Navigating Upcoming Deadlines: A Guide to California's A-G and Educator Effectiveness Grants
California school districts currently have access to two major funding streams to support professional development and improve student outcomes:
While both grants aim to enhance the capacity of school staff, particularly school counselors and teachers, they operate under distinct compliance rules and critical deadlines that demand careful strategic planning to avoid forfeiting funds. Understanding the subtle but significant differences between expending (money is actually spent) and encumbering funds (committing them via contract) is key to successful utilization.
The A-G Completion Improvement Grant started in 2021 and is set to conclude in 2026 at the end of the current school year. As its primary function is to increase the rate of student completion of A-G requirements for CSU/UC admission, it serves as the most logical and appropriate funding source for professional development in areas school counselors can significantly influence A-G completion rates, such as addressing systemic barriers, providing targeted academic guidance, and fostering a college-going culture.
To find out the remaining balance, your district business department should generate a budget report using SACS Resource Code 7412 (Access/Success grant) and 7413 (Learning Loss Mitigation grant). A key flexibility of this grant is that the compliance rules differentiate between the “commitment” of funds and the “actual performance of the service” for any unallocated or remaining funds.
The critical deadline for the A-G Grant is June 30, 2026, the end of the fiscal year for schools. By this date, funds must be either expended (meaning the service is paid for) or legally encumbered (committed). Encumbrance is a vital concept here: a district can enter into a binding contract or issue a purchase order for services by June 30, 2026, legally committing the funds. This strategic allowance means that while the commitment must happen before the deadline, the actual performance of the service—such as training or workshops—can occur shortly thereafter, potentially in the early fall of 2026.
All districts receiving these funds face a hard final deadline to report total expenditures to the California Department of Education (CDE) via the AMS Portal on or before September 30, 2026. Failure to meet this final reporting deadline results in the complete forfeiture of all funds.
In contrast, the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant (EEBG) ( SACS Resource Code 6266) is a broader fund designed to support a wide range of professional learning for all certificated staff, including school counselors, administrators, and paraprofessionals, on topics like social-emotional learning, instruction, or coaching.
For the EEBG, the entire amount must be expended by the June 30, 2026 deadline. State guidelines emphasize that any funds not actually spent by this date must be returned to the state. While districts can legally pre-pay for multi-year training packages or subscriptions that will be delivered in the following months, the payment must be fully processed, and the funds must have left the district’s accounts by June 30 to qualify as an expenditure. There is no comparable provision for simply "encumbering" the funds for future services as there is with the A-G Grant. Final expenditure data for the EEBG is also due by September 30, 2026.
In closing, the A-G Grant should be prioritized for professional development focused on college and other postsecondary counseling strategies that support the successful completion of A-G course requirements because its flexible encumbrance rule allows training to span into the next year. Use the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant for broader professional learning, ensuring all EEBG purchases and payments are completed before the strict June 30, 2026, fiscal deadline. Managing both of these distinct deadlines could provide additional professional development opportunities and sustained staff development.
If you have specific technical questions about your district’s remaining balances or standardized accounting (SACS) codes, you can contact the CDE offices directly:
Fiscal/Allocation Questions: CAAR@cde.ca.gov (Categorical Allocations and Audit Resolution Office).
Professional Learning (EEBG): PLSD@cde.ca.gov (Professional Learning Support Division).
Written by Paul Meyers, VP Business, Hatching Results. Contact him at: paul@hatchingresults.com.
