California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2615


Introduced by Assembly Member Wood

February 19, 2016


An act to amend Section 8483 of the Education Code, relating to after school programs.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2615, as introduced, Wood. After school programs.

Existing law establishes the After School Education and Safety Program to serve pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 9, inclusive, at participating public elementary, middle, junior high, and charter schools. The act states that it is the intent of the Legislature that elementary school pupils participate in the full day of the program every day during which pupils participate and that pupils in middle school or junior high school attend a minimum of 9 hours a week and 3 days a week to accomplish program goals.

This bill would instead state that it is the intent of the Legislature that elementary school and middle school or junior high school pupils participate in the full day of the program every day during which the pupils participate.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

Section 8483 of the Education Code is amended
2to read:

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8483.  

(a) (1) Every after school component of a program
2established pursuant to this article shall commence immediately
3upon the conclusion of the regular schoolday, and operate a
4minimum of 15 hours per week, and at least until 6 p.m. on every
5regular schoolday. Every after school component of the program
6shall establish a policy regarding reasonable early daily release of
7pupils from the program. For those programs or schoolsites
8operating in a community where the early release policy does not
9meet the unique needs of that community or school, or both,
10documented evidence may be submitted to the department for an
11exception and a request for approval of an alternative plan.

12(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that elementary schoolbegin insert and
13middle school or junior high schoolend insert
pupils participate in the full
14day of the program every day during which pupilsbegin delete participate and
15that pupils in middle school or junior high school attend a minimum
16of nine hours a week and three days a week to accomplish program
17goals.end delete
begin insert participate.end insert

18(3) In order to develop an age-appropriate after school program
19for pupils in middle school or junior high school, programs
20established pursuant to this article may implement a flexible
21attendance schedule for those pupils. Priority for enrollment of
22pupils in middle school or junior high school shall be given to
23pupils who attend daily.

24(b) The administrators of a program established pursuant to this
25article have the option of operating during any combination of
26summer, intersession, or vacation periods for a minimum of three
27hours per day for the regular school year pursuant to Section
288483.7.



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