Charter school facilities.

Existing law establishes the Charter School Facility Grant Program to provide assistance with facility rent and lease costs for pupils in charter schools and states the intent of the Legislature that not less than $18,000,000 annually be appropriated for purposes of the program. Eligibility for a grant is based on the percentage of pupils who are eligible for free and reduced price meals and are enrolled in the charter school or reside in the attendance area of, or are enrolled in, the public elementary school where the charter school is physically located. Funds appropriated for purposes of the program are prohibited from being apportioned for units of average daily attendance generated through nonclassroom based instruction, as defined, or for a school that does not comply with conditions or limitations set forth in regulations adopted by the state board. Existing law, commencing with the 2008–09 fiscal year, phases out the Year-Round School Grant Program over a 4-year period by reducing grant amounts by 20% each fiscal year and requires that the Budget Acts for each fiscal year of the phaseout period appropriate to the State Department of Education for the Charter School Facility Grant Program an amount equal to the amount appropriated for the 2007–08 fiscal year, plus the amount equal to the reduction in funding for the Year-Round School Grant Program. This bill would require eligibility for this grant program to be expanded if funds remain after charter schools that meet the existing free and reduced price meals threshold are funded. The bill also would allow eligibility to be expanded for units of average daily attendance generated through nonclassroom-based instruction notwithstanding the prohibition against apportionments under the Charter School Grant Program for those units of average daily attendance. The bill would specify deadlines by which grant funding would be required to be allocated to charter schools.