BILL NUMBER: AB 18 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 8, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 6, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 19, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 5, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Brownley
(Coauthors: Senators Alquist and Lowenthal)
DECEMBER 6, 2010
An act to add and repeal Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33625)
of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating
to education finance.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 18, as amended, Brownley. Education finance: California Task
Force on School Finance.
Existing law establishes the public school system in this state,
and, among other things, provides for the establishment of school
districts throughout the state and for their provision of instruction
at the public elementary and secondary schools they operate and
maintain. Existing law establishes a public school funding system
that includes, among other elements, the provision of funding to
local educational agencies through state apportionments, the proceeds
of property taxes collected at the local level, and other sources.
This bill would establish a 19-member
21-member California Task Force on School Finance as of January
1, 2013, to review and analyze alternative formulas for allocating
funds to public schools in California for the purpose of identifying
and recommending a formula or formulas that best meet the needs of
California's public school system and public school pupils. The bill
would specify criteria to be used by the task force to evaluate
funding formulas. The bill would provide that 8
10 of the members of the task force would be appointed by
the Governor, 5 appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, 5 appointed
by the Senate Committee on Rules, and that the Superintendent of
Public Instruction or his or her designee would be a member of, and
serve as chair of, the task force. The
The bill would specify the qualifications of the
appointees, and provide for reimbursement for their expenses in
attending meetings. The bill would require that meetings of the task
force would be subject to specified open meetings requirements. The
bill would require the task force to report its findings and
recommendations to the Legislature on or before April 1, 2013.
The bill would become operative only if the Superintendent of Public
Instruction certifies, on or before January 31 , 2013,
that sufficient nonstate funds are available for its implementation.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2013,
and would repeal them as of January 1, 2014.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33625) is added to
Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
CHAPTER 5. CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE ON SCHOOL FINANCE
33625. (a) The California Task Force on School Finance is hereby
established as of January 1, 2013. The task force shall review and
analyze alternative formulas for allocating funds to public schools
in California for the purpose of identifying and recommending a
formula or formulas that best meet the needs of California's public
school system and public school pupils. The criteria used to evaluate
different funding formulas shall include, but not necessarily be
limited to, all of the following:
(1) The degree to which the formula results in a level of funding
for each local educational agency that matches that local educational
agency's needs as determined by pupil demographics, grade level
enrollment, regional cost differences, and other cost factors
identified by the task force.
(2) The degree to which the formula facilitates the attainment of
educational policy objectives.
(3) The degree to which the formula can be modified to reflect
changing conditions and policy objectives.
(4) The degree to which the formula can be easily administered and
understood by policymakers and the public.
(b) The task force shall consist of 19 21
members, who shall be representative of the diversity of the
state population, 18 20 of whom shall
be appointed as follows:
(1) Eight Ten members shall be
appointed by the Governor , and shall include all of
the following:
(A) One representative each of urban
school districts, suburban school districts, and rural school
districts .
(B) A currently employed teacher.
(C) A currently employed school
administrator.
(D) A currently employed classified school employee.
(E) A current school board member.
(F) A parent.
(G) A representative of traditionally underserved pupil
populations.
(H) A member of the educational research community with expertise
in school finance.
(2) Five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly
, and shall include all of the following:
(A) A representative of suburban school
districts .
(B) A currently employed teacher.
(C) A current school board member.
(D) A representative of traditionally underserved pupil
populations.
(E) A member of the educational research community with expertise
in school finance.
(3) Five members shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules , and shall include all of the following:
(A) A representative of urban school districts.
(B) A representative of rural school districts.
(C) A currently employed school administrator.
(D) A currently employed classified school employee.
(E) A parent .
(c) The Superintendent or his or her designee shall be a member of
and serve as chair of the task force.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the task force
include representation from urban, suburban, and rural school
districts; currently employed teachers, administrators, and
classified school employees; school board members; parents;
historically underserved pupil populations; and members of the
research community with expertise in school finance.
(e)
( d) The task force shall do all of the
following:
(1) Identify key issues related to the fair, efficient, and
equitable distribution of resources among and within local
educational agencies.
(2) Identify means by which a funding formula can maximize local
decisionmaking authority while ensuring that statewide policy
objectives are met.
(3) Solicit comments and suggestions from professional educators
and administrators, parents, school finance experts, and other
interested parties.
(4) Develop alternative formulas for distributing resources to
local educational agencies. The formulas to be considered shall
include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following:
(A) Modifications to the current system of general purpose funding
plus categorical program funding.
(B) General purpose funding plus categorical program block grants.
(C) Weighted pupil formula.
(5) Simulate the distribution of funds under alternative formulas.
(6) Identify, for each formula simulated, a target level of
funding for each local educational agency.
(7) Make recommendations regarding a methodology for transitioning
to a new funding formula.
(f)
( e) The task force shall report its
findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before April 1,
2013, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(f) A member of the task force shall serve without compensation,
but may be reimbursed for direct travel and meal expenses he or she
incurs to attend task force meetings.
(g) Meetings of the task force shall be subject to the
Bagley-Keene Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of
Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(g)
( h) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Local educational agency" means school districts, county
offices of education, and charter schools.
(2) "Target level of funding" means the level of funding that is
not less than the amount yielded when a formula is applied to the
total level of funding, exclusive of federal and lottery funds,
allocated to local educational agencies for the 2012-13 fiscal year,
plus the school district share of the outstanding maintenance factor
computed pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California
Constitution as of July 1, 2012.
(i) This chapter shall become operative only if the Superintendent
certifies, on or before January 31, 2013, that sufficient nonstate
funds are available for its implementation.
(h)
( j) This chapter shall become inoperative
on July 1, 2013, and, as of January 1, 2014, is repealed, unless a
later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1,
2014, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative
and is repealed.