BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 306
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
306 (Hadley) - As Amended May 5, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes attendance alternatives for children of
military personnel if the parent with whom the pupil resides is
AB 306
Page 2
on active military duty. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires a parent pursuing a district transfer to submit an
application to the school district of choice before January 1
of the school year preceding the school year for which the
pupils is requesting the transfer, unless the parent is
relocated by the military, as specified. Specifies the pupil
may enroll in the school district of choice the following
school year.
2)Authorizes the application to request enrollment of the pupil
in a specific school or program within the district of choice.
3)Authorizes a school district of choice to adopt specific,
written standards for acceptance of applicants. The standards
may include consideration of the capacity of a program, class,
grade level, school facilities, and adverse financial impacts.
Prohibits standards that include consideration of a pupil's
previous academic achievement, physical condition, proficiency
in the English language, family income, or any of the
individual characteristics as specified.
4)Authorizes the district to establish priority for pupils
residing in the school district and establish a period of time
for resident pupil enrollment before accepting transfer
applications per this bill. 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 is required to accept and approve a
transfer application. With regard to establishing priority,
allows siblings of pupils who already attend the school to
have first priority. Requires a lottery process to determine
enrollment for remaining available spaces.
FISCAL EFFECT:
AB 306
Page 3
Unknown, likely minor, Proposition 98/GF state mandated costs
for school districts to adopt a specific, written standard for
acceptance of children of military families. Most, if not all,
school districts have interdistrict transfer policies. This bill
would create a new priority which would require some changes to
existing applications. Districts would also need to verify
family military status. These activities are likely to be deemed
reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates. Actual costs
to the state will depend on individual district claims.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. 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. The 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.
2)Local funding impact. As pupils transfer out of school
districts, the school districts that they reside in lose
average daily attendance funding for those students. When a
school district loses revenue, it impacts their ability to
provide education programs to the remaining students because
they have less overall funding. For areas of the state that
serve large populations of military families, this policy
could have a substantial impact on the district of residence,
particularly if the district is already declining in
enrollment.
3)Related legislation. SB 369 (Block), pending in the Senate
AB 306
Page 4
Appropriations Committee, adds an indicator to the California
Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) to
identify pupils of military families, and requires local
educational agencies (LEAs) to report enrollment of pupils of
military families.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
Ó
AB 306
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
306 (Hadley) - As Amended May 5, 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Education |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes attendance alternatives for children of
military personnel if the parent with whom the pupil resides is
AB 306
Page 2
on active military duty. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires a parent pursuing a district transfer to submit an
application to the school district of choice before January 1
of the school year preceding the school year for which the
pupils is requesting the transfer, unless the parent is
relocated by the military, as specified. Specifies the pupil
may enroll in the school district of choice the following
school year.
2)Authorizes the application to request enrollment of the pupil
in a specific school or program within the district of choice.
3)Authorizes a school district of choice to adopt specific,
written standards for acceptance of applicants. The standards
may include consideration of the capacity of a program, class,
grade level, school facilities, and adverse financial impacts.
Prohibits standards that include consideration of a pupil's
previous academic achievement, physical condition, proficiency
in the English language, family income, or any of the
individual characteristics as specified.
4)Authorizes the district to establish priority for pupils
residing in the school district and establish a period of time
for resident pupil enrollment before accepting transfer
applications per this bill. 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 is required to accept and approve a
transfer application. With regard to establishing priority,
allows siblings of pupils who already attend the school to
have first priority. Requires a lottery process to determine
enrollment for remaining available spaces.
FISCAL EFFECT:
AB 306
Page 3
Unknown, likely minor, Proposition 98/GF state mandated costs
for school districts to adopt a specific, written standard for
acceptance of children of military families. Most, if not all,
school districts have interdistrict transfer policies. This bill
would create a new priority which would require some changes to
existing applications. Districts would also need to verify
family military status. These activities are likely to be deemed
reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates. Actual costs
to the state will depend on individual district claims.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. 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. The 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.
2)Local funding impact. As pupils transfer out of school
districts, the school districts that they reside in lose
average daily attendance funding for those students. When a
school district loses revenue, it impacts their ability to
provide education programs to the remaining students because
they have less overall funding. For areas of the state that
serve large populations of military families, this policy
could have a substantial impact on the district of residence,
particularly if the district is already declining in
enrollment.
3)Related legislation. SB 369 (Block), pending in the Senate
AB 306
Page 4
Appropriations Committee, adds an indicator to the California
Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) to
identify pupils of military families, and requires local
educational agencies (LEAs) to report enrollment of pupils of
military families.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081