BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 948
          Author:   Olsen (R), et al.
          Amended:  8/19/14 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 6/26/13
          AYES:  Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Huff,  
            Monning, Torres
           
          SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 8/14/14
          AYES:  De León, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Walters, Gaines
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  75-1, 5/29/13 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Charter School Facility Grant Program

           SOURCE  :     California Charter Schools Association Advocates


           DIGEST  :    This bill expands eligibility for the Charter School  
          Facility Grant Program (Program) in any year in which additional  
          funds remain after state and federal funds have been allocated  
          by reducing the free and reduced-price meals threshold one  
          percentage point at a time, from 70% to 60%, as specified.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:

          1.States that the Charter Schools Act of 1992, provides for the  
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            establishment of charter schools in California for the  
            purpose, among other things, to improve student learning and  
            expand learning experiences for pupils who are identified as  
            academically low achieving.  

          2.Specifies that subject to the annual Budget Act, eligible  
            schools shall receive an amount up to, but not more than $750  
            per unit of average daily attendance to provide an amount up  
            to, but not more than, 75% of the charter school's annual  
            facilities rent and lease costs.  

          3.Provides that eligibility is based on the geographic location  
            of the charter schoolsite, pupil eligibility for free and  
            reduced price meals, and a preference in admissions, as  
            appropriate.  Eligibility for funding shall not be limited to  
            the grade level or levels served by the school whose  
            attendance area is used to determine eligibility.

          4.Provides that funding shall be used for costs associated with  
            facilities rents and leases, as specified, and may also be  
            used for costs associated with remodeling of a building,  
            deferred maintenance, initially installing or extending  
            service systems and other built-in equipment, and improving  
            sites.  

          5.Requires the California School Finance Authority to administer  
            the Program, and provides that the Program is intended to  
            provide assistance with facilities rent and lease costs for  
            pupils in charter schools.

          6.Requires the Department of Education, authority, among other  
            requirements, to inform charter schools of the Program and to  
            determine Program eligibility based on specified factors,  
            including, among other factors, a charter school's preference  
            in admissions, the geographic location of the charter  
            schoolsite, and pupil eligibility for free and reduced-price  
            meals, as specified.
            
          This bill:

          1.Expands eligibility for the Program in any year in which  
            additional funds remain after state and federal funds have  
            been allocated by reducing the free and reduced-price meals  
            threshold one percentage point at a time, from 70% to 60%, as  

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            specified.

          2.Provides that, with respect to this Program, charter schools  
            will be subject to the provision that generally imposes the  
            requirement of an annual audit on local educational agencies.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, by expanding  
          Program eligibility and use of funding, this bill will result in  
          a loss of annual state savings in the millions of dollars.  The  
          exact amount will be determined by the Program balance each  
          year. 

           SUPPORT  :   (per Senate Education Committee analysis of 6/26/13 -  
          unable to reverify at time of writing)

          California Charter Schools Association Advocates (source)

           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  75-1, 5/29/13
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,  
            Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,  
            Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,  
            Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,  
            Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon,  
            Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández,  
            Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein,  
            Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi,  
            Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel  
            Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone,  
            Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams,  
            Yamada, John A. Pérez
          NOES:  Ammiano
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Holden, Linder, Mitchell, Vacancy


          PQ/JG:k  8/19/14   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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