BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 306
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
306 (Hadley)
As Amended May 5, 2015
Majority vote
-------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Education |6-0 |O'Donnell, Chávez, | |
| | |Kim, Santiago, | |
| | |Thurmond, Weber | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |15-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Establishes attendance alternatives for children of
AB 306
Page 2
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 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.
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
AB 306
Page 3
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
bill. 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 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.
AB 306
Page 4
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: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, unknown, likely minor Proposition 98 of 1988/General
Fund 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: 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 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."
AB 306
Page 5
Analysis Prepared by:
Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0000477
Ó
AB 306
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
306 (Hadley)
As Amended May 5, 2015
Majority vote
-------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Education |6-0 |O'Donnell, Chávez, | |
| | |Kim, Santiago, | |
| | |Thurmond, Weber | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |15-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Establishes attendance alternatives for children of
AB 306
Page 2
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 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.
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
AB 306
Page 3
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
bill. 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 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.
AB 306
Page 4
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: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, unknown, likely minor Proposition 98 of 1988/General
Fund 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: 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 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."
AB 306
Page 5
Analysis Prepared by:
Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0000477