Education: open enrollment.

Existing law, the Open Enrollment Act, provides that pupils residing in the state may attend public schools in school districts other than their school district of residence, as defined. The parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in a low-achieving school, as defined, may submit an application for the pupil to attend a school in a school district of enrollment, as defined. Existing law authorizes a school district of enrollment, as defined, to adopt specific, written standards for acceptance and rejection of applications for enrollment, subject to specified conditions and a specified priority scheme for applicants. Within 60 days of receiving an application for enrollment, a school district of enrollment must notify the applicant parent or guardian and the school district of residence, as defined, in writing whether the application has been accepted or rejected and, if an application is rejected, state in the notification the reasons for the rejection. The State Board of Education must adopt emergency regulations to implement these provisions. The Superintendent is required to contract for an independent evaluation of the program using federal funds appropriated for that purpose and to provide a final evaluation report to the Legislature, the Governor, and the state board on or before October 1, 2014. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to school district enrollment policies.