BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 236
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Date of Hearing: July 3, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 236 (Pavley) - As Amended: June 26, 2013
Policy Committee: Education Vote:7-0
Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Moorpark Unified School District
(MUSD), beginning in the 2013-14 school year, to operate one or
more high schools offering a middle college program on a
four-day school week, if the district complies with
instructional time requirements, as specified. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Authorizes the State Board of Education (SBE) to waive the
five-consecutive-day operating requirements for a middle
college program that operates on a four-day school week,
provided MUSD meets the minimum time requirements for the
middle college programs.
2)Requires the SPI to reduce the MUSD's local control funding
formula (LCFF) allocation (base grant and supplemental grant
funding) per average daily attendance (ADA), if the school
provides fewer than 180 days of instruction and the school
program provides fewer than the amount of instructional
minutes required.
3)Revokes the authority of MUSD to operate a four-day school
week, if the district fails to achieve its Academic
Performance Index growth target for two consecutive years.
4)Requires MUSD to submit a report to the State Department of
Education (SDE) and the Legislature's education committees on
January 15, 2018, as specified.
5)Sunsets MUSD's authorization to operate a four day school week
on June 30, 2018.
SB 236
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FISCAL EFFECT
No additional cost to the state GF. There may be potential GF/98
savings if MUSD's LCFF allocation is reduced (at the discretion
of the SPI) due to the district not meeting instructional minute
and day requirements. In the 2011-12 fiscal year, MUSD received
a total of $35.4 million in revenue limit funding (general
purpose), which equaled approximately $5,403 per ADA. Under
full implementation of the LCFF, MUSD is expected to receive
approximately $8,547 per ADA.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . Prior to 1983, school districts were required to
operate school for 175 days of prescribed length per year. The
Hughes-Hart Educational Reform Act of 1983 (SB 813, Chapter
498, Statutes of 1983) offered school districts incentive
funding, if they offered 180 days of instruction per year or
lengthened school days by increasing instructional minutes.
These incentives were provided in order to avoid the higher
mandated costs that would have resulted from requiring a
longer school year and day. However, almost every school
district elected to accept the incentives and operate school
for at least 180 days.
There are five school districts currently authorized in
statute to operate one or more schools on a four-day school
week as long as they maintain 180 days of instruction per
year. If the school district fails to meet the 180 day
instructional requirement, the SPI is required to reduce the
district's LCFF allocation. Of the seven school districts,
three of these school districts, Pacific Unified School
District (located in Monterey County), Reeds Creek Elementary
(Tehama County), and Leggett Valley Unified School District
(located in Mendocino County), are authorized to operate a
four-day school week indefinitely. This bill will extend the
authorization for operating a four day school week at one or
more high schools offering a middle college program in MUSD
until 2018.
2)Middle college programs are high schools located on a
community college campus. These schools offer students at risk
of educational failure the opportunity to take high school
classes as well as college classes, and increase the
likelihood of qualifying for college upon graduation.
SB 236
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According to MUSD, its high school enrolls eleventh and
twelfth graders who are achieving less than their full
potential in a regular high school setting, or just want to
get ahead and earn tuition-free college credit.
MUSD's program is located at Moorpark Community College and
enrolled 121 students in the 2011-12 school year. Of these
students, 31.8% qualify for free-reduced price lunch.
Students take English, social studies, and elective classes
from our high school teachers, and complete their math,
science, and additional graduation requirements with college
faculty. High school classes are held Monday through Thursday
and students can take college courses on Fridays, and
Saturdays, and earn both high school and college credit for
each class. This dual enrollment process allows many of
students to graduate high school with a year or more of
college already completed. MUSD is seeking the four day
school week authorization to accommodate this program's
schedule.
3)MUSD , located in Ventura County, enrolled approximately 7,100
pupils in 12 schools in 2011-12. Of these pupils, 47.2%
qualify for free-reduced price lunch and 23.1% are classified
as English learners. As referenced above, the district's
middle college program enrolls approximately 121 students.
According to the author, "Middle college programs are very
rigorous - many programs, such as the one operated by the
[MUSD], have students taking college courses during the
morning, Friday or weekends and high school classes during the
afternoon and evening. The traditional five day school week
currently required by California statute is not conducive to
the advanced pacing of the Middle college program."
The committee notes that in previous legislation authorizing
school districts to offer four-day school weeks the reasons
cited were generally due to unique geographic circumstances
(i.e., pupils spending longer time on buses, climate, etc.)
and providing an educational benefit to the pupils. MUSD seeks
authorization for a four day school week primarily to
accommodate high school program requirements.
4)Previous legislation .
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a) AB 691 (Gilmore), Chapter 252, Statutes of 2009,
authorized the Alpaugh Unified School District, beginning
with the 2010-11 school year, to operate one or more
schools in the school district on a four day school week.
b) AB 1889 (Berg) Chapter 661, Statutes of 2008,
authorized the Potter Valley Community Unified School
District, beginning with the 2009-10 school year, to
operate one or more schools in the school district on a
four day school week.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081