Rural Education Task Force.

Existing law establishes the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education to provide guidance and support to local educational agencies and other entities that operate schools and preschool programs, and further authorizes the establishment and operation of numerous educational programs on the state level that are administered by the state board, the department, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or other state agencies. Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to create 3 levels of educational advisory bodies, as specified. This bill would create the Rural Education Task Force in state government that includes members from specified categories. The bill would require that each member of the task force is to be selected to ensure that the task force is representative of very rural areas of the state. The bill would require the task force to provide assistance and advice to the Superintendent on the needs and challenges of very rural schools that serve pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, including, but not be limited to, transportation costs, facilities, special education, and qualified staffing.