New toolkit tackles the nuts and bolts of LCFF
Online resource is a step-by-step governance guide
November 2013
Ever since the state adopted the Local Control Funding Formula, CSBA has been taking the lead in providing school board members and the entire governance team with the resources and insights they need to implement the new funding system.
Of considerable interest and angst—judging from questions raised at the LCFF workshops CSBA has been hosting throughout the state—is the process for developing a Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, as the law requires.
To help boards develop their LCAPs, CSBA has introduced an interactive, online toolkit on its website that boards can use to guide them through the process.
“The development of the LCAP is a major task that school districts must tackle under LCFF,” said CSBA Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “CSBA’s LCFF Toolkit is designed to guide board members through the structure and elements of the LCAP, identify the right questions to ask about the plan, and to develop an LCAP that is responsive to the needs of all students—including disadvantaged students.”
The toolkit, at www.csba.org/LCFF, takes governance teams through the four phases they’ll need to navigate:
Inform: Beginning with an overview of the law and areas both the board and the community need to learn more about, this section offers an outline for a board study session, an overall governance calendar, and links to briefing papers and multimedia resources. This section, and each of those to follow, includes the actual language in the law for easy reference.
Consult: After an overview of the requirements for stakeholder engagement and input, this section offers guidance and templates to use when reaching out to advisory groups and others. A list of best practices from districts that have already begun LCFF outreach is included, as well as the laws and regulations to date.
Plan: This section includes a review of the eight state priorities that must be addressed in each LCAP, assistance with prioritizing local needs and goal setting, budgeting advice, and the applicable laws and regulations.
Adopt: This section reviews how to circulate the draft LCAP for advisory committee and public comment, sample communications, legal requirements on the district’s response and LCAP adoption, and pertinent references to the statute.
Sections of the toolkit will be available in PDF format for easy duplication. Additionally, sample documents and templates that pertain to each phase of LCAP development are attached throughout the toolkit and can be downloaded for local boards to use. Since new resources will be added as they are developed, an easy link to subscribe to updates is provided on the site.
Best practices
It’s always easier to navigate uncharted waters if you have a guide, so districts that have devised successful ways to accomplish the various phases of LCAP development are encouraged to submit their models for others to reference.
For example, the Pleasanton Unified School District issued a clear call to the public in the local newspaper asking for volunteers to serve on its Local Control Advisory Committee. The board gave thought to the makeup of the committee, developed an application and clearly outlined the commitment involved.
The Elk Grove Unified School District sought community input in a different way: At seven meetings throughout the district, individual board members attended along with district staff to brief the community about the new law and listen to concerns raised about a variety of issues.
Districts and county offices are invited to share their best practices by emailing pr@csba.org.