Filling out this form could help Sacramento schools get more funding. The deadline is close

The Sacramento City Unified School District is urging parents to fill out a state funding form that could help it receive extra money for programs and services.

It has been texting and emailing reminders to parents about the so-called Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF form. The LCFF is one of the programs the state uses to distribute money to school districts.

The LCFF application deadline is Oct. 31. According to the district’s website funding from the application, “provides more comprehensive programs to ensure that all students are given an equal opportunity to be grade level ready.”

The additional state funds are largely calculated on students’ socioeconomic backgrounds. Guidelines are set by the federal government not by the state, Rhonda Rode, the school district’s student and data systems director.

“We use the same income guidelines that free reduced allocations use, although in California now we’ve universal free meals,” Rode said. “That income guidelines is the same from the federal stance, so we use that federal guideline range.”

The funding targets “grade span-specific base grants” and “supplemental and concentration grants” which are both calculated through student demographics, according to the California Department of Education.

Where do the funds go?

The funds through LCFF doesn’t just benefit schools, but can also help families.

Last year, the state gave pandemic EBT cards to families through a partnership between The California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Education. The funding that the Sacramento school district received for that program was based on the LCFF applications from that academic year.

“Families can get waivers for college applications or AP testing, I mean we don’t know what the states gonna come out with, like again pandemic EBT, they might do that again this year, if they do they use this information we provide and those earnings too.” Rode said.

Where do I submit the application

The LCFF application is available in six different languages and is available at the school district website, scusd.edu. Printed applications can also be found at Sacramento schools.

The application is easy to fill out. It requires the student’s name and an income range. The application provides three different month income ranges and the parent bubbles the one most appropriate to them.

For families with more than one child enrolled in a Sacramento school, only one application per household needs to be submitted.

How often does the district receive LCFF funding?

LCFF applications are filled out annually for the district’s annual budget allocation.

Your input also matters

Parents and their school communities can have a say when it comes to deciding where the LCFF funds are allocated through the local control and accountability plan. The process is typically planned at the school level for parents who want to be involved.

This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 5:30 AM.