BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 680|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 680
Author: Romero (D) and Huff (R)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/15/09
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado,
Padilla, Simitian, Wyland
SUBJECT : School district attendance: school district of
choice
interdistrict transfers
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill repeals the sunset date of July 1,
2009 relative to the existing District of Choice Program of
inter-district student transfers, thereby extending the
operation of the program indefinitely. It also expands the
program to other school districts that choose to become a
District of Choice.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides several means to
authorize inter-district attendance of a pupil who resides
in one school district but wishes to attend public school
in another district. The primary authorization provides
for inter-district attendance when both the district of
residence and district of proposed attendance agree.
Another authorization allows a pupil to attend school in a
district where the pupil's parent or legal guardian is
CONTINUED
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employed, rather than where the pupil and parent reside.
The district where the parent is employed must agree to
this alternative, and either district of residence or
district of parental employment may prohibit the transfer
under specified conditions.
Another authorization for inter-district transfer is known
as the "school districts of choice" authorization in which
the governing board of a school district may declare the
district to be a "district of choice" willing to accept a
specified number of inter-district transfers. Under
existing law, the district of choice authorization is
limited to those districts that declared their intent to
use the authorization prior to the statutes last effective
date of August 24, 2007.
A "district of choice" is not required to admit pupils but
those pupils that it does elect to admit must be selected
through a random process that prohibits enrollment based on
academic or athletic performance. School districts of
choice must give priority for attendance to siblings of
children already in attendance in that district. This law
is currently scheduled to become inoperative on July 1,
2009.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 4/17/09)
Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
Columbine Elementary School District
Ed Voice
Lagunitas School District
Oak Park Unified School District
Santa Clara Elementary School District
Waukena Joint Union Elementary School District
OPPOSITION : (Verified 4/17/09)
Rowland Unified School District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author's office states the
"Districts of Choice" (DOC) Program, which is due to
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"sunset" or terminate on July 1, 2009, is the only program
in current law that provides parents the option to enroll
their child in a school of their choice in a neighboring
school district. It allows participating school district
that elect to participate in the program to enroll a
student without first seeking permission from the student's
district of residence, as required under the usual
inter-district transfer agreements. Terminating this
program would further limit school choices for parents,
especially those whose children are destined to attend
low-performing schools. After July 1, of 2009, a student
who has transferred to a school in a district other than
the school of his or her district of residence would have
to return to the school in the original district of
residence.
This bill extends, without a sunset date, the existing DOC
Program of inter-district student transfers, which is due
to sunset on July 1, 2009, and expands the program to other
school districts that choose to become a DOC. The DOC
Program, also referred to as a cross-district, open
enrollment option for parents, allows participating
districts to admit students from other districts without
first seeking permission from the student's original
district of residence. This bill is a urgency bill to
ensure that pupils continue to have the opportunity to
apply for inter-district transfers.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Rowland Unified School
District, which borders the Walnut Valley Unified School
District, a DOC indicates the impact of the DOC on Rowland
has resulted in the loss of students and in the loss of all
revenues and the eligibility for state funds for
construction and they are concerned about no oversight
concerning the program.
DLW:do 4/17/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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