Education

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state under the administration of community college district governing boards. Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to establish, maintain, operate, and govern one or more community colleges, as provided. Existing law authorizes the compensation of governing board members that actually attend all meetings held by the governing board, not to exceed a specified amount from $120 to $1,500, inclusive, based on the number of full-time equivalent students in the community college district, as provided. This bill would increase the authorized compensation for community college district governing board members that attend all meetings held by the governing board, not to exceed a specified amount from $600 to $4,500, inclusive, based on the number of full-time equivalent students in the community college district, as provided. The bill would require the governing board to provide public notice at least 30 days before a public meeting at which the governing board proposes to increase the compensation of the governing board members, as provided.

(1) Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district or community college district to sell for cash any personal property belonging to the school district or community college district if the property is not required for school purposes, should be disposed of for the purpose of replacement, or is unsatisfactory or not suitable for school use, pursuant to certain requirements, including, among others, notice and bid requirements. This bill, in addition to and notwithstanding those provisions, would separately authorize the governing board of a school district or community college district to declare district-owned technology, as defined, to be surplus technology property and would authorize the school district or community college district to dispose of that surplus technology property by (A) sale by public auction, (B) sale by sealed bid, (C) sale or transfer through a structured trade-in or buyback program with a vendor, manufacturer, or other third-party purchaser, as specified, (D) negotiated sale to a public agency, nonprofit organization, or private entity, as specified, or (E) donation to a public agency or nonprofit public benefit corporation. The bill would require the governing board of a school district or community college district, before disposing of surplus technology property, to adopt policies and procedures that, at minimum, address specified items, including, among others, a process for determining that property is no longer required for school purposes, reasonable methods to ensure competition or market testing, and compliance with all applicable state and federal requirements for protecting pupil or student and employee data. The bill would require the school district or community college district, to the extent practicable, to structure the disposition of surplus technology property in a manner that maximizes net proceeds or value returned, minimizes electronic waste, and promotes environmentally responsible recycling, refurbishment, and reuse. (2) Existing law prohibits a county superintendent of schools from disposing of any item of personal property worth over $25,000 that belongs to the county office of education without meeting specified conditions, including conditions relating to valuation, advertising, and county board of education approval. Existing law prohibits a county superintendent of schools from disposing of any item of personal property worth less than $25,000 that belongs to the county office of education unless they certify the value of the property in a quarterly report and submit that report to the county board of education for its review. This bill, in addition to and notwithstanding those provisions, would separately authorize the county board of education to declare county office of education-owned technology, as defined, to be surplus technology property and would authorize the county superintendent of schools to dispose of that surplus technology property pursuant to the same above-described provisions that would apply to school districts and community college districts.

Existing law establishes the California College Promise, under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each community college meeting prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college to use that funding to waive some or all of the fees for 2 academic years for first-time community college students and returning community college students, as defined, who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, or less for students certified as "full time," as specified, and who complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application, except that a student who has previously earned a degree or certificate from a postsecondary educational institution is not eligible for this fee waiver. This bill would prohibit a certificate awarded to a student by a postsecondary educational institution as part of a course sequence leading to an associate degree from making the student ineligible for that fee waiver.

Existing law, until July 1, 2028, authorizes the San Mateo County Community College District to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, as specified. Existing law authorizes the San Mateo County Community College District to use local unrestricted general funds, in addition to funding received under the California College Promise, to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance, as defined, only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district. This bill would delete the repeal date, thereby extending the San Mateo County Community College District's authority to adopt the above-described policy indefinitely. The bill would also repeal an obsolete reporting requirement. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the San Mateo County Community College District.

This bill designates May 29, 2026, as 529 College Savings Day to raise awareness about college savings plans. It is a ceremonial measure that does not change laws or allocate funds, and it directly affects no specific group of people. The legislation simply establishes an official date for public recognition of the importance of saving for higher education.

This bill designates the week of May 11 to May 15, 2026, as Student Mental Health Awareness Week throughout California. The measure requires state agencies and institutions to acknowledge this specific timeframe to highlight the importance of student mental well-being. By officially recognizing these dates, the legislation aims to encourage public focus on mental health resources for students during that period. It does not allocate funding or mandate specific programs, but rather serves to raise awareness through formal designation.

This bill designates the week of May 1 through May 7, 2026, as California Physical Education Week. It serves as a commemorative resolution intended to highlight the importance of physical education in schools. The measure does not alter existing laws or funding but simply establishes an official timeframe for recognition and awareness.

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2034, a pilot project authorizing the governing board of the Los Angeles Unified School District to award multiple annual task-order procurement contracts, as prescribed, for purposes that include services, repairs, and construction funded by the school district's general fund, local school construction bonds, or federal or state funds. This bill would, in addition, until January 1, 2031, authorize a school district with an average daily attendance of 2,501 or less or a county superintendent of schools to award multiple task-order procurement contracts for repair and renovation of buildings and grounds through a single request for bids. The bill would require these contracts to be paid for with money from the county or school district's general fund, a local construction bond, or federal or state funds and to be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2030, a school district or county superintendent of schools that uses the task-order procurement contracting method to submit to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a report on its use of the task-order procurement contracting method, as specified. This bill would limit the scope of these contracts to those purposes authorized by its funding source. The bill would, except as specified, prohibit a bidder from being deemed qualified for these contracts unless the bidder provides an enforceable commitment that it and its subcontractors at every tier will use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all work on the project or contract that falls within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades. The bill would also require the contracting educational agency to ensure that it is in compliance with existing provisions that authorize personal service contracting for services currently or customarily performed by classified school employees before entering into a contract pursuant to these provisions. The bill would prohibit a school district or county superintendent of schools from utilizing a task-order procurement contract that is greater than $3,000,000 for an individual project unless it has entered into a project labor agreement, as specified, for all its public works.

Existing law, the Leroy F. Greene State School Building Lease-Purchase Law of 1976, effectuates the declaration of the Legislature that it is in the interest of the state and its people to reconstruct, remodel, or replace existing school buildings that are educationally inadequate or that do not meet present-day structural safety requirements, and to acquire new schoolsites and buildings for the purpose of making them available to local school districts for the pupils of the public school system. Existing law authorizes the State Allocation Board, by adoption of rules, to establish priorities for the construction and leasing of projects to schools districts whose pupils will benefit most. This bill would authorize the board to include, as priorities for projects, an efficient response to extreme heat and climate change. If the board adopts priorities related to an efficient response to extreme heat and climate change, the bill would require those priorities to apply only to project applications received after January 1, 2027.

This measure would declare Monday, April 13, 2026, to Friday, April 24, 2026, inclusive, as High School Voter Education Weeks and would encourage local educational agencies to dedicate at least one of those 2 weeks to educating pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on the electoral process, as provided. The measure would encourage local educational agencies to provide digital and physical resources necessary to provide this information and would encourage the governing boards or bodies of local educational agencies to contract with third-party nonprofit organizations, as provided, to accomplish this endeavor.