BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 527
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Date of Hearing: June 29, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 527
(Liu) - As Amended June 6, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes the Learning Communities for School
Success Program, contingent upon funds appropriated in the
Budget Act, for the purpose of implementing the K-12 education
portion of the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund (Proposition
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47). Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to
administer a three year competitive grant program, as
specified. Grantees must provide a local match of at least
20% of the total grant award. Priority can be given to LEAs
with high rates of chronic absenteeism, out-of-school
suspension, or school dropout, if the LEA is located in a
community with a high crime rate or has a significant
representation of foster youth among its pupil enrollment.
2)Requires the CDE to consult with stakeholders, as specified,
for the purposes of providing input on the design of the
application and review process, including the size of the
grant awards, but not in determining who will be awarded
grants.
3)Requires the LEA that receives a grant to use the grant funds
for planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities in
support of evidence-based, nonpunitive programs and practices
to keep the state's most vulnerable pupils in school,
consistent with the LEA's goals for the pupil engagement and
school climate state priorities identified in its LCAP.
4)Requires the CDE to establish a structure to deliver training
and technical assistance to grantees using regional workshops
and technical assistance providers that have expertise on:
pupil engagement; school climate; truancy reduction; and
supporting pupils who are at risk of dropping out of school or
who are victims of crime.
5)Requires a LEA that receives grant funding pursuant to this
bill to evaluate and report the results of the activities it
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undertakes pursuant to this bill. Requires the CDE to compile
information from grantee reports as part of an overall
evaluation. Requires the CDE to submit an interim report to
the Legislature on or before January 31, 2019, and a final
evaluation report to the Legislature on or before January 31,
2020.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)The grant program established by this bill is contingent upon
funding provided in the budget act. The 2016-17 budget,
pending signature by the Governor, provides a total of $27.9
for the purposes of this bill. Specifically, the budget
includes $9.9 million in Proposition 47 savings and an
additional $18 million in one-time Proposition 98 funds to
implement the K-12 grant program required under Proposition
47, pursuant to legislation.
2)Administrative costs to the CDE in the range of $400,000 to
$800,000 to administer grants, provide technical assistance,
and collect and analyze data. This bill, consistent with the
Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, allows the CDE to use no
more than 5% of the funding the department receives from the
Act for administrative costs.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. In November 2014, voters approved Proposition 47,
establishing the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. The
Proposition reduced penalties for specified non-violent drug
and property crimes, resulting in a reduced prison population
and thereby reduced state costs. The Proposition requires the
Department of Finance, beginning with July 31, 2016, to
calculate the savings derived by the Proposition during the
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preceding fiscal year.
Pursuant to the proposition, the funding must be allocated as
follows:
a) 25% to the CDE to administer a grant program to public
agencies aimed at improving outcomes for K-12 public school
pupils by reducing truancy and supporting students who are
at risk of dropping out of school or are victims of crime.
b) 10% to the California Victim Compensation and Government
Claims Board, to make grants to trauma recovery centers to
provide services to victims of crime.
c) 65% to the Board of State and Community Corrections, to
administer a grant program to public agencies aimed at
supporting mental health treatment, substance abuse
treatment, and diversion programs for people in the
criminal justice system, with an emphasis on programs that
reduce recidivism of people convicted of less serious
crimes, such as those covered by the Proposition, and those
who have substance abuse and mental health problems.
This bill creates the grant program to allocate the 25%
required under Proposition 47 for K-12 schools.
1)Related legislation. AB 1014 (Thurmond), pending in the
Senate, establishes the Our Children's Success - The Early
Intervention Attendance Pilot Grant Program to reduce
absenteeism in kindergarten through third grade. This bill
was amended on June 23, 2016 to include the same language as
SB 527. The author's intend for both bills to move
concurrently.
SB 527
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Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081