School property: location and facility details.

Existing law requires school districts and county offices of education to be responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the schoolsite council of a school to write and develop the comprehensive school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of that particular school, in consultation with a representative from a law enforcement agency, a fire department, and other first responder entities. Existing law requires a petition to establish a charter school to include, among other things, a reasonably comprehensive description of the procedures that the charter school will follow to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff, including requiring the development and annual update of a school safety plan that includes certain safety topics and procedures. This bill, commencing with the 2023–24 school year, would require a county office of education, school district, and charter school to provide, and to update annually as needed, certain information to the State Department of Education for each school facility, schoolsite, or school property owned or leased by the local educational agency. The bill would require the local educational agency to report to the department, when a natural disaster occurs, the status of school facilities during an emergency caused by the natural disaster. The bill would make the information received by the department confidential and exempt it from public disclosure. The bill would authorize the department to share the information with other entities for emergency preparedness and emergency response-related activities. By imposing additional requirements on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.