Pupil instruction: California Promise Neighborhood Initiative.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law also establishes a system of postsecondary education in the state that consists of 4 segments: the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education. This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature about, among other things, the educational, social, and health needs of California's most distressed communities. The bill would establish the California Promise Neighborhood Initiative to develop a system of up to 40 California promise neighborhoods throughout the state to support children's development. The bill would, commencing in July 2015, require the State Department of Education to develop an application process for eligible entities to apply for sites to become promise neighborhoods. The bill would authorize the State Department of Education to designate up to 40 California promise neighborhoods by January 1, 2017, and would specify that the promise neighborhoods would be selected from areas that voluntarily apply, as prescribed, for that designation. The bill would specify items that would be required to be included in an application to be designated as a California promise neighborhood. The bill would specify the services to be provided to the participating neighborhoods. The bill would also require promise neighborhood designees to provide a report to the State Department of Education, every 3 years, containing specified data. These provisions would become operative only if the Superintendent of Public Instruction finds that sufficient funding for its purposes has been provided, as specified. These provisions would be repealed as of January 1, 2026.