BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Dede Alpert, Chair
1999-2000 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2556
AUTHOR: Hertzberg and Shelley
AMENDED: June 27, 2000
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 5, 2000
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Diane Kirkham
SUMMARY
This bill establishes two new grant programs to be
administered by the Office of Planning and Research; 1)
The School Community Partnership Program (and appropriates
$8 million for planning activities); 2) The School and
Community Partnerships Grant Program (and appropriates $4
million for provision of services).
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the After School Learning and Safe
Neighborhoods Partnