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