BILL NUMBER: AB 795	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hall

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to amend Section 14000 of the Education Code, relating to
education finance.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 795, as introduced, Hall. Education finance.
   Existing law states the intent of the Legislature with respect to
administration of the laws governing financial support of the public
school system.
   This bill would make various technical, nonsubstantive changes to
these provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 14000 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   14000.  It is the intent of the Legislature that  the
 administration of the laws governing  the 
financial support of the public school system in this state be
conducted within the purview of the following principles and
policies: 
    The 
    (a)     The  system of public school
support should be designed to strengthen and encourage local
responsibility for control of public education. Local school
districts should be  so  organized that they can
facilitate  the  provision of full educational
opportunities for all who attend the public schools. Local control is
best accomplished by  the  development of strong,
vigorous, and properly organized local school administrative units.
It is the state's responsibility to create or facilitate  the
 creation of local districts of sufficient size to properly
discharge local responsibilities and to spend  the tax
dollar   tax dollars  effectively. 
    The 
    (b)     The  system of public school
support should  assure   ensure  that
state, local, and other funds are adequate for  the 
support of a realistic funding level. It is unrealistic and unfair
to  the  less wealthy districts to provide for only
a part of the financing necessary for an adequate educational
program. 
    The 
    (c)     The  system of public school
support should permit and encourage local school districts to provide
and support improved district organization and educational programs.
The system of public school support should prohibit  the
 introduction of undesirable organization and educational
practices, and should discourage any of those practices now in
effect. Improvement of programs in particular districts is in the
interests of the state as a whole as well as of the people in
individual districts, since the excellence of the programs in some
districts will tend to bring about program improvement in other
districts. 
    The 
    (d)    The  system of public school
support should make provision for  the 
apportionment of state funds to local districts on a strictly
objective basis that can be computed as well by  the
 local districts as by the state. The principle of local
responsibility requires that the granting of discretionary powers to
state officials over the distribution of state aid and the granting
to these officials of the power to impose undue restriction on the
use of funds and the conduct of educational programs at the local
level be avoided. 
    The 
    (e)     The  system of public school
support should effect a partnership between the state, the county,
and school districts, with each participating equitably in accordance
with its relative ability. The respective abilities should be
combined to provide a financial plan between the state and 
the  local agencies for public school support. Toward this
support program, each county and district, through a uniform method,
should contribute in accordance with its true financial ability.

    The 
    (f)     The  system of public school
support should provide for essential educational opportunities for
all who attend the public schools. Provision should be made in the
financial plan for adequate financing of all educational services.

    The 
    (g)     The  broader based taxing
power of the state should be utilized to raise the level of financial
support in  the  properly organized
  organized,  but financially  weak
  weak,  districts of the state, thus contributing
greatly to  the  equalization of educational
opportunity for the students residing therein. It should also be used
to provide a minimum amount of guaranteed support to all districts,
for  that  state assistance serves to develop among
all districts a sense of responsibility to the entire system of
public education in the state.