BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 527|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 527
Author: Liu (D)
Amended: 1/13/16
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 4/29/15
AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Vidak
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-1, 1/21/16
AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza
NOES: Nielsen
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bates
SUBJECT: Education finance: Safe Neighborhoods and Schools
Planning Grants
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill establishes various requirements for the
grant program authorized by the Safe Neighborhoods and School
Act (approved by voters as Proposition 47 in November 2014) for
truancy and dropout prevention. This program is to be
administered by the California Department of Education (CDE).
ANALYSIS: Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,
enacted by Proposition 47, as approved by the voters at the
November 4, 2014, statewide general election, among other
things, establishes the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund, a
continuously appropriated fund, which is funded by savings that
accrue to the state from the implementation of the act. The act
provides that, among other purposes, 25 percent of the funds
shall be disbursed to the CDE to administer a grant program to
public agencies aimed at improving outcomes for public school
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pupils by reducing truancy and supporting pupils who are at risk
of dropping out of school or are victims of crime.
This bill:
1)Establishes various requirements for the grant program
authorized by Proposition 47 for truancy and dropout
prevention.
2)Requires the CDE, upon an appropriation, to administer
planning grants to improve student outcomes, as specified.
3)Requires local educational agencies (LEAs) that apply for
funding to submit a plan to the CDE that includes various
components. Plans must include a description of local needs,
based on specified data, and describe a commitment to:
aligning strategies to the LEA's Local Control and
Accountability Plan; addressing the needs of each student
subgroup; implementing a community schools strategy; engaging
various entities; maintaining a team responsible for overall
operations; and reporting on program outputs. The plans must
also describe how the strategies will be sustained beyond the
grant period and how they will be monitored and evaluated.
4)Prioritizes funding for LEAs that are located in communities
with high crime rates or have high rates of chronic
absenteeism, suspension, dropouts, or foster youth.
5)Allows grant funds to be used for development and initial
implementation of a community school strategy that includes,
among other things, assessing and meeting the academic,
social, emotional, physical health, and mental health needs of
students, identifying school and community resources, and
integration of services. Funds may also be used to improve or
expand upon existing activities.
6)Specifies legislative intent that LEAs support ongoing costs
for activities pursuant to this bill.
7)Requires the CDE to conduct outreach to LEAs that qualify for
priority funding, provide training and technical assistance to
LEAs that receive grants, and coordinate training and
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technical assistance for LEAs that do not.
Background
The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act was approved by voters as
Proposition 47 in November 2014 and makes significant changes to
the state's criminal justice system. It reduces the penalties
for certain non-violent, non-serious drug and property crimes,
and requires that the resulting state savings be spent on 1)
mental health and substance use services; 2) truancy and dropout
prevention; and 3) victim services. Further, Proposition 47
requires that 25 percent of the Safe Neighborhoods School Fund
be allocated to the CDE to administer a grant program to reduce
truancy, high school dropout, and student victimization rates.
Comments
Need for the bill. According to the author's office, "positive
school climate is directly related to academic achievement. New
Local Control Funding Formula state priorities include a focus
on improving school climate measure in part by suspension and
expulsion rates. Studies have shown that one suspension greatly
increases the likelihood that a student will drop out and become
involved in the juvenile justice system. Removing students from
school through the disciplinary exclusion also increase the risk
that they will become victims of violent crime. Exposure to
trauma is associated with a higher risk for school dropout and
in turn, dropping out of school increases the risk of being
imprisoned. Students of color, foster youth, and students with
disabilities are disproportionately impacted by school removals.
In addition, behavioral problems among school-age youth are
associated with high rates of depression, experiencing a
traumatic or violent event, and other significant home-life
stress. 65 percent of students with an "emotional disturbance"
drop out of school. This dropout rate is the highest of all
other disability categories.
School-age youth who are depressed, have experienced a traumatic
or violent event, and other significant home-life stresses are
more likely to be suspended or expelled. The American Academy
of Pediatrics has found that suspension can increase stress and
may predispose students to antisocial behavior and even suicidal
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ideation. Psychologists have similarly found that disciplinary
exclusion policies can increase "student share, alienation,
rejection, and breaking of healthy adult bonds," thereby
exacerbating negative outcomes for young people."
Report on Proposition 47. The Legislative Analyst's Office
(LAO) released a report on the Implementation of Proposition 47
in February 2015. In the report, the LAO indicates that while
the state savings that will result from Proposition 47 is
subject to significant uncertainty, annual savings will likely
range from $100 million to $200 million beginning in 2016-17.
The LAO also notes that although Proposition 47 states that
these savings shall be deposited into a new state fund, the new
Safe Neighborhood and Schools Fund (SNSF), and be allocated for
grant programs administered by specific departments, the
Legislature has the opportunity to provide direction on how the
funds are spent. Specifically, the Legislature could weigh in
on 1) how the individual departments should distribute the funds
and 2) how much state oversight to provide to ensure that the
funds are being spent effectively.
Proposition 47 requires that 25 percent of the SNSF be allocated
to the CDE to administer a grant program to reduce truancy, high
school dropout, and student victimization rates. The 2016-17
Governor's Budget proposes $7.3 million for this grant program.
Truancy in schools. California's compulsory education law
requires all students between the ages of six and 18 to attend
school full-time. Parents and legal guardians are responsible
for ensuring that children attend school. A student who is
absent from school without a valid excuse for more than 30
minutes on three days in a school year is considered a truant.
The law requires that parents or legal guardians are notified
when their children has been classified as a truant and reminded
of their obligation to compel the attendance of pupils at
school. Upon a pupil's third truancy in a school year and
following a district's effort to hold a conference with the
parent or legal guardian and the pupil, a pupil is classified as
a habitual truant and may be referred to a school attendance
review board (SARB) or to the local probation officer. Upon a
fourth truancy, students and/or their parents or legal guardians
may be fined. In 2012-13, the CDE reported a truancy rate of
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29.28% with 1.9 million students considered truants.
According to the CDE, students who are chronically absent in
lower grades are much less likely to be proficient readers and
have higher levels of suspensions. Chronic absence in the sixth
grade is the most predictive indicator that a student will not
graduate from high school.
In 2013, the Attorney General's (AG's) office released a report,
"In School and On Track" on the truancy of elementary school
kids. The AG argues that truancy at the elementary level has
negative impacts on the students, who are more likely to drop
out of high school, public safety when students become more
likely to become involved with gangs, substance abuse, and
incarceration. There are also negative impacts on school
districts who attendance funding and on the economy, due to lost
economic productivity and revenues.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the level of
funding for the program outlined in this bill is dependent upon
savings derived from Proposition 47. As of the release of the
Governor's Budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year, it is estimated
that $7.3 million will be available for this program. The
Governor's Budget indicates that funds expended on direct
services and other instructional support for students will be
counted towards meeting the state's funding obligation under
Proposition 98.
Additionally, the CDE indicates that this bill will require 3.5
positions and about $460,000 for activities including
administering the grants, providing technical assistance, and
collecting and analyzing data. Staff notes that current law
prohibits the CDE from spending more than 5 percent of funds it
receives from the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund for
administrative costs annually. Any administrative costs not
covered by the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund would require
General Fund support.
SUPPORT: (Verified 1/22/16)
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None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified1/22/16)
None received
Prepared by:Lenin DelCastillo / ED. / (916) 651-4105
1/25/16 16:16:46
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