BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 311
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Date of Hearing: July 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 311
(Beall) - As Amended July 6, 2015
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Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY: This bill authorizes the Alum Rock Union Elementary
School District (ARUESD) to develop and implement an
individualized plan to provide preschool services within a
transitional kindergarten (TK) classroom on a five year pilot
basis through June 30, 2021. Specifically, this bill:
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1)Authorizes ARUESD and a preschool program (Kidango) to develop
the pilot, pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Requires the MOU to clarify the use of facilities, shared
goals of the pilot project, and responsibilities of both
parties.
2)Requires ARUESD and the preschool program to consult with the
Santa Clara Office of Education and First 5 of Santa Clara
County in the development of the individualized part day
preschool plan for children residing in the district.
3)Requires the plan to include the following:
a) Elements to address local needs, conditions, and
priorities of families in the school district for purposes
of preparing children for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
b) Increased access to preschool in the school district to
prepare children for transitional kindergarten and
kindergarten.
c) The provision of supplemental services to children in
transitional kindergarten.
d) The provision of parent education, parent engagement,
and family support services.
e) Systems to facilitate transition of children and their
families from a federal Head Start program and preschool to
transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.
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f) Collaboration between preschool, transitional
kindergarten and kindergarten teachers.
4)Provides that a child is eligible to participate in the pilot
based on free and reduced-price meal (FRPM) eligibility,
participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program
or if the child is a foster youth.
5)Authorizes children up to the age of admission to kindergarten
to participate in the pilot program.
6)Requires the pilot project plan to be submitted to the
governing board of the school district for approval. Upon
approval by the governing board, the plan or modifications to
the plan shall be submitted to California Department of
Education (CDE) for review. CDE shall either approve or
disapprove the plan, or modifications to the plan, within 30
days of receipt of the plan.
7)Requires the ARUESD and the preschool program to submit
interim reporting requirements to the Legislature and CDE
demonstrating if the program increased enrollment of children
eligible for FRPM and increased provision of child development
services. Further requires the district and the preschool, in
consultation with the Santa Clara County Office of Education
and First 5 of Santa Clara County, to submit a report to the
Legislature and CDE on or before December 31, 2020,
recommending if the program should continue.
8)Specifies no additional state funds shall be used for purposes
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of implementing the pilot program.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)This bill specifies no additional state funding shall be used
to implement the program; however, this bill effectively
prevents a reversion of preschool dollars, potentially in the
range of $170,000 to $860,000, thus a potential loss of
Proposition 98/GF.
The preschool provider subject to this pilot plans to
repurpose an existing California State Preschool Program
(CSPP) grant to pay for the services under the pilot. The
pilot expands eligibility to serve children up to five years
old and changes income eligibility requirements. These changes
increase the likelihood that the preschool provider will
utilize a greater portion of their CSPP grant. Currently, CDE
predicts this provider will only utilize 84% of their existing
$13.8 million state contract. Traditionally, early education
dollars that revert to the state have been reallocated to
serve other early care needs in high need communities.
2)Proposition 98/GF cost pressure, potentially in the millions,
to expand age and income eligibility for CSPP program grantees
throughout the state.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. The CSPP offers part-day and full-day preschool
programs through contracts with local educational agencies,
private contractors, and colleges. Part-day preschool
operates three hours per day for 175 days. The General Child
Care program provides "wrap around" to provide full-day care.
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The 2015-16 Budget Act provides 9,500 new slots to the CSPP
part-day and full-day programs.
Under current law, priority for enrollment for CSPP goes to
four- or three-year-old neglected or abused children who are
recipients of Child Protective Services or recipients who are
at risk of being neglected or abused, without regard to
income. Second priority goes to four-year-old children who
were enrolled in CSPP as a three-year-old, followed by
four-year-old children with the lowest income ranking.
Three-year-old children may be enrolled after four-year-olds
are enrolled.
This bill is sponsored by Kidango, a Bay Area early childhood
education and preschool provider. In May of 2015, Kidango was
awarded $866,400 in CSPP funding to serve 96 children (ages
three and four) in a full-day preschool setting. The sponsor
indicates their goal is to instead use these funds to provide
part-day services within ARUESD for transitional kindergarten
students using ARUESD classroom facilities. Existing CDE
guidance does not currently allow CSPP contracts to provide
before or after school services for transitional kindergarten.
The bill also expands eligibility by allowing families to use
FRPM eligibility (which allows families to self-certify),
participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program
or a child's status as a foster youth for purposes of CSPP
funding. Currently, eligibility is determined using the CSPP
application and income eligibility of 70% of the State Median
Income (SMI). According to the author, this process is overly
burdensome and time consuming.
2)Existing law options for expanding transitional kindergarten.
Current law authorizes a number of options to provide an
extended day to transitional kindergarten students. Current
regulations authorize children enrolled in transitional
kindergarten who are in need of before or after school
services to be enrolled in the General Child Care and
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Alternative Payment Programs. School districts can also seek
state after school program funds or use local control funding
formula dollars for this purpose. It is not clear to what
extent the ARUESD has pursued these other options.
3)Urgency. According to the author, this bill is urgent because
the district is attempting to implement the program in the
2015-16 school year. According to the ARUESD website, the
school year begins August 26. Even if the bill were signed
by mid-July, current provisions in the bill make it highly
unlikely the program would be implemented by August. The bill
requires a plan developed by the school district and Kidango
to be approved by the ARUESD governing board and the CDE.
Once the plan is submitted to the CDE, the department has 30
days to review and to approve, or disapprove the plan.
4)Other pilots. The Legislature has authorized other pilot
projects in San Mateo County and the city of county of San
Francisco that provide limited local flexibility to adjust
eligibility rules, provider rates and family fees to
accommodate higher cost of living and higher cost to provide
care in these areas. AB 833 (Bonta), on Suspense in the
Senate Appropriations Committee, authorizes Alameda to
establish a similar pilot. This bill is different than the
other pilots in that it only applies to CSPP and not all early
development programs, and the flexibilities granted by this
bill are limited to funds received by one agency rather than
on a countywide basis.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
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