Vantage point: Where to start on LCFF plans?
By:
CSBA President Cindy Marks
Published: October 1, 2013
Can you believe that in just two months we’ll all be together again for CSBA’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in San Diego? While it’s always a highlight of the year for board members—with scores of workshops and sessions that provide insight into our governing role—this year the conference will be particularly useful as we enter 2014 and face a number of new deadlines.
Yes, I’m talking about the Local Control Funding Formula and its requirement for each district to adopt a Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP.
It’s great that so many of you are seizing the opportunity to learn more about the law and how it will change your approach to serving students; I hope to see you at one of the events CSBA is holding around the state this fall.
At the same time, there are reportedly a good number of board members and superintendents who feel that since the LCAP doesn’t have to be adopted by the board until next June, there’s plenty of time to act. With so many unknowns—the State Board of Education won’t even release an LCAP template before March—there’s really nothing boards can do yet, right?
Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. There’s plenty that boards can and should be doing now to prepare for key deadlines coming up in 2014.
For a start, refer to the “Top 6 Things Boards Can Do Now” in the accompanying box. It’s one of the resources in a new toolkit at www.csba.org/LCFF. You’ll also find a new calendar there that notes important LCFF deadlines and resources to help you get ready to meet them.
By starting now to have conversations with your community about the eight priority areas that must be addressed in every LCAP (again, see www.csba.org/LCFF), you’ll have the information you need to complete the plan when the state releases its template next spring. And rest assured, as further regulations are adopted, CSBA will have further guidance and tools to help you craft your plan.
In the meantime, plan to take advantage of all the LCFF-related presentations at this year’s AEC. (See them described at www.csba.org/LCFFatAEC.) From the opening day on Dec. 5 to the State of the State panel discussion on Dec. 7, you’ll hear from policy and legislative experts about how to address the state’s LCAP priority areas, how to engage your community, and learn about successful strategies for improving outcomes for your students.
Remember, today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement. And CSBA is here to help us be prepared.
Top 6 things boards can do now
- Hold public study sessions to review LCFF and LCAP statutes
- Establish LEA-wide committees as needed
- Look at and understand your data:
» Pupil data
» Financial data
» Current use of resources data
- Set goals and strategies for subgroup improvement
- Be patient, many of the rules will follow—don’t lock your
budget into long-term commitments that might not let you
comply when the LCAP is done
- Start your budget planning process for the next school
year now