BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 898
AUTHOR: Ashburn
INTRODUCED: January 26, 2010
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: March 24, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : After School Education and Safety Program
KEY POLICY ISSUE
Should a minimum grant amount be established for before and
after school programs operated at small schools?
Should after school programs receive a greater amount of
funding than was earned through attendance?
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a minimum grant level for After School
Education and Safety programs that enroll fewer than 75
pupils.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the After School Education and Safety
(ASES) program, consisting of before and after school
academic enrichment. ASES Programs receive direct grants,
where attendance is projected and grants are funded up-front,
in three one-year increments. (Education Code 8482.4)
Maximum total grants are based on $7.50 per pupil per day of
attendance, for a maximum total of $37.50 per pupil per week.
Maximum total annual grants are as follows:
$112,500 for elementary school programs.
$150,000 for middle or junior high school programs.
(EC 8483.7)
Maximum total grants for programs that operate a before
school component are based on $5 per pupil per day, with a
maximum total grant of $25 per pupil per week. Maximum total
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annual grants for before school components are as follows:
$37,500 for elementary school programs.
$49,000 for middle or junior high school programs.
(EC 8483.75)
ASES programs operating at large schools have maximum total
grants that exceed the amounts listed above. (EC 8483.7
and 8483.75)
ASES programs that operate in excess of 180 regular
schooldays or during any combination of summer, intersession,
or vacation periods may be eligible for a supplemental grant.
(EC 8483.7 and 8483.75)
The federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program
(federally funded after school programs) establishes a
minimum grant of $50,000.
(PL 107-110 4202)
ANALYSIS
This bill establishes minimum total direct grants for After
School Education and Safety (ASES) programs operated at small
schools. Specifically, this bill:
Establishes a minimum total direct annual grant for programs
operating an after school component at elementary, middle or
junior high schools:
1) $50,000 for programs with a total enrollment of at least
30 but no more than 74 pupils, provided that the
targeted number of pupils served is at least of the
school's total enrollment, and is at least 20 pupils.
2) $30,000 for programs with a total enrollment of less
than 30 pupils, provided that the targeted number of
pupils to be served is at least 2/3 of the school's
total enrollment, and is at least 10 pupils.
3) $16,500 for the before school component of programs with
a total enrollment of less than 30 pupils, provided that
the targeted number of pupils served is at least 2/3 of
the school's total enrollment.
STAFF COMMENTS
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1) Need for the bill : According to the author, "an
unintended consequence of this formula (the existing per
pupil, per day funding formula) is that it discriminates
against students attending very small schools, with a
total enrollment of less than 75 students. It is often
impossible to offer ASES programs at such schools
because the formula does not generate the minimum
revenue required to cover the operational costs."
2) How many programs, at what cost ? According to the
League of California Afterschool Providers, a total of
47 ASES programs currently receive a grant of less than
$50,000 and have total enrollments of less than 75
pupils. Of these programs, 22 meet the criteria
established by this bill (percentage of school's
enrollment and minimum level of program enrollment).
Currently, the lowest funding level for the 22 grantees that
would be eligible for additional funding pursuant to
this bill is $13,500. Because this ASES program has a
total enrollment of less than 30 pupils, this program
would be eligible for an additional $16,500, for a total
grant of $30,000. The lowest funded grantee with an
enrollment between 30-75 pupils currently receives a
grant of $27,000, and would be eligible for an
additional $23,000 pursuant to this bill. Proponents
believe the total cost of this bill is under $180,000.
3) How will these grants be funded ? The increased grant
levels proposed by this bill would be funded using
appropriated but unallocated ASES funding that would
otherwise be redistributed to other ASES grantees or
would revert back to Proposition 98. While no new
funding would be required, funds used for other purposes
would no longer be available for reallocation.
4) Prior legislation:
SB 1674 (Torlakson, 2008) in an early version,
among other things,
would have established minimum grant levels for
small ASES Programs. SB 1674 was vetoed by the
Governor, whose veto message read:
As the primary author of Proposition 49 that
created the After School Education and Safety
Program (ASES) Act, I am very proud of the good
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work that after school providers have done in
serving kids over the years. While providing
students with educationally enriching activities
during weekend hours is a worthy goal, this bill
takes the program beyond the original scope of the
ASES program. After school programs are intended
to provide students with access to quality
tutoring, homework assistance, and educational
enrichment during weekday non-school hours, when
they are most at risk of being involved in
dangerous activities.
SUPPORT
A World Fit For Kids
Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove
Central Valley Afterschool Foundation
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
League of California Afterschool Providers
Mendocino County Office of Education
Oakland Unified School District, Complementary Learning
Services
Partnership for Children and Youth
Safe Education and Recreation for Rural Families
Small School Districts' Association
OPPOSITION
None received.