Education finance: Learning Communities for School Success Program.

Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted by Proposition 47, as approved by the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, among other things, established the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, which is funded by savings that accrue to the state from the implementation of the act. The act provides that, among other purposes, 25% of the funds shall be disbursed to the State Department of Education to administer a grant program to public agencies aimed at improving outcomes for public school pupils by reducing truancy and supporting pupils who are at risk of dropping out of school or are victims of crime. Existing law establishes the Learning Communities for School Success Program for the purpose of implementing that grant program, subject to an appropriation to the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund in the annual Budget Act or another statute for the purposes of the program. Existing law sets forth criteria to guide the department in awarding grants under the program, including criteria giving priority to local educational agencies with high rates of chronic absenteeism, out-of-school suspensions, or school dropouts, located in communities with high crime rates, or that have significant representation of foster youth among their pupil enrollment. This bill would add designation as a Promise Neighborhood pursuant to a specified federal statute to the criteria that would give priority to local educational agencies seeking funds under the Learning Communities for School Success Program.