BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1777
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Date of Hearing: June 28, 2006
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Jackie Goldberg, Chair
SB 1777 (Alarc?n) - As Amended: May 26, 2006
SENATE VOTE : 37-1
SUBJECT : Juvenile court schools: foster children
SUMMARY : Provides supplemental funding to county offices of
education and school districts that provide educational services
to foster children through a juvenile court school.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes several findings and declarations related to foster
children.
2)Requires each county office of education operating a juvenile
court school to designate staff persons as a transition to
counselors.
3)Requires the transition counselors to, among other duties,
assist foster children when transferring from juvenile court
school to a public school.
4)Requires, commencing with the 2006-07 fiscal year and until
2010-11, each county office of education that provides
educational services through a juvenile court school to foster
youth to receive, in addition to the base revenue limit, an
allowance from the amount annually transferred to Section A of
the State School Fund.
5)Requires, beginning in the 2006-07 fiscal year and until
2010-11, each school district or county office of education
that provides educational services to foster youth
transferring to the district or county office of education
from a juvenile detention hall or probation camp and has
received educational services through a juvenile court school
to receive an allowance from the amount annually transferred
to Section A of the State School Fund for a period of at least
six months, but not greater than one year.
6)Prohibits six school districts/consortia that currently
receive supplemental funding from receiving funds pursuant to
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this bill.
7)Requires each county office of education operating a juvenile
court school to designate staff persons as transition
counselors and specifies responsibilities for the transition
counselors.
8)Provides that funding for services to foster children who
transition to public schools will only be from funds
specifically appropriated for that purpose in the annual
Budget Act.
9)Caps the total funding authorized by this bill at $5 million
and specifies that this amount is to be allocated at no more
than one million a year.
10)Requires, on of before January 1, 2012, the SDE to submit a
report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the
additional funding.
11)Sunsets the provisions of the bill on January 1, 2012.
EXISTING LAW Requires the county board of education to provide
for the administration and operation of juvenile court schools.
FISCAL EFFECT : The bill proposes one million dollars annually
through the 2010-11 fiscal year totaling $5 million over five
years.
COMMENTS : The author states, "SB 1777 authorizes and allocates
increased funding for educational services provided to
incarcerated foster youth while they are enrolled in juvenile
court schools and establish funding for school districts to
provide remedial services for this at-risk student population to
facilitate their successful transition back into the regular
public school system."
The bill provides for potential additional funding to be used by
the grantees for transition counselors for foster children.
Confusing and unclear language . As currently drafted, this bill
is unclear as to whether the intent of the bill is to establish
a grant program or whether the bill is mandating the foster
children services outlined in the bill. If the author's intent
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is for this to be a competitive grant program, staff recommends
the bill be amended to add language providing for an application
process by which county offices and school districts will apply
for funding to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Staff
further recommends clarifying that the entities receiving
funding could be a county office of education that provides
educational services to foster children through a juvenile court
school or a school district or county office that provides
educational services to foster children transferring to the
school district or county office from a juvenile detention hall
or probation camp.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Los Angeles County Office of Education (Sponsor)
Contra Costa County Office of Education
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Los Angeles County Education Foundation
The Alliance for Children's Rights
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087