Andy Nguyen, a CalPERS team member, said charter schools are eligible to participate in CalPERS but must apply and enter into a contract handled through the county office of education (COE). Once a charter school becomes a CalPERS participant, it is treated “just like any other school district within the county,” Nguyen said.

Why it matters: charter schools that join CalPERS assume the reporting, enrollment and legal obligations that apply to traditional school districts; failure to comply can affect member coverage and employer reporting.

Nguyen told attendees that charter schools must comply with the Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL) and apply the same payroll and reporting rules as school districts and COEs. He emphasized that once a charter school joins CalPERS it must enroll all of its employees; the charter school cannot be reported to CalPERS under the school district’s or COE’s employee ID if a separate contract has not been established. He also reminded employers that pay schedules must be adopted in compliance with public meeting laws and posted online for public viewing; any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that changes compensation items must be approved at a public meeting by the charter school’s governing body.

Nguyen said CalPERS typically completes contracting with a charter school and the COE in four to eight weeks if documents are provided promptly. He directed employers to pensioncontract@calpers.ca.gov for contracting questions and to a charter school resource page on the CalPERS website for applications and additional guidance.