BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 18
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 18 (Brownley)
As Amended August 8, 2012
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(June 1, 2011) |SENATE: |22-15|(August 23, |
| | | | | |2012) |
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(vote not relevant)
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|ASSEMBLY: |54-26|(August 27, | | | |
| | |2012) | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY: Creates a 21-member California Task Force on School
Finance (Task Force) to be appointed, as specified, by the
Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Senate Rules
Committee, to review and analyze alternative formulas for
allocating funds to public schools and to recommend formulas
that best meet the needs of California's public school system
and pupils. Specifically, the bill :
1)Requires the Task Force to consist of currently employed
teachers, school administrators, and classified employees;
current school board members; parents; representatives of
urban, suburban, and rural school districts; representatives
of traditionally underserved pupil populations; and, members
of the research community with expertise in school finance.
2)Provides for the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
serve on and chair the Task Force.
3)Requires the Task Force to:
a) Identify key issues related to the fair, efficient, and
AB 18
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equitable distribution of resources among and within local
educational agencies;
b) Identify means by which a funding formula can maximize
local decision making authority while ensuring that
statewide policy objectives are met;
c) Solicit comments and suggestions from educators and the
public;
d) Develop alternative funding formulas, as specified;
e) Simulate the distribution of funds under alternative
formulas;
f) Identify, for each formula, a target level of funding,
as specified, for each local education agency;
g) Make recommendations regarding a methodology for
transitioning to a new funding formula; and,
h) Report its findings and recommendations to the
Legislature by April 1, 2013.
4)Requires funding formulas to be evaluated based on the degree
to which they:
a) Result in a level of funding for each local education
agency that matches its needs as determined by pupil
demographics, grade level enrollment, regional cost
differences, and other cost factors identified by the Task
Force;
b) Facilitate the attainment of educational policy
objectives;
c) Can be modified to reflect changing conditions and
policy objectives; and,
d) Can be easily understood and administered by
policymakers and the public.
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5)Provides that members of the Task Force shall serve without
compensation, but may be reimbursed direct travel and meal
expenses.
6)Requires the meetings of the Task Force to be subject to the
Bagley-Keene Act.
7)Provides that this bill shall become operative only if the SPI
certifies that sufficient nonstate funds are available for its
implementation.
8)Establishes a sunset date of July 1, 2013, and a repeal date
of January 1, 2014.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of the bill
and add the provisions described above.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill consolidated funding for
most K-12 categorical programs into three block grants.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)Approximately $250,000 from nonstate funds for expenses of the
Task Force.
2)Unknown fiscal impact to implement any recommended funding
formula and related recommendations developed by the Task
Force.
COMMENTS: In January 2014, Governor Brown proposed a Weighted
Pupil Funding (WPF) formula as part of his 2012-13 budget
proposal. The January proposal was updated in the May Revision
of the budget. The purpose of the proposal was to reform a
school finance system that is widely viewed as being too complex
and confusing and as failing to deliver resources to where they
are needed most based on pupil needs. The Assembly version of
this bill offered an alternative approach to school finance
reform by consolidating funding for most categorical programs
into three block grants.
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The Governor never put his proposal in bill form for
consideration by legislative policy committees, and a scheduled
joint hearing of the Assembly Education Committee and the Senate
Education Committee was cancelled at the Administration's
request. The purpose of this bill, according to the author, is
bring all interested parties to the table in order to achieve
the consensus needed to pass school finance reform legislation.
According to the author, "AB 18 is not another study bill.
Rather, the purpose of AB 18 is to build upon the studies and
research that have already taken place, and to bring the
conversation about school finance reform to a conclusion, rather
than prolong it."
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
"This bill would establish a 21-member California Task Force on
School Finance to review and analyze alternative formulas for
allocating funds to public schools.
"I agree that California's complex school finance laws need
urgent attention. Creating a task force, however, may actually
delay action on reforms.
"Rather than create a task force, let's work together and craft
a fair Weighted Student Formula."
Analysis Prepared by : Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN:
0005990