Executive Orders Add Protections and Guidance for Charter Schools

On March 13, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order that guarantees continued state funding in the event of school closure due to COVID-19. With CCSA’s consultation, the Executive Order ensures that charter schools are weighed equally with traditional public schools’ needs.

An Executive Order was also issued on March 17 that suspended Brown Act Requirements. The full text of the order can be found here, with the Brown Act waiver further specified in paragraph 3.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the Governor has issued multiple Executive Orders (EO), many of which provide protection and our guidance for charter schools.  You can access all of the EOs here, but a short summary of the relevant orders follows.

• State Funding for Schools: Executive Order N-26-20 (March 13, 2020) guarantees continued state funding in the event of school closure due to COVID-19. This order also mandates that school districts use dollars to fund distance learning and high quality educational opportunities, safely provide school meals, and arrange for the supervision of students during school hours. Emergency funding is contingent upon schools continuing to pay their employees.
• Public Meetings: Executive Order N-29-20 (March 17,2020) waives all Brown Act Requirements including waiving any express or implied requirement for the physical presence of board members, the clerk or other personnel of the local body, or of the public as a condition of participation in or quorum for a public meeting.
• Standardized Testing: Executive Order N-30-20 (March 17, 2020) waives this year’s statewide testing for California’s more than 6 million students in K-12 schools.
• Stay at Home Order: Executive Order N-33-20  (March 19, 2020) issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
• Public Meetings: Executive Order N-35-20 (March 21, 2020) allows local agency boards to receive updates (including, but not limited to, simultaneous updates) relevant to the declared emergency without invoking a meeting.
• Childcare for Essential Workers: Executive Order N-45-20 (April 4, 2020) directs the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services to jointly develop guidance on how child care programs and providers can safely provide care. 
• Local Control Accountability Plans: Executive Order N-56-20 (April 22, 2020) extends the deadlines for local educational agencies to submit their Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to December 15, 2020, as long as LEAs meet specified conditions.
• Teacher Credentialing: Executive Order N-66-20 (May 29, 2020) allows individuals enrolled in teacher preparation programs during the 2019-20 school year to obtain their preliminary credential without a teaching performance assessment, if the individual was unable to complete that requirement due to a COVID-19 school closure.

Frequently Asked Questions

We've collected the most frequently asked questions on Governance and Finance, Essential Services, Staff and Credentialing, Instruction, Facilities and Prop. 39, and Authorizing from school leaders in one place. Find answers related to school closures and COVID-19 in our FAQ section.