Existing federal law establishes the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) program, under which pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals receive $40 per month, with specified adjustments, during summer months for grocery benefits. Existing federal regulations require, by 2025, the designated state agency to make a Summer EBT application available to households whose children are enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and who do not already have an individual eligibility determination. Existing state law requires the State Department of Social Services, as the lead agency in partnership with the State Department of Education, to maximize participation in the Summer EBT program. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district and the county superintendent of schools to make paper applications for free or reduced-price meals available to pupils at all times during each regular schoolday. Existing law authorizes those entities to make an application electronically available online if the online application complies with certain requirements, including, among others, the inclusion of links to certain internet websites providing information on, and applications for, other government programs, such as CalFresh. This bill, the Stop Child Hunger Act of 2025, would require, upon an appropriation made by the Legislature, the State Department of Education, with support from the State Department of Social Services, to comply with the above-described federal regulations by developing, and providing families with, a statewide application that is made available through a single statewide internet website that enables families to submit federally required information relating to the Summer EBT program, as specified. The bill would require the internet website to, among other things, have the capability of routing a family's completed information to the family's local educational agency to determine Summer EBT eligibility. The bill would require the governing board of a school district, a county superintendent of schools, and the governing body of a charter school to make the above-described paper applications available if required by federal law and guidance, as specified. The bill would require the governing board of a school district, a county office of education, the governing body of a charter school, or a school food authority that provides an application online for free or reduced-price meals, as described above, to also provide links to the internet website providing information about the Summer EBT program. To the extent that the bill would create new duties for local educational agencies or county or other local officials, 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.
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 the local control funding formula, in part, to be based on average daily attendance, as defined. For purposes of state apportionments based on average daily attendance, as provided, if the average daily attendance of a school district, county office of education, or charter school has been materially decreased during a fiscal year because of a specified type of emergency, existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to estimate the average daily attendance in a manner that credits to the school district, county office of education, or charter school the total average daily attendance that would have been credited had the emergency not occurred, as provided. This bill would, until July 1, 2029, add an immigration enforcement activity, as defined, to the list of emergencies for which the above-described provisions related to calculating average daily attendance for purposes of state apportionments apply, as provided. The bill would, for purposes of these provisions related to calculating average daily attendance for purposes of state apportionments, prohibit a school district, county office of education, or charter school from being credited for more than 10 days of missed attendance for a pupil due to an immigration enforcement activity. For affidavits submitted to the Superintendent for emergency events occurring after September 1, 2021, but on or before June 30, 2026, that resulted in a school closure or material decrease in attendance, existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school that provides an affidavit to the Superintendent to certify that it has a plan for which independent study will be offered to pupils, as provided, and requires that plan to comply with certain requirements, including, among other things, that independent study is offered to any impacted pupil within 10 instructional days of the first day of a school closure or material decrease in attendance. This bill would, for affidavits submitted to the Superintendent for an immigration enforcement activity that occurred on or after January 1, 2025, but on or before June 30, 2026, that resulted in a school closure or material decrease in attendance, require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that provides an affidavit to the Superintendent to additionally require the independent study plan to either (1) require the offering of live interaction or synchronous instruction to pupils, as provided, or (2) provide a description of both the extenuating circumstances that prevent the offering of live interaction or synchronous instruction and a description of what pupil engagement, services, and instruction will be provided to support pupils during or immediately after the period of closure or material decrease in attendance. The bill would, as applied to the above-described provisions for calculating average daily attendance for purposes of state apportionments and related affidavits certifying independent study plans, exempt from the California Public Records Act any documentation related to an immigration enforcement activity submitted to the Superintendent by a school district, charter school, county office of education, or county superintendent of schools, as provided. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2029, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2030. 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.
