Funding!

2026 CDE Funding and how not to miss out

Hi all, man my writers block has been really tough. Sorry I have taken so long between posts. Things are heavy, so sometimes advocacy seems hard, but one way to advocate is to ensure your schools are funded in a way that supports equity.

We have seen some really great funding sources in California for our alternative schools in the past 10 years. Starting with CSI funding, that was due to heavy advocacy of the DASS accountability group primarily led by the Gardner Center, RAPSA, ACSA and others. However, we are seeing more and more schools move out of CSI for great reasons. Some are moving back in because of low test scores, which makes sense…but because of the fragility of getting this funding the Equity Multiplier was put into law. Again, thanks to the serious advocacy for alternative schools we have funding sources outside of Title I and Supplemental that we didn’t have 10 years ago. Tie in Community schools funding and CTE, we can have amazing programs if the stars align. While I will keep advocating for the continuation of community school grants as a voter and education advocate, I want to get out the message of Equity Multiplier funds. Senate Bill 114 was the bill that provided additional funds to schools with high concentrations low socio-economic status students and low stability rates (i.e. students who come in and out of the school). Unlike Title I and other grants, Equity Multiplier looks at the number of students served versus the number of students enrolled on CBEDS day in October every year.

Why this matters?

Our beautiful and amazing advocates know we serve not only the students who are enrolled in our school in October. Often, because alternative schools enroll high amounts of students through out the year they do not benefit from the money being allocated to the school they have come from. In addition, Continuation schools and Independent study schools are still under-funded at 180 minutes of ADA versus 240 minutes at traditional schools. There are additional costs to running an in-person program versus IS, but underfunding is underfunding. So, Equity Multiplier was put into law for in person schools with high instability rates and high concentration of students in poverty-based on who was enrolled in continuation schools at the time. This is not a grant or categorical funding, but ADA funding ties to three factors. It does need to be in your districts LCAP, but not in your schools SPSA. You need goals, they should align to your SPSA, but the funding does not have to be in your SPSA.

The three data points: Non-stability Threshold (i.e. students that have been enrolled in your school less than 245 days), A Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Pupil Threshold of 70% or higher (Free and reduced lunch percentages), and assurance that it is a classroom-based program.

The first year this was available my site did not hit the threshold for SDPT, meaning we did not get the 150k we could have. The following year I was on a mission to ensure our students had this additional equity funding and we were able to get it the following years.

How to ensure funding

Well, I made sure that any student enrolled at our site before October had filled out the district survey through nutrition services. In that time, our survey has been titled various things to ensure parents were not afraid to fill it out. Even though this is something that needs to be filled out annually since enrolling in CA schools, many families did not know what it was or what to do. There was a lot of family training involved, but ultimately it was worth it. Students benefited from the programs that they also qualified for . I think many families that know what the survey is for and programs that they can qualify for don’t think they will qualify because they are middle income. For them I noted that everything is expensive. Groceries have doubled. I told them “Please be honest, and who knows, you might qualify.” Qualifications and these documents are very classified, but from our percentages on the Equity Multiplier, I see that having everyone do it met that threshold to ensure students at site-based alternative schools had an equitable funding source.

Spending

The equity multiplier is great, but equity in spending needs to be at the heart. This should go without saying, but I am saying it. This is to hire teachers with credentials that support student learning in core subjects. This money is designed to support program aspects that would be available at a traditional school, but are too expensive for small school programs. While it can be used for PD and supplies, the goals is to close the achievement and opportunity gap. With a big focus on the opportunity gap. What do small schools miss out on? How can this money create opportunities for meaning making in our schools?

Last, these funds can only be used in the school that are designated for, the funds can not be swept, and they can carry over year after year.

Next years funding came out last week. I am feeling extra grateful for those that researched, advocated, and spoke additional funding into existence. If you know me you know I have some important and wonderful people in mind that made this happen. So if you are one of them, thank you and know that I always think you are the best.

Lately, I have been reflecting on my advocacy and my capacity for being a advocate. This week I reflected when we support students and youth, that is what saves the world. So when the news is dark, I think of you all and my work and see that this community is advocacy. Supporting vulnerable learners is advocacy. When I feel like I should be doing more, I know this work is bringing lights to students that might have needed a little light. If this little piece of information can ensure that you get funding for students and programs then that is everything.

If you every want to chat about how to get funds to your school, reach out, I got you.

Download the 25-26 Funding Results here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/equitymultiplier.asp