Opportunity Title:
Access California Preschool, Transitional, Kindergarten and Full-Day Kindergarten Facilities
Description:
School districts can apply for this service to construct new classrooms or retrofit existing school facilities for the purpose of providing transitional kindergarten or full-day kindergarten instruction. Additionally, both school districts and county offices of education can apply for this service to construct new classrooms or retrofit existing school facilities for the purpose of providing California preschool instruction.
The Program was established by Assembly Bill 1808, the Education Finance: Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, and was approved by the Governor and chaptered June 27, 2018. The General Fund appropriated $100,000,000 in one-time grants for the construction of new classrooms or the retrofit of existing facilities for the purpose of providing full-day kindergarten instruction. These funds were apportioned for applications received during the First Filing Round, January 2, 2019 – January 31, 2019, and the Second Filing Round, May 1, 2019 – May 30, 2019.
The Program was expanded by Assembly Bill 130, the Education Finance: Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, and was approved by the Governor and chaptered July 9, 2021. The expanded program includes the addition of California Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten funding eligibility. The General Fund appropriated $490,000,000 in one-time grants for the construction of new classrooms or the retrofit of existing facilities for the purpose of providing California preschool, transitional kindergarten or full-day kindergarten instruction.
Following a series of stakeholder meetings to discuss and solicit feedback in the preparation of program regulations. OPSC presented, and the State Allocation Board (SAB) approved, the proposed regulatory amendments, revised forms and updated Grant Agreement at its January 26, 2022 SAB meeting.
Eligibility:
ELIGIBILITY FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN AND TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN
Pursuant to Program statute, school districts may apply for funding to construct new classrooms or retrofit existing school facilities for the purposes of providing transitional kindergarten and full-day kindergarten instruction. County offices of education, local education agencies, charter schools, joint powers of authority, and the State Department of Education, may not apply for Transitional Kindergarten or Full-Day Kindergarten grants. Projects submitted by school districts are eligible for funding if they meet the following requirements:
School districts that have or will have school board approval to provide transitional and/or full-day kindergarten.
School districts that lack the facilities to appropriately provide transitional and/or full-day kindergarten.
Per Education Code Section 17375(b)(1), grants will only be awarded to school districts that lack the facilities to provide transitional kindergarten or full-day kindergarten or lack the facilities that satisfy the design requirements required for new kindergarten classrooms as specified by California Code of Regulations Section 14030(h)(2). For the purposes of determining classroom capacity, each classroom will be loaded pursuant to State loading standards for (K-6) classrooms at 25 pupils. If the school site in the application has kindergarten classrooms that currently house more than 25 pupils in a kindergarten classroom (for example, AM and PM kindergarten classes in the same classroom), then they may be eligible for the Program funding to create two full-day classrooms.
ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE PRESCHOOL
School districts and County offices of education may apply for funding to construct new classrooms or retrofit existing school facilities for the purposes of providing California preschool instruction. Local education agencies, charter schools, joint powers of authority, and the State Department of Education, may not apply for California Preschool grants. Projects submitted by school districts are eligible for funding if they meet the following requirements:
School districts that have school board approval to provide or expand preschool instruction and must certify that the school district has or will apply for a contract to operate a preschool program before occupying the to-be-constructed or retrofitted facility.
School districts that lack the facilities to appropriately provide California preschool instruction.
For the purposes of determining classroom capacity, each classroom will be loaded at 25 pupils. If the school site in the application has preschool classrooms that currently house more than 25 pupils in a classroom, then they may be eligible for the Program funding.
Total Amount Available:
$490,000,000
Application Deadline:
April 30, 2022
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