(1) Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law requires, in accordance with specified federal laws, parents to be given a copy of their rights and procedural safeguards, as specified. This bill would require pupils to also be given a copy of their rights and procedural safeguards. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law permits, under certain circumstances, contracts to be entered into for the provision of special education and related services by nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies, as defined. Existing law authorizes a master contract for special education and related services provided by a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency only if the school or agency has been certified by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as meeting specified standards relating to special education and related services and facilities for individuals with exceptional needs. Existing law requires, before certification, the Superintendent to conduct an onsite review of the facility and program for which the applicant seeks certification, as specified. This bill, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, would require the Superintendent, before certifying a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, to take additional actions, including, among other things, to review policies on restraint and seclusion to evaluate consistency with California laws. The bill would require, during an onsite review of a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, the Superintendent to interview all pupils with individualized education programs to discuss progress and address any concerns respecting any limitations due to the pupils' disabilities, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent, by July 1, 2026, to develop a tool for purposes of the interviews, as provided, and would require the tool to be made available to local educational agencies for their own use, which the bill would authorize. Existing law requires a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency that seeks certification to file an application with the Superintendent on forms provided by the State Department of Education, and to include specified information on the application. This bill would add assurances of compliance with specified laws relating to behavioral interventions to be included in that required information on the application. Existing law requires, commencing with the 2020–21 school year, a local educational agency that enters into a master contract with a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to conduct at least one onsite monitoring visit during each school year to the nonpublic, nonsectarian school at which the local educational agency has a pupil attending and with which it maintains a master contract. Existing law requires the monitoring visit to include, among other things, an observation of the pupil during instruction and a walkthrough of the facility. Existing law requires the local educational agency to report the findings resulting from the monitoring visit to the department within 60 calendar days of the onsite visit. Existing law requires, before June 30, 2020, the department to, with input from special education local plan area administrators, create and publish criteria for reporting this information to the department. This bill would require the monitoring visit to include, for a pupil placed in a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, an in-person interview with the pupil, in a manner consistent with the pupil's individualized education program, to evaluate the pupil's health and safety. The bill would require the local educational agency to report the findings resulting from the monitoring visit to the department using a specified form developed and published by the department on its internet website. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the department to update the form to require, for nonpublic, nonsectarian schools located outside of California, additional findings to be reported to the department. The bill would also require the local educational agency to conduct a quarterly check-in with a pupil attending the nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California through an unmonitored telephone call in a manner consistent with the pupil's individualized education program. Existing law requires the Superintendent to make a determination on an application for certification within 120 days of receipt of the application and to certify, conditionally certify, or deny certification to the applicant. If certification is denied, existing law requires the Superintendent to provide reasons for the denial. This bill, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, would require, for a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, the Superintendent to make available, upon request from a local educational agency or special education local plan area, specified information and documentation relating to certification, if available. The bill would require a local educational agency to disclose the information received, if available, to the parent or guardian at the time the individualized education program team considers placement of the pupil in a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to ensure private and confidential communication between a pupil of the nonpublic, nonsectarian school and members of the pupil's individualized education program team, at the pupil's discretion. This bill would explicitly require a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to ensure privacy and confidentiality of telecommunication in this circumstance and would require a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to also ensure private and confidential communication between a pupil and the department's Constituent Services Office. (3) 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.
The Safe Place to Learn Act declares that it is the policy of the State of California to improve pupil safety at schools and the connections between pupils and supportive adults, schools, and communities. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to post, and annually update, on the State Department of Education's internet website, and notify school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools of the availability of, a list of statewide resources that provide support to youth, and their families, who have been subjected to school-based discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying. This bill would require the Superintendent, by July 1, 2026, to develop and post on the department's internet website guidance and a list of statewide resources for the purpose of preventing teen dating violence. The bill would also require, by January 1, 2027, each county office of education, school district, and charter school maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to post the guidance and list of statewide resources developed by the Superintendent on their respective internet website. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would create 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.
