Article 1. Administration of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 30. >> Chapter 7.2. >> Article 1.

Commencing with the 1998-99 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, apportionments to special education local plan areas for special education programs operated by, and services provided by, districts, county offices, and special education local plan areas shall be computed pursuant to this chapter.

Commencing with the 1998-99 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the administrator of each special education local plan area, in accordance with the local plan approved by the board, shall be responsible for the following:
  (a) The fiscal administration of the annual budget plan pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 56205 and annual allocation plan for multidistrict special education local plan areas pursuant to Section 56836.05 for special education programs of school districts and county superintendents of schools composing the special education local plan area.
  (b) The allocation of state and federal funds allocated to the special education local plan area for the provision of special education and related services by those entities.
  (c) The reporting and accounting requirements prescribed by this part.

The Superintendent shall apportion funds from Section A of the State School Fund to districts and county offices of education in accordance with the allocation plan adopted pursuant to Section 56836.05, unless the allocation plan specifies that funds be apportioned to the administrative unit of the special education local plan area. If the allocation plan specifies that funds be apportioned to the administrative unit of the special education local plan area, the administrator of the special education local plan area shall, upon receipt, distribute the funds in accordance with the method adopted pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 56195.7. The allocation plan shall, before submission to the Superintendent, be approved according to the local policymaking process established by the special education local plan area.

(a) On or after January 1, 1998, each special education local plan area shall submit a revised local plan. Each special education local plan area shall submit its revised local plan not later than the time it is required to submit its local plan pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 56100 and the revised local plan shall meet the requirements of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 56205).
  (b) Until the board has approved the revised local plan and the special education local plan area begins to operate under the revised local plan, each special education local plan area shall continue to operate under the programmatic, reporting, and accounting requirements prescribed by the State Department of Education for the purposes of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56700) as that chapter existed on December 31, 1998. The department shall develop transition guidelines, and, as necessary, transition forms, to facilitate a transition from the reporting and accounting methods required for Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56700) as that chapter existed on December 31, 1998, and related provisions of this part, to the reporting and accounting methods required for this chapter. Under no circumstances shall the transition guidelines exceed the requirements of the provisions described in paragraphs (1) and (2). The transition guidelines shall, at a minimum, do the following:
  (1) Describe the method for accounting for the instructional service personnel units and caseloads, as required by Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 56700) as that chapter existed on December 31, 1998.
  (2) Describe the accounting that is required to be made, if any, for the purposes of Sections 56030, 56140, 56156.4, 56361.5, 56362, 56363.3, 56366.2, 56366.3, 56441.5, and 56441.7.
  (c) Commencing with the 1997-98 fiscal year, through and including the fiscal year in which equalization among special education local plan areas has been achieved, the board shall not approve any proposal to divide a special education local plan area into two or more units, unless the division has no net impact on state costs for special education; provided, however, that the board may approve a proposal that was initially submitted to the department prior to January 1, 1997.

(a) The Superintendent continuously shall monitor and review all special education programs approved under this part to ensure that all funds appropriated to special education local plan areas under this part are expended for the purposes intended.
  (b) Funds apportioned to special education local plan areas pursuant to this chapter are to assist local educational agencies to provide special education and related services to individuals with exceptional needs and shall be expended exclusively for programs operated under this part.

(a) Apportionments made under this part shall be made by the superintendent as early as practicable in the fiscal year. Upon order of the superintendent, the Controller shall draw warrants upon the money appropriated, in favor of the eligible special education local plan areas.
  (b) If the special education local plan area is a multidistrict special education local plan area, and the approved allocation plan does not specify that funds will be apportioned to the special education local plan area administrative unit, the special education local plan area shall submit to the superintendent an annual allocation plan to allocate funds received in accordance with this chapter among the local educational agencies within the special education local plan area. The annual allocation plan may be revised during any fiscal year, and these revisions may be submitted to the superintendent as amendments. The amendments shall, prior to submission to the superintendent, be approved according to the policymaking process established by the special education local plan area.
  (c) If funds are apportioned to a special education local plan area administrative unit in the 1998-99 fiscal year and the special education local plan area administrative unit is changed in the 1998-99 fiscal year or thereafter, monthly payments shall be made according to the schedule in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 14041 unless all local educational agencies are on the same schedule. If all local educational agencies are on the same schedule, the appropriate schedule in paragraph (2), (7), or (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 14041 shall apply.