BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 306
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 306
(Hadley) - As Amended March 26, 2015
SUBJECT: Public schools: attendance alternatives: children of
military personnel
SUMMARY: Establishes attendance alternatives for children of
military personnel. Specifically, this bill:
1)Provides that parent of a pupil enrolled in a school district
of residence may submit an application for the pupil to attend
a school in any school district of choice, if the parent with
whom the pupil resides is enlisted in the military and is on
active military duty.
2)Requires an application requesting a transfer pursuant to this
article to be submitted by the parent of a pupil to the school
district of choice before January 1 of the school year
preceding the school year for which the pupil is requesting
the transfer. However, this deadline does not apply to an
application requesting a transfer if the parent with whom the
pupil resides was relocated by the military within 90 days
before submitting the application. The school district of
choice may waive the deadline specified in this subdivision.
AB 306
Page 2
3)Provides that the application may request enrollment of the
pupil in a specific school or program within the school
district of choice.
4)Provides that pupil may enroll in the school district of
choice in the school year immediately following the approval
of his or her application.
5)Requires a school district of choice to establish a period of
time for resident pupil enrollment before accepting transfer
applications pursuant to this article in order to provide
priority enrollment opportunities for pupils residing in the
school district of choice. After the period of time for
resident pupil enrollment has concluded, if space is available
at a school in the desired school district of choice, the
school district of choice shall accept and approve a transfer
application in accordance with the following priorities:
a) First priority for transfer shall be given to the
siblings of pupils who already attend the desired school;
and
b) After approving the applications for enrollment for
siblings of pupils, if the number of pupils who request a
particular school exceeds the number of spaces at that
school, a lottery shall be conducted to select pupils at
random until all of the available spaces are filled.
6)Authorizes a school district of choice to adopt specific,
written standards for acceptance of applicants pursuant to
this article. The standards may include consideration of the
capacity of a program, class, grade level, school facilities,
and adverse financial impacts. However, these standards may
not include consideration of a pupil's previous academic
AB 306
Page 3
achievement, physical condition, proficiency in the English
language, family income, disability, gender, gender identify,
gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion,
or sexual orientation.
7)Defines "active military duty" to mean full-time military duty
status in the active uniformed service of the United States,
including members of the National Guard and the State Reserve
on active duty orders.
8)Defines "school district of choice" to mean a school district
for which an application for enrollment has been submitted by
the parent of a pupil requesting enrollment. A school
district of choice may include a school district in which the
parent of a pupil resides or a school district other than the
school district in which the parent of a pupil resides.
EXISTING LAW: Authorizes different opportunities for attending
a school district other than the district of residence,
including interdistrict transfer agreements between two
districts, pupil attendance alternatives (which authorize any
school district to accept interdistrict transfers), and the
ability to attend school in a district where a pupil's parent or
guardian is employed.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: According to the author's office, there are numerous
instances of active military duty parents whose request for
interdistrict transfers for their children have been accepted by
a district of choice, but denied by the district of residence.
(Generally, the transfers have been requested by military
parents who want to send their children to a district other than
then one where they are deployed and in which they reside.) The
AB 306
Page 4
author's office argues that, because military families are
subject to frequent moves and have little choice where they
live, it is important to give them choices with respect to where
they send their children to school. According to the author,
"Children of military families already face the realities of
adjusting to new schools each time their families are
re-stationed. We should help America's service families access
the right public schools for their kids while they are here,
while at the same time make California's military bases
attractive to the military and our country's servicemen and
women."
Committee amendments. The bill provides that "A parent of a
pupil enrolled in a school district of residence may submit an
application for the pupil to attend a school in any school
district of choice, if the parent with whom the pupil resides is
enlisted in the military and is on active military duty." The
author's office indicates that the phrase, "enlisted in the
military" excludes officers, which is not the intent.