(1) Existing law requires the State Department of Education to issue a request for proposals to contract for the development of standards for professional development for educators and instructional leaders. Existing law requires the standards to serve as guidelines for providers of professional development activities and authorizes them to be used to facilitate coordination among existing professional development programs. This bill, among other things, would require the department, on or before August 31, 2026, to develop a list of recommended professional development and training programs that meet specified requirements relating to effective means of teaching literacy and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills, as described, and to submit the list to the State Board of Education for approval, as provided. The bill would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2027, to approve a list of those recommended professional development and training programs. The bill would require the department to make the list of those approved professional development and training programs available on its internet website and to update the list as necessary. The bill, commencing September 1, 2027, would require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to ensure participation in, and would require all applicable personnel, as defined, to satisfactorily complete by no later than August 31, 2029, an approved professional development and training program that is listed on the department's internet website, except as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the state board to adopt basic instructional materials for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, for governing boards, subject to specified provisions, including, among others, that the state board adopt at least 5 basic instructional materials for all applicable grade levels in each of the specified subject areas, including, among others, language arts, including, but not limited to, spelling, reading, and English language development. In reviewing and adopting or recommending for adoption submitted basic instructional materials, existing law requires the state board to use specified criteria, and to ensure that, in its judgment, the submitted basic instructional materials meet that criteria, including, among others, that the instructional materials are aligned to the content standards adopted by the state board in the subject area and the grade level or levels for which they are submitted. Notwithstanding any other law, existing law authorizes a local educational agency to use instructional materials that are aligned with the academic content standards previously adopted by the state board. This bill would revise and recast provisions relating to adoption of instructional materials for English language arts, English language development, and reading by, among other things, requiring the state board, on or before January 1, 2027, to adopt basic instructional materials, as defined, for transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in English language arts, English language development, and reading. The bill would require the state board to, among other things, ensure that all basic instructional materials adopted pursuant to these provisions are aligned to the most recently adopted academic content standards and curriculum frameworks and adhere to effective means of teaching literacy and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills. The bill would require the department to publish the complete list of the state board's adopted basic instructional materials on the department's internet website and to distribute the complete list to all local educational agencies, as specified. Upon the state board's adoption of those basic instructional materials, the bill would require all basic instructional materials in English language arts, English language development, and reading for transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and any of grades 1 to 8, inclusive, adopted by each school district, county office of education, and charter school to, among other requirements, adhere to specified evaluation criteria, and would prohibit those local educational agencies from adopting basic instructional materials in English language arts, English language development, or reading that have not been adopted by the state board unless the local educational agency is granted a waiver from the state board, as specified. On or before December 31, 2028, the bill would require each local educational agency to provide to the department, and the department to develop, maintain, and annually update, a current list of basic instructional materials in English language arts, English language development, and reading, adopted by each local educational agency that is publicly accessible on the department's internet website. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would make Legislative findings and declarations relating to these provisions, conforming changes, and other nonsubstantive changes. (4) 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.
Existing law requires the governing board of each school district and county board of education to adopt a local control accountability plan and to update its local control and accountability plan before July 1 of each year. Existing law requires a local control and accountability plan to include, among other things, a description of the annual goals to be achieved for each state priority, as specified, for all pupils and certain subgroups of pupils. The state's delineated priorities include, among others, pupil engagement, as measured by specified attendance, dropout, and graduation rates, and school climate, as measured by pupil suspension and expulsion rates and other local measures, as provided. This bill, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that serves pupils in any of grades 5 to 12, inclusive, to annually (1) compile a school climate report detailing the pupil engagement and school climate data collected for purposes of their local control and accountability plan, and (2) if the local educational agency identifies any deficiencies in school climate, detail a plan to improve school climate to be included in the report. The bill would require the school climate report, including the plan to improve school climate, if applicable, to be presented at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing board or body of the local educational agency and made public accessibly on the local educational agency's internet website, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, 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.
