10 Federal Funds Allocation Plan Language ...

MAY 21, 2015 CEO COUNCIL ALLOCATION PLAN REVISION – FEDERAL FUNDS

ATTACHMENT 10

ISSUE The current Allocation Plan language for the Charter SELPA provides for federal funding to be distributed based on prior year P-2 ADA. Because some charters increased significantly in numbers from the October CBEDS count to reported P-2 ADA (a cumulative count of attendance through April 15), P-2 ADA no longer works equitably in the formula.

BACKGROUND In 2013-14, a charter partner with 12 schools had P-2 ADA 34% higher than CBEDS due to a variety of factors, including year round schedules, growth, and services provided to at-risk youth. This highlighted the need for the formula to adjust to CBEDS. 18 other charters had P-2 ADA higher than CBEDS but on average, the increase was less than 6%. For the majority of charter partners, CBEDS is a higher number than P-2 ADA. The charter partner with 34% higher ADA than CBEDS, was advised that CEO Council would be asked to approve Allocation Plan language to change the distribution of federal funding from P-2 ADA to CBEDS effective in 2015-16. The partner was supportive of the proposed change and voluntarily reduced to the level of their CBEDS count for distribution of federal funds in 2014-15. Federal funds are distributed to the SELPA based on a complex formula that involves Charter SELPA base year funding, prior year CBEDS (85% weight) and free and reduced lunch counts (15% weight). The Charter SELPA Allocation Plan was developed with the following core principles:  Stability and predictability of funding is critically important.  Timely and accurate projections with no surprises.  Timely and accurate distribution of cash.  Reasonable and consistent rationale developed with a standard of fairness and equitability.  Transparency. Basic Elements:  Funding distributed based on ADA.  Because ADA definitions on various funding may lag a year, funding distributions to members may result in NOT all members receiving funding at the same rate. Each funding allocation will be addressed separately with this principal in mind. Current Allocation Plan Language for Federal Funding: FEDERAL FUNDING The amount of federal funding for the SELPA varies each year, based on a complex formula of base amounts, prior year total population counts and prior year counts of eligible free and reduced student counts. Distribution of federal funds for the Charter SELPA members will be based on:  Prior year ADA for prior year members of the Charter SELPA.  Prior year ADA for current year members of the Charter SELPA who were in operation in the prior year but a member of another SELPA, and CDE included their prior year data in the current year calculation of the Charter SELPA federal grant. El Dorado County Charter SELPA/ Allocation Plan Revision – Federal Funds

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MAY 21, 2015 CEO COUNCIL ALLOCATION PLAN REVISION – FEDERAL FUNDS

ATTACHMENT 10

Charter members NOT eligible for federal funds:  A charter member with unspent funds from prior years and per the Allocation Plan criteria, are not eligible to receive federal funds.  A start-up charter in year 1 with the Charter SELPA, and no prior year ADA that would be included in the current year Charter SELPA federal grant calculation.  A charter in year 1 with the Charter SELPA, with prior year ADA that for some reason was not included in the current year Charter SELPA federal grant calculation. CEO Executive Committee reviewed this recommendation at the March, 2015 meeting.

RECOMMENDATION: CEO Council is asked to approve the following recommendation: Revise the Allocation Plan language, effective 2015-16, to distribute federal funds based on prior year CBEDS. This does not impact any other elements of the Allocation Plan language that currently use P2 ADA as a basis for distribution of funds. Allocation Plan Language for Federal Funding would read as follows – with the changes underlined: The amount of federal funding for the SELPA varies each year, based on a complex formula of base amounts, prior year total population counts and prior year counts of eligible free and reduced student counts. Distribution of federal funds for the Charter SELPA members will be based on:  Prior year CBEDS for prior year members of the Charter SELPA.  Prior year CBEDS for current year members of the Charter SELPA who were in operation in the prior year but a member of another SELPA, and CDE included their prior year data in the current year calculation of the Charter SELPA federal grant. Charter members NOT eligible for federal funds:  A charter member with unspent funds from prior years and per the Allocation Plan criteria, are not eligible to receive federal funds.  A start-up charter in year 1 with the Charter SELPA, and no prior year CBEDS that would be included in the current year Charter SELPA federal grant calculation. A charter in year 1 with the Charter SELPA, with prior year CBEDS that for some reason was not included in the current year Charter SELPA federal grant calculation.

El Dorado County Charter SELPA/ Allocation Plan Revision – Federal Funds

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