Accordingly, staff recommends that the bill be amended to strike
that phrase.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
AB 306
Page 5
Jewish War Veterans
Military Officers Association of America-California Council
Military Order of the Purple Heart
Reserve Officers Association of the United States
Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce
Veterans of Foreign Wars-Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087
AB 306
Page 6
Ó
AB 306
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 306
(Hadley) - As Amended March 26, 2015
SUBJECT: Public schools: attendance alternatives: children of
military personnel
SUMMARY: Establishes attendance alternatives for children of
military personnel. Specifically, this bill:
1)Provides that parent of a pupil enrolled in a school district
of residence may submit an application for the pupil to attend
a school in any school district of choice, if the parent with
whom the pupil resides is enlisted in the military and is on
active military duty.
2)Requires an application requesting a transfer pursuant to this
article to be submitted by the parent of a pupil to the school
district of choice before January 1 of the school year
preceding the school year for which the pupil is requesting
the transfer. However, this deadline does not apply to an
application requesting a transfer if the parent with whom the
pupil resides was relocated by the military within 90 days
before submitting the application. The school district of
choice may waive the deadline specified in this subdivision.
AB 306
Page 2
3)Provides that the application may request enrollment of the
pupil in a specific school or program within the school
district of choice.
4)Provides that pupil may enroll in the school district of
choice in the school year immediately following the approval
of his or her application.
5)Requires a school district of choice to establish a period of
time for resident pupil enrollment before accepting transfer
applications pursuant to this article in order to provide
priority enrollment opportunities for pupils residing in the
school district of choice. After the period of time for
resident pupil enrollment has concluded, if space is available
at a school in the desired school district of choice, the
school district of choice shall accept and approve a transfer
application in accordance with the following priorities:
a) First priority for transfer shall be given to the
siblings of pupils who already attend the desired school;
and
b) After approving the applications for enrollment for
siblings of pupils, if the number of pupils who request a
particular school exceeds the number of spaces at that
school, a lottery shall be conducted to select pupils at
random until all of the available spaces are filled.
6)Authorizes a school district of choice to adopt specific,
written standards for acceptance of applicants pursuant to
this article. The standards may include consideration of the
capacity of a program, class, grade level, school facilities,
and adverse financial impacts. However, these standards may
not include consideration of a pupil's previous academic
AB 306
Page 3
achievement, physical condition, proficiency in the English
language, family income, disability, gender, gender identify,
gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion,
or sexual orientation.
7)Defines "active military duty" to mean full-time military duty
status in the active uniformed service of the United States,
including members of the National Guard and the State Reserve
on active duty orders.
8)Defines "school district of choice" to mean a school district
for which an application for enrollment has been submitted by
the parent of a pupil requesting enrollment. A school
district of choice may include a school district in which the
parent of a pupil resides or a school district other than the
school district in which the parent of a pupil resides.
EXISTING LAW: Authorizes different opportunities for attending
a school district other than the district of residence,
including interdistrict transfer agreements between two
districts, pupil attendance alternatives (which authorize any
school district to accept interdistrict transfers), and the
ability to attend school in a district where a pupil's parent or
guardian is employed.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: According to the author's office, there are numerous
instances of active military duty parents whose request for
interdistrict transfers for their children have been accepted by
a district of choice, but denied by the district of residence.
(Generally, the transfers have been requested by military
parents who want to send their children to a district other than
then one where they are deployed and in which they reside.) The
AB 306
Page 4
author's office argues that, because military families are
subject to frequent moves and have little choice where they
live, it is important to give them choices with respect to where
they send their children to school. According to the author,
"Children of military families already face the realities of
adjusting to new schools each time their families are
re-stationed. We should help America's service families access
the right public schools for their kids while they are here,
while at the same time make California's military bases
attractive to the military and our country's servicemen and
women."
Committee amendments. The bill provides that "A parent of a
pupil enrolled in a school district of residence may submit an
application for the pupil to attend a school in any school
district of choice, if the parent with whom the pupil resides is
enlisted in the military and is on active military duty." The
author's office indicates that the phrase, "enlisted in the
military" excludes officers, which is not the intent.
Accordingly, staff recommends that the bill be amended to strike
that phrase.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
AB 306
Page 5
Jewish War Veterans
Military Officers Association of America-California Council
Military Order of the Purple Heart
Reserve Officers Association of the United States
Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce
Veterans of Foreign Wars-Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087
AB 306
Page 6