The California Department of Education (CDE), Expanded Learning Division, is providing the following guidance on school site substitutions for the fiscal year (FY) 2025–26. This guidance may be updated annually and should be responded to accordingly. Grantees should note there is a single filing date of February 15, 2025 that must be adhered to. An approved school site substitution will be effective July 1, 2025. Grantees should refer to their board or governing entity regarding school closures for FY 2025–26.

Grantees are permitted to request a school site substitution to transfer program services to another school site if there is a “significant barrier to pupil participation” as defined in California Education Code sections 8482.8 and 8426.5. 

An approved school site substitution will allow a grantee to transfer program services to another school site that meets the eligibility for these grants and that is within the same local education agency. Direct-funded charter schools, private schools, and Small Necessary Schools that may be single school entities do not meet the criteria for school site substitution.

The school site substitutions process authorizes a transfer of After School Education and Safety, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, or After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens program funds.

Eligibility

To be eligible, a school site substitution may be authorized when either of the following conditions are met:

• The school site to which services would be transferred has an existing grant of the same type as the transferring school site and will be receiving students from the transferring school site. 
• The school site receiving the funding has a percentage of students eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals that is not lower than 10 percent of students from the transferring school.

The final filing deadline is February 15, 2025. Approved school site substitution requests submitted by the deadline of February 15, 2025, will have an effective date of July 1, 2025. The school site substitution form can be found at: School Site Substitution Form – Expanded Learning (CA Dept of Education).

Final Filing Date

The final filing date for the School Site Substitution is February 15, 2025.

The School Site Substitution Form must be signed with a wet signature and mailed to the Expanded Learning Division. All forms must be postmarked on or before February 15, 2025.

Mail the original form to the address below. Postmarks will be honored.

School Site Substitution

Expanded Learning Division

1430 N Street, Suite 3400
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the Expanded Learning mailbox by e-mail at ExpandedLearning@cde.ca.gov with the subject line School Site Substitution.