BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 311
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|Author: |Beall |
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|Version: |April 6, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date: April 15, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |Yes |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez |
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Subject: Child Care and Development Services Act: preschool:
Alum Rock Union ????..Elementary School District: pilot
project
SUMMARY
This bill, an urgency measure, authorizes a pilot project at
Alum Rock Union Elementary School District (ARUESD), located
in Santa Clara County, that allows the district to create a
part-day pre-school subsidy plan to meet the particular needs
of families in the school district until January 1, 2022.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes several programs providing subsidized
child care and development services that service low-income
families who are working, seeking work, in training, or
providing community service. Existing law requires those
programs to include, but not be limited to, part-day age and
developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate
the transition to kindergarten for three- and four-year-old
children in educational development, health services, social
services, nutritional services, parent education and parent
participation, evaluation, and staff development. These
programs are administered by the California Department of
Education (CDE) and require the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to adopt rules and regulations on
eligibility, enrollment, family fees, provider rates, and
SB 311 (Beall) Page 2 of ?
priority services.
(Education Code § 8235 and 8263)
Existing law authorizes a pilot project in San Mateo County
(since 2004) and San Francisco City and County (since 2006)
that allows the counties to develop and implement an
individualized county child care subsidy plan in recognition
of the high-cost of living in those counties.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1. Authorizes the ARUESD, located in Santa Clara County, to
implement an individualized eligibility part-day
preschool subsidy plan as a pilot project. Specifically
it:
A. Requires the development of a plan that:
i) Bases participation on
either eligibility for free or reduced meals,
or foster youth status.
ii) Authorizes admission of students up
to the age of admission into first grade
B. Requires submission to, and approval
of the plan by, the Santa Clara County Local Child
Care Planning Council and the Early Education and
Support Division of the Department of Education.
C. Requires annual reports to the
Legislature summarizing the success of the pilot
project, with submission of a final report by
December 31, 2022 to include recommendations
regarding the continuance of the pilot as a
permanent program.
D. Sunsets the pilot project by January
1, 2022 and thereafter reverts to current law
regarding preschool eligibility.
2. Provides definitions for various terms for the purpose of
this bill.
SB 311 (Beall) Page 3 of ?
3. Specifies the unique circumstances of the school
district, including a high level of children who live in
poverty, that condition the need for a special law.
4. Makes the bill an urgency measure in order to remove the
paperwork burden on families and agencies in time for the
new school year.
STAFF COMMENTS
1. Why ARUESD? According to the author, Alum Rock Union
Elementary School District (ARUESD) located in San Jose,
has one of the highest numbers of low income families and
a high violence rate within the East of San Jose. As a
result, academic performance among children and youth
residing in the Alum Rock community has been impacted.
For this reason, several of the anticipated outcomes for
this pilot project include: effective transition of
children between preschool and transitional Kindergarten
through 8, parent and community engagement, decrease in
use of the Juvenile Justice System competency in speaking
and reading English while maintaining their home
language, special education eligible children referred
for services earlier and with a shorter need for
intensive services. Additionally, the author asserts that
the existing program presents administrative barriers
that may discourage new families from participating in
part-day preschool. This bill seeks to extend the hours
of preschool and provide an efficient eligibility process
for families.
Existing law has authorized two other Bay Area pilot projects
in recognition of the high-cost of living in those counties.
In addition to the high cost of living in Santa Clara County,
this pilot project seeks to address unique issues relative to
the high level of children who live in poverty, are English
Language Learners and who are exposed to violence in the
community.
2. Part-Day State Preschool. The California State Preschool
Program - Part Day is a three-hour educational program
for children ages three- and four- years of age that
operates for a minimum of 3 hours daily for a minimum of
175 days per year. These programs are located at
SB 311 (Beall) Page 4 of ?
elementary schools and provide personalized learning
experiences before children enter kindergarten.
Children are eligible for the program if the family currently
receives aid, meets specified income eligibility requirements,
is homeless, or if the child is the recipient of protective
services, or has been identified as neglected, abused or
exploited (or at risk of such). In addition, the family must
have need of the child care services due to specified social
service circumstances, employment training, or other specified
needs.
3. Related Budget Action. The Budget Act of 2013 augmented
funding for existing California State Preschool Program
contracts, thereby allowing these contractors to provide
additional services during fiscal year 2013-2014. This
additional funding was included in the base funding for
part-day preschool for fiscal year 2014-2015. According
to the author, it is the intent that this pilot project
will be funded within the existing resources provided to
the district in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
4. Related and prior legislation.
PRIOR LEGISLATION
AB 260 (Gordon, CH. 731, 2013) extends the individualized
county child care subsidy pilot plans (pilot) for San
Mateo County July 1, 2018 and San Francisco County July
1, 2016.
AB 1326 (Simitian, CH. 691, 2003) created a five-year
child care subsidy pilot program in San Mateo County that
permitted the county to revise their local child care
system to meet the particular needs of San Mateo County
residents.
SUPPORT
Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
First 5 Santa Clara County
Kidango
PTA Adelante Dual Language Academy
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Numerous individuals
SB 311 (Beall) Page 5 of ?
OPPOSITION
None received.
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