After School Education and Safety Program.

Existing law, the After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002, establishes the After School Education and Safety Program to serve pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 9, inclusive, at participating public elementary, middle, junior high, and charter schools, as specified. Existing law requires every after school component of a program to operate a minimum of 15 hours per week and at least until 6 p.m. on every regular schoolday. Existing law prohibits a program established pursuant to the act located off school grounds from being approved unless safe transportation is provided to the pupils enrolled in the program. Existing law authorizes additional funding to be provided for transportation, as specified, if a program is operated at a schoolsite located in an area that has a population density of less than 11 persons per square mile. This bill would authorize a program that operates at a schoolsite located in an area with the above-specified low population density to end operating hours not earlier than 5 p.m. Existing law provides that each school establishing a program pursuant to the act is eligible to receive a 3-year after school grant, as provided, and establishes maximum total grant amounts for schools. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to adjust the grant level of any school within the program that is under its targeted attendance level by more than 15% in each of 2 consecutive years. Existing law also requires the department to review a program if the actual attendance level of a school within the program falls below 75% of the target attendance level in any year after the initial grant year, and to adjust the grant level as the department deems appropriate. This bill would require the department to adjust the grant level of a program that operates at a schoolsite located in an area with the above-specified low population density, for falling below 35% of its target attendance level in each of 2 consecutive years. This bill would require the department to review a program that operated in an area with the above-specified low population density, if the actual attendance level of a school within the program falls below 55%, and to adjust the grant level as the department deems appropriate. Existing law provides that after technical assistance has been provided, the department may terminate the grant of a school in a program, at any time, if the school fails for 3 consecutive years to meet either the requirement to demonstrate measurable program outcomes, or to attain 75% of its proposed attendance level after having its program reviewed and its grant level adjusted. This bill would provide that a program that operates at a schoolsite located in an area with the above-specified low population density may be terminated if the school fails for 3 consecutive years to meet either the requirement to demonstrate measurable program outcomes, or to attain 55% of its proposed attendance level after having its program reviewed and its grant level adjusted. Existing law authorizes a grantee to allocate, with approval of the department, up to 125% of the maximum total grant amount for an individual school, so long as the maximum total grant amount for all school programs administered by the program grantee is not exceeded. Existing law requires a grantee that transfers funds to have an established waiting list for enrollment and to transfer only from another school program that has met a minimum of 70% of its attendance goal. This bill would exempt, for purposes of allocating up to 125% of the maximum total grant amount for an individual school, a program that operates at a schoolsite located in an area with the above-specified low population density from the requirement to have an established waiting list for enrollment and to transfer funds only from another school program that has met a minimum of 70% of its attendance goal. This bill would make conforming and nonsubstantive changes and would correct existing law.