(1) Existing law establishes a system of elementary and secondary education in this state. This system consists of the public and private schools that provide instruction in kindergarten and in grades 1 to 12, inclusive. This bill would enact the School Choice Flex Account Act of 2025 and establish the School Choice Flex Account (SCFA) Trust, to be known as the SCFA Trust, as a fund within the State Treasury to be administered by the SCFA Trust Board. For the 2027–28 to 2030–31, inclusive, school years, the bill would authorize certain children eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to establish an SCFA or Special Education Flex Account (SEFA) , based on parent or guardian income. The bill would, beginning with the 2031–32 school year, authorize every child eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to establish an SCFA or SEFA. The bill would credit a deposit amount to the account of every eligible student enrolled in an eligible school for tuition and certain school expenses. The bill would specify the deposit amounts for the 2027–28 school year, and require the Department of Finance, beginning on July 1, 2028, to determine the SCFA and SEFA deposit amounts annually for the upcoming school year, as provided. The bill would require the Controller to transfer an amount of money from the General Fund to the SCFA Trust in those amounts. The bill would require any unused funds remaining in an SCFA or SEFA account on June 30 of each school year to be returned to the state for the benefit of elementary and secondary education, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would specify the membership of the SCFA Trust Board and would vest the SCFA Trust Board with certain powers and duties. The bill would establish 2 accounts within the SCFA Trust, the SCFA Trust Program Account and the SCFA Trust Administrative Account, and would continuously appropriate the moneys in the program account to the SCFA Trust Board for purposes of the bill, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a procedure for the parents and legal guardians of eligible students to apply to establish an SCFA or SEFA and submit an executed participation agreement. The bill would authorize the SCFA Trust Board to disburse funds from SCFAs or SEFAs to eligible schools, defined as private full-time day schools accredited by, or, except as provided, awaiting accreditation from, a regional accrediting agency recognized by the state or the United States Department of Education. The bill would specify the procedures for participating eligible schools to receive funds disbursed by the SCFA Trust Board. (2) The Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act, an initiative approved by the voters as Proposition 98 at the November 8, 1988, statewide general election, amended the California Constitution to, among other things, set forth a formula for computing the minimum amount of revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts based on one of 3 tests in any given fiscal year, one of which is based on the percentage of General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts and community college districts, respectively, in the 1986–87 fiscal year, and 2 of which are based on, among other things, changes in enrollment. This bill would require the Legislature to recalculate that minimum education funding guarantee by including eligible students not enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school before the operative date of the act in those minimum funding guarantee calculations based on average daily attendance, as provided. The bill would also require the costs of providing SCFA and SEFA deposit amounts for eligible students to be apportioned between the General Fund and the public school district in which those eligible students reside in the same ratio of General Fund and local property tax revenue that would have been used to educate those eligible students in their public school district. (3) The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income for purposes of computing tax liability. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, exclude from gross income any amounts received as distribution from an SCFA or SEFA, as defined, as part of a participation agreement. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. (4) These provisions would become operative on January 1, 2027, and only if Senate Constitutional Amendment ____ of the 2025–26 Regular Session is approved by the voters at the statewide general election on November 4, 2026.
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 the 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 unduplicated pupils, defined as those pupils who are English learners, foster youth, or eligible for free or reduced-price meals, served by the county superintendent of schools, school district, or charter school, as specified. Existing law, commencing with the 2021–22 fiscal year, requires the concentration grant add-on to be equal to 65% of the base grant for each school district's or charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils in excess of 55% of the school district's or charter school's total enrollment. Existing law prohibits a charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils from exceeding the percentage of unduplicated pupils of the school district in which the charter school is physically located, or the highest percentage of unduplicated pupils of the school districts in which the charter school has a school facility, as applicable. This bill would authorize a charter school subject to the above-described prohibitions to apply to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a waiver from the applicable limitation and to instead have its concentration grant calculated based on the charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils in excess of 55 percent of the charter school's total enrollment. The bill would require the Superintendent to develop guidelines and procedures for these purposes and to grant the waiver if specified conditions are met, as specified.
(1) Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for school districts and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to the local control funding formula to include a base grant that in each fiscal year is adjusted for inflation by the percentage change in the annual average value of the Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Government Purchases of Goods and Services for the United States, as specified. If the inflation adjustment for the base grant for a school district or charter school is calculated to be less than 4%, this bill would require the inflation adjustment for the base grant for a school district or charter school to instead be 4%. The bill would require the State Department of Education, on or before January 1, 2030, to establish and publish on its internet website regional cost adjustment factors in order address regional cost differences in housing and labor, and, commencing with the 2030–31 fiscal year, would require the adjustment to the base grant, whether calculated by the inflation adjustment or 4%, as applicable, to be further adjusted by multiplying that calculation by the applicable regional cost adjustment factor. (2) Existing law requires the local control funding formula to include, in addition to the 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 school districts and charter schools to annually report their enrollment of unduplicated pupils to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as specified, and requires county superintendents of schools to review and validate that pupil data, as provided. Existing law requires pupils who are classified in more than one of these groups to be counted only once for these purposes. The bill would add pupils experiencing homelessness, as defined, to the categories of pupils who are unduplicated pupils for purposes of determining eligibility for supplemental and concentration grants. The bill would place reporting requirements on school districts and charter schools to implement these provisions. By imposing additional duties on county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools related to reporting unduplicated pupils, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law requires the supplemental grant add-on to be equal to 20% of the base grants, as adjusted, for each school district's or charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils, as specified, and requires the concentration grant add-on to be equal to 65% of the base grants, as adjusted, for each school district's or charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils in excess of 55% of the school district's or charter school's total enrollment, as specified. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt regulations that govern the expenditure of funds apportioned on the basis of the number and concentration of unduplicated pupils, as provided. This bill, commencing with the 2030–31 fiscal year, would require the supplemental grant add-on to instead be equal to 35% of the base grants, as adjusted, for each school district's or charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils, as specified, and would require the concentration grant add-on to instead be equal to 65% of the base grants, as adjusted, for each school district's or charter school's percentage of unduplicated pupils in excess of 45% of the school district's or charter school's total enrollment, as specified. The bill would establish transition adjustments for the 2025–26 fiscal year to the 2029–30 fiscal years, inclusive, to be calculated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction for each school district and charter school based on increased funding that would have been generated by the changes to supplemental and concentration grant eligibility and percentages described above, as provided. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys necessary to implement those adjustments and would require the Superintendent to add those transition amounts to the school district's and charter school's local control funding formula amounts. The bill, notwithstanding any other law, would require any increase in apportionment to a school district or charter school due to the bill's changes to the local control funding formula to be demonstrated to be used to support additional services for the targeted pupil group. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on school districts and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill, commencing with the 2025–26 fiscal year, would prohibit each school district and charter school from receiving less state aid under the local control funding formula for the then current fiscal year than they received in the 2024–25 fiscal year under the local control funding formula, as calculated on a per average daily attendance basis. (4) Existing law requires the Legislative Analyst's Office, on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature on the effects of changing the pupil count methodology of the local control funding formula from average daily attendance to pupil enrollment, as provided. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office, on or before January 1, 2027, to submit a report to the Legislature that studies the impact of the changes to the local control funding formula made by the bill within and between geographic regions of the state. (5) This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2028, to develop recommendations for adequacy adjustments to the grade span adjusted base grants in order to address the unique costs for each grade span and to account for the revisions to supplemental and concentration grants described above, and to report those recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to fully transition the local control funding formula commencing with the 2030–31 fiscal year consistent with those recommendations. (6) 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. (7) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law authorizes local educational agencies to employ personnel to provide services in schools pursuant to that system. This bill would require the State Department of Education to, on or before July 1, 2027, develop an online cultural competency training delivery platform and online cultural competency training curriculum for school employees to support pupils of color. The bill would, commencing with the 2027–28 school year and ending with the completion of the 2031–32 school year, require a school district, county office of education, or charter school serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to annually provide that training to all school employees, unless an employee is exempt from the training or an employee provides proof of completion for a cultural competency training completed while employed at another local educational agency, as provided. The bill would also require local educational agencies to provide a proof of completion to school employees that complete the training and to ensure that all school employees complete the required training on paid time during the employees' regular work hours or designated professional development hours, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to (1) monitor compliance with the training requirement as part of the department's annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs, (2) report data, within 9 months of the completion of the 5-year training period, from that compliance monitoring to the Legislature, and (3) post the report on the department's internet website, as provided. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2033, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2034. 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.
