Education finance: local control funding formula: youths experiencing homelessness.

Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to a local control funding formula to include, in addition to a base grant, supplemental and concentration grant add-ons that are based on the percentage of pupils who are unduplicated pupils, as defined to include English learners, pupils eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and foster youth, as specified. Existing law requires county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to annually report their enrollment of unduplicated pupils to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as specified. Existing law requires pupils who are classified in more than one of these groups to be counted only once for these purposes. This bill would add pupils experiencing homelessness, as defined, to the categories of unduplicated pupils. The bill would require that pupils experiencing homelessness who are also classified as foster youth be counted twice for purposes of the local control funding formula. By imposing additional duties on county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools related to unduplicated pupils, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.