BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 298
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 6, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 298 (De Leon) - As Amended: April 26, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 39-0
SUBJECT : Charter schools: at-risk pupils: Los Angeles County
Board of Education.
SUMMARY : Extends the authorization for the Los Angeles County
Board of Education to charter the Soledad Enrichment Action
Charter School (SEA), until June 30, 2018. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Authorizes a charter school operating under a charter approved
before June 1, 1997, by the county board of education of a
county of the first class to serve at-risk pupils, to operate
until June 30, 2018.
2)Specifies that the continuation of the authority of a charter
school to operate after June 30, 2018 shall be subject to the
approval of that county board of education.
3)Specifies, notwithstanding any other provisions of the
Education Code, for the 2012-13 to 2017-18 fiscal years,
inclusive, the attendance of pupils in a charter school to
which this section applies shall be funded at the same rates
for the same categories of pupils as community schools and
community day schools in the same county.
4)Makes Legislative findings and declarations that a special law
is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
because of the unique circumstances resulting from the
intensely urbanized nature of the County of Los Angeles.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Current SEA Authorization . Authorizes a charter school
operating under a charter approved before June 1, 1997, by the
county board of education of a county of the first class to
serve at-risk pupils, to operate until June 30, 2013.
Specifies that the continuation of the authority of a charter
school to operate after June 30, 2013 shall be subject to the
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approval of that county board of education. Specifies,
notwithstanding any other provisions of the Education Code,
for the 2007-08 to 2012-13 fiscal years, inclusive, the
attendance of pupils in a charter school to which this section
applies shall be funded at the same rates for the same
categories of pupils as community schools and community day
schools in the same county. Authorizes the SEA charter school
to operate one or more community day schools, and be funded
for not more than 2,000 units of average daily attendance in
any fiscal year, to the extent that funding is appropriated
for the purpose. Requires the Los Angeles County Board of
Education to annually measure the performance of the SEA
charter school and annually report the measurement to the
California Department of Education, the Department of Finance,
the Assembly Education and Appropriation Committees, and the
Senate Education and Appropriation Committees. Requires the
charter school to submit a plan for improvement to the Los
Angeles County Board of Education if it fails to meet the
performance criteria established by that board.
2)Community Day Schools . Establishes community day schools,
operated by school districts and county offices of education,
to serve expelled students, students referred by a School
Attendance Review Board, and other high-risk youths. These
schools provide a 360-minute minimum instructional day and
also focus on the development of social skills and student
self-esteem. Community day schools are intended to have low
student-teacher ratios. Students benefit from learning support
services that include school counselors and psychologists,
academic and vocational counselors, and pupil discipline
personnel. Students also receive collaborative services from
county offices of education, law enforcement, probation, and
human services agency personnel who work with at-risk youth.
Community day schools are supported by supplemental
apportionment for community day school attendance, in addition
to base revenue funding.
3)Charter Schools . Establishes the Charter School Act of 1992
allowing for the establishment of charter schools, which are
public schools that operate free of most state education
regulations. Charter operation is guided by the provisions of
their charter petition. Charter schools are subject to
renewal every 5 years and are required to meet certain
standards upon renewal. Charter schools receive funding
through a general-purpose block grant (in lieu of revenue
limit funding) and a categorical block grant (in lieu of
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funding for specified state categorical programs).
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, potentially substantial on-going General Fund costs.
COMMENTS : SEA started in 1972 as a non-charter "Alternative
Education Program-Independent Study Program" under the Los
Angeles Unified School District. When the program expanded to
locations outside city boundaries, it transitioned to become an
"Alternative Education-Community School Program" under the Los
Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). In 1997, teachers
working under the county sponsored "Community School Program"
elected to become a charter school. However, because at that
time county offices of education were only authorized to approve
charter schools through an appeal process, a new law was needed
to address this situation. SB 1318 (Polanco), Chapter 58,
Statutes of 1997, authorized a charter school to be chartered by
the Los Angeles County Board of Education and allowed the
charter school to receive the higher per-pupil funding of county
community schools.
According to the author, SEA offers highly innovative
alternative education that keeps at-risk youth off the streets.
SEA is an alternative high school in Los Angeles County for
at-risk youth (14-18) who are on probation or who have been
expelled from school. The school is successful because in
addition to providing an academic curriculum tailor-made for
each student, it also provides a comprehensive set of social
services to youth and their families. As a result, it offers
viable alternatives to gangs, drugs, and violence to youth at
risk of academic failure and delinquency. SEA has proven to be
effective with students that have failed in traditional schools.
88% of the students who enter the SEA Charter School
successfully exit the program after catching up on their credits
by graduating from the school, returning to their home school,
or by entering a more appropriate learning environment. Today,
SEA serves close to 4,000 at risk youth and their families
throughout 19 locations in the Los Angeles County. Services
include innovative academic education techniques, after-school
programs, alcohol and drug counseling, mental health therapy,
mandatory community service, peace and reconciliation retreats,
job training and parent education classes. SEA provides each
student with six hours of daily academic study coupled with two
hours of constructive and supervised after school activity. SEA
students come from low income families and 98% qualify for the
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School Lunch Program.
Why is this bill necessary ? In addition to the authority to
approve charter school petitions that are denied by a school
district, county boards of education may also approve charter
schools that will serve pupils for whom the county office of
education would otherwise be responsible for providing direct
education and related services. While the Los Angeles County
Board of Education could renew the SEA charter without benefit
of special legislation, legislation is necessary to continue the
authority for the SEA to be funded at the same rates for the
same categories of pupils as community schools and community day
schools in Los Angeles County. While special legislation is
necessary to continue the higher funding rate, the committee
should consider whether it is necessary to continue the charter
authorization as well.
Previous legislation: AB 177 (Bass), Chapter 525, Statutes of
2007 extended the statutory authorization for SEA from June 30,
2008 to June 30, 2013.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Atlantic Recovery Services
California Charter Schools Association
City of Huntington Park
Long Beach City Councilmember Dee Andrews
Los Angeles City Councilmember Bernard C. Parks
Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed P. Reyes
Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar
Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcon
Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles Unified School District Board President Monica
Garcia
Plaza Community Services
San Fernando Mayor Mario F. Hernandez
Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School
South Gate City Councilmember Jorge Morales
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087