BILL NUMBER: AB 537	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 15, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Aroner

                        FEBRUARY 18, 1999

   An act to add Section 41857 to the Education Code, relating to
school transportation  , and making an appropriation therefor
 .



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 537, as amended, Aroner.  School transportation:   West
Contra Costa Unified School District   appropriation
 .
   Existing law establishes a formula for the apportionment by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction of an amount from the State
School Fund to fund home-to-school transportation.
   This bill would establish an alternative formula for funding
home-to-school transportation  in the West Contra Costa
Unified School District.
   The bill would declare that, due to the unique circumstances
applicable to the West Contra Costa Unified School District, a
statute of general applicability cannot be enacted within the meaning
of subdivision (b) of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
Constitution   for a school district in which at least
50% of the pupils enrolled in the district qualified for free and
reduced price lunches, district's home-to-school transportation
entitlement was less than 15% of the district's home-to-school
approved expenses, and the number of average daily boardings by
pupils enrolled in the school district who use public transit as
home-to-school transportation in the 1997-98 fiscal year exceeded 30%
of the district's enrollment.
   This bill would continuously appropriate commencing with the
1999-2000 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, from Section
A of the School Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction the
amount necessary to fund the additional home-to-school transportation
allowance.  The funds appropriated by this bill would be applied
toward the minimum funding requirement for school districts and
community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of
the California Constitution  .
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:   no   yes
 .  Fiscal committee:  yes. State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 41857 is added to the Education Code, to read:

   41857.   (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
for purposes of this article, commencing with the 1999-2000 fiscal
year and each fiscal year thereafter, the home-to-school
transportation allowance received by  the West Contra Costa
Unified School District, shall be   a school district
that is eligible pursuant to subdivision (b)  established at an
amount equal to the district  prior year CBEDS  enrollment
times the statewide average per pupil allowance for home-to-school
transportation, but in no event shall the home-to-school
transportation allowance  received by the West Contra Costa
Unified School District  be in an amount greater than the
approved costs of home-to-school transportation received by that
district  for the 1998-99 fiscal year.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature finds and declares that, due to the unique
circumstances applicable to the West Contra Costa Unified School
District, a statute of general applicability cannot be enacted within
the meaning of subdivision (b) of Section 16 of Article IV of the
California Constitution.   for that fiscal year.
   (b) A school district is eligible for a home-to-school
transportation allowance pursuant to subdivision (a) if it meets all
of the following conditions:
   (1) At least 50 percent of the pupils enrolled in the district
qualified for free and reduced price lunches according to data from
the 1997 CBEDS.
   (2) The district's home-to-school transportation entitlement was
less than 15 percent of the district's home-to-school approved
expenses, as reported by Exhibit 1-A of the State Department of
Education's 1997-98 home-to-school transportation apportionment
exhibit.
   (3) The number of average daily boardings by pupils enrolled in
the school district who use public transit as home-to-school
transportation in the 1997-98 fiscal year exceeded 30 percent of the
district's CBEDS enrollment.
   (c) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
commencing with the 1999-2000 fiscal year, and each fiscal year
thereafter, the amount necessary to fund the additional
home-to-school transportation allowance provided by this section is
hereby appropriated from Section A of the School Fund to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to make allocations to school
districts who qualify for funding under this section.