What Is LCAP Funding? A Plain-English Guide for California Schools

What is LCAP funding? LCAP — the Local Control Accountability Plan — is California’s primary framework for directing supplemental and concentration funding to schools that serve high-need students. Under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), districts must develop a three-year LCAP that explains how they will spend state funds to improve outcomes for unduplicated pupils: low-income students, English learners, and foster youth.

If you’re a California principal or district administrator and LCAP still feels like a compliance exercise rather than a funding tool, this guide is for you.

Why LCAP Matters More Than Most Administrators Realize

California’s Local Control Funding Formula, adopted in 2013, was one of the most significant education finance reforms in state history. Before LCFF, school funding was fragmented across dozens of categorical programs with rigid restrictions. LCFF consolidated most of that into a base grant per student — and then layered on supplemental grants (for each unduplicated pupil) and concentration grants (for districts where more than 55% of students are unduplicated).

The result: districts with high concentrations of low-income students, English learners, and foster youth receive substantially more per-pupil funding than wealthier districts. And LCAP is how they have to account for spending it.

For a Title I school principal, LCAP represents real money — and meaningful flexibility in how to use it.

How Much Is Available?

Funding amounts vary by district based on enrollment of unduplicated pupils. According to the California Department of Education, supplemental grants are calculated at approximately 20% of the base grant per unduplicated pupil, and concentration grants add an additional amount for districts exceeding the 55% threshold.

In practical terms: a mid-sized urban district with 70% unduplicated enrollment may receive millions in supplemental and concentration funds annually — all of which must be accounted for in LCAP.

What LCAP Funding Can Be Used For

LCAP is organized around eight state priority areas. Expanded learning programs can fall under multiple priorities, making them strong LCAP expenditures:

Priority 1 (Basic Services): Ensuring qualified, trained staff for expanded learning
Priority 4 (Pupil Achievement): After-school academic support and enrichment
Priority 5 (Student Engagement): Attendance-building programs and engaging learning environments
Priority 6 (School Climate): SEL programs, conflict resolution, and belonging initiatives
Priority 7 (Course Access): CTE-aligned pathways and enrichment for underrepresented students

The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) has published guidance specifically on using LCAP funds for expanded learning — worth reading if you’re in the planning phase.

3 Ways Schools Use LCAP for Expanded Learning

1. Contracting with an Expanded Learning Provider

The most straightforward LCAP use: paying a provider like Kodely to deliver after-school programs aligned to LCAP goals. This is allowable when the program serves unduplicated pupils and aligns to one or more of the eight state priorities.

Documentation matters. Your LCAP must describe the action (contracted expanded learning services), the expenditure amount, and the measurable outcome (attendance rate, parent satisfaction, student engagement data). A good provider will help you build this documentation.

2. Stacking LCAP with ELOP

LCAP and ELOP funding can be used together. ELOP provides the baseline per-pupil expanded learning funding. LCAP dollars can supplement that — covering additional program hours, specialized curriculum, professional development for expanded learning staff, or extended summer programming.

Schools that master the LCAP-ELOP stack can run significantly more robust programs than either funding stream alone would allow.

3. Funding SEL and Leadership Programs

LCAP’s Priority 6 (school climate) explicitly supports social-emotional learning, student leadership, and programs that reduce chronic absenteeism. SEL-focused after-school programs are a natural fit — and easier to document than pure academic interventions because school climate metrics are tracked annually.

Free Download: LCAP Expanded Learning Planning Checklist

Use this checklist when planning your LCAP expanded learning expenditures:

Identify which LCAP priority your expanded learning program addresses
Document the baseline metric you’re trying to improve (attendance, engagement, achievement)
Define the measurable outcome and how you’ll track it
Confirm your provider can supply attendance and quality documentation
Verify the program specifically serves unduplicated pupils
Coordinate with your ELOP plan to avoid duplication or gaps
Include parent input in program design (required by LCAP regulations)
Set a mid-year check-in date to assess progress
Document actual vs. planned expenditures for year-end reporting
Plan for year-over-year improvement based on outcome data

Ask your Kodely partnership contact for the full printable version of this checklist.

How Kodely Programs Align with LCAP

Every Kodely program is designed with LCAP documentation in mind. We provide:

Attendance tracking aligned to LCAP reporting requirements
Program quality data (student engagement, instructor observations)
Alignment statements connecting each program to specific LCAP priorities
Outcome summaries for annual LCAP reporting

Schools that partner with Kodely don’t need to figure out the LCAP paperwork alone — we’ve done it before, we know what auditors look for, and we’ll help you document it correctly.

The Bottom Line

LCAP isn’t just a compliance document. It’s a funding tool with real flexibility — especially for schools serving high concentrations of unduplicated pupils. The administrators who use it most effectively treat their LCAP as a strategic plan, not a checkbox.

If you’re looking to deploy LCAP dollars toward expanded learning and want a partner who understands the documentation requirements, contact Kodely for a direct conversation.