Boards and LCAP
What is a California LCAP?
Learn where a California district records its goals, planned actions, costs, progress measures, and opportunities for parent input.
5 min read
An LCAP is the document where a California school district lists what it plans to improve, what it will do, and how much it expects to spend. The full name is Local Control and Accountability Plan. Every district adopts one each year with its budget.
What is inside the plan
The LCAP covers three years and is updated annually. It contains goals, actions, costs, and the measures the district will use to report progress.
For example, a district may set a goal to improve early reading. Its plan may pay for reading specialists, instructional materials, or teacher training. The LCAP should show the expected cost and the result the district will use to track progress.
Where to find your district's LCAP
Districts must post the adopted LCAP on their websites. Look under Educational Services, Business Services, Accountability, or Local Control Funding Formula. Use the most recent plan because programs and spending can change during the annual update.
Districts adopt the plan by July 1. The school board holds a public hearing before adoption, usually during the same period when it considers the district budget.
How to read one quickly
Start with the topic you care about. Search the PDF for a plain term such as reading, attendance, counselors, English learners, special education, or class size.
Once you find the relevant goal, look for:
- the result or problem the district wants to change
- the action it plans to take
- the amount budgeted for that action
- the measure it will use to report progress
A broad goal such as "improve literacy outcomes" leaves the main questions unanswered. The action pages should say which students will receive help, what the district will provide, and how it will measure the result.
Compare the current plan with the previous one
The annual update reports what happened to the previous plan. An action may continue, grow, change, or disappear. Actual spending may also differ from the original budget.
The older plan shows what the district planned to do. The current plan shows how the district reports its progress and what it proposes next.
Parents can comment before adoption
Districts consult parents, students, educators, staff, bargaining units, and community members while developing the plan. Parent advisory committees can review the proposal and submit comments. The superintendent responds to those committee comments in writing.
Board agendas and meeting materials show when the public hearing and vote will occur. Comments submitted while the plan is still being drafted give staff and trustees time to consider a change.
You can ask a specific question without reading the entire district budget. Name the goal, action, and cost from the plan, then ask what result the district expects and how it will report progress.
