BILL ANALYSIS
AB 537
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Date of Hearing: April 21, 1999
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Kerry Mazzoni, Chair
AB 537 (Aroner) - As Amended: April 15, 1999
SUBJECT : School transportation.
SUMMARY : Establishes an alternative formula for funding
home-to-school transportation. Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes increased home-to school transportation funding in
1999-2000 for districts meeting all of the following three
criteria:
a) Their current home-to-school transportation funding is
less than 15% of approved costs (based on 1997-98 data);
b) At least 50% of their students are eligible for free and
reduced price lunches (based on 1997 CBEDS);
c) The number of average daily boardings by district
students utilizing public transit as home-to-school
transportation in 1997-98 exceeded 30% of the district
CBEDS enrollment.
2)Provides that funding for these district(s) home-to-school
transportation approved expenses would be increased to the
statewide average per pupil funding allowance for
home-to-school transportation.
EXISTING LAW
Provides that each school district or county office of education
shall receive a home-to-school transportation allowance in the
amount received in the prior fiscal year, but in no event in
excess of the prior year's approved home-to-school
transportation costs, increased by the amount provided in the
annual Budget Act. Districts must receive an allowance in the
prior year in order to qualify
to receive an allowance in the current year.
Home-to-school transportation funding entitlement is based upon
a "snapshot" taken in the early 1980s of existing programs at
that time. A base funding level was established based upon the
AB 537
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cost of the programs for that base year, and has been adjusted
over time. Currently, California school agencies are funded for
approximately 53% of their approved transportation costs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Increase of at least approximately $800,000 in
transportation costs from General Fund Proposition 98 funding.
COMMENTS :
Arguments in support . According to the author, currently,
California school agencies are funded for approximately 53% of
their approved costs. However, many districts are funded at a
far lower level. Due to expansion into suburbs that were
undeveloped 15 years ago, as well as the forced relocation of
more than 450 students due to the implementation of class-size
reduction, West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD)
was funded at less than 12 cents on the dollar for its approved
transportation costs in 1997-98 (most recent figures available).
District students utilize AC Transit buses to provide the bulk
of their home-to-school transportation. These trips are offered
by AC Transit at a significant discount, utilizing buses that
would otherwise be idle during off-commute hours. But since most
of the district's students are eligible for free and reduced
price lunches, they cannot afford to access the AC Transit buses
or provide their own transportation.
As a result of these factors, district administrators are
finding that the shortage of home-to-school transportation
options is limiting student access to education. AB 537 will
increase that access by equalizing to a statewide average
funding for the district's transportation program
Related legislation . SB 120 (Costa), Chapter 492, Statutes of
1995, and AB 2972 (Olberg), Chapter 194, Statutes of 1996,
implemented separate equalization formulae. In the current
session, SB 83 (Rainey), will fund districts that provide a
transportation program but do not currently have home-to-school
transportation entitlements to receive funding.
Impact on the WCCUSD . At a 53% funding rate, West Contra Costa
USD would have been eligible for $1.05 million in home-to-school
funding in 1997-98, an increase of $819,000 over the actual
entitlement of $232,000.
AB 537
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : (as of 4/16/99)
Support
West Contra Costa USD (Sponsor)
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Hal Geiogue / ED. / (916) 319-2087