

• Antioch USD
• Fresno USD
• Los Angeles USD 
• Long Beach USD 
• Oakland USD
• San Jose USD 
• Sacramento City USD
• West Contra Costa USD

• Has your District or Charter posted the Budget Overview for Parents with its LCAP for next year? If not, ask the Superintendent to post a copy online with the LCAP.
• Share this tool with your school community.
• Attend your School Site Council meetings to impact decisions around how the money in your LCAP is spent. 
• Show up at your District’s LCAP meetings to ensure that the plans properly reflect your school & district level needs. 

Questions? Reach out to us at info@publicadvacotes.org

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The LCFF, California’s new school funding law:

• Emphasizes local over state-level decision-making;
• Provides districts more $ to serve high need students (low-income, English Learner, homeless & foster youth).
• Prioritizes parent & student participation in planning & decision-making.

Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)
Under LCFF, every district must create a 3-year plan to improve academic achievement, student & parent engagement, & school climate, among other state priorities. The LCAP describes goals for all students, including high need students, and the district’s planned actions and expenditures to meet those goals. Districts must engage parents & students in creating the LCAP & report outcomes in an Annual Update.

Important dates

• Winter-Spring: District solicits input from PAC, DELAC & entire school community.
• May/June: District presents and adopts an LCAP for the next school year.