Today, May 5, 2020, the California Department of Education released the template of the COVID-19 Operations Written Report (Report) that will be part of the budget process for 2020–21.
Executive Order N–56–20 (EO) requires a written report that “explains the changes to program offerings that the LEA has made in response to school closures to address the COVID-19 emergency and the major impacts of such closures on students and families, which shall include, at minimum, a description of how the LEA is meeting the needs of unduplicated pupils.” The template, while not required to be used, contemplates this minimum level of communication required by the EO in five key areas:
- An overview explaining the changes to program offerings that the local educational agency (LEA) has made in response to school closures to address the COVID-19 emergency and the major impacts of the closures on students and families
- A description of how the LEA is meeting the needs of its English learners, foster youth, and low-income students
- A description of the steps that have been taken by the LEA to continue delivering high-quality distance learning opportunities
- A description of the steps that have been taken by the LEA to provide school meals while maintaining social distancing practices
- A description of the steps that have been taken by the LEA to arrange for supervision of students during ordinary school hours
As a reminder, the Report must be adopted by the local governing board in conjunction with the adopted annual budget by July 1, 2020. Once adopted, the Report must be posted on the homepage of the LEA’s website. The adoption of the 2020–21 Local Control and Accountability Plan, which would normally be adopted as the same time as the budget, has been postponed to no later than December 15, 2020.
A frequently asked questions section about the Report can be found on the CDE website by clicking here.