BILL NUMBER:  AB 1672
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2014




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 1866 and Assembly Bill 1672 without my
signature.

Attorney General Kamala Harris has worked diligently at both the
local and statewide level to reduce truancy and absenteeism in
California schools, a goal I share. Her package of sponsored
legislation aims to reduce rates of truancy and absenteeism.

AB 1866 would require school districts to collect and report a
significant amount of new student attendance information through the
California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. While well
intentioned, the collection of data for the interest of faraway
authorities would not get to the root of the issue ? keeping kids in
school and on track.

AB 1672 would place new data collection and reporting burdens on
districts that have voluntarily established local School Attendance
Review Boards. A broad group of local education leaders believe AB
1672 "is simply a new requirement that mandates large amounts of
specific data collection, disaggregation, formatting and internet
posting."
I agree. Districts already have the ability to collect attendance and
truancy data, and must address school attendance and chronic
absenteeism under the Local Control Funding Formula.

The Local Control Funding Formula was created because local education
agencies are the ones best suited to set goals and guidelines for
their students. In the same vein, efforts to combat truancy are best
exercised at the school level among teachers, principals and local
school officials.

I encourage educators, parents and community members, through the
Local Control and Accountability Plan process, to address school
attendance issues. Keeping children in school and learning is a
priority, but collecting more data is not the primary solution.

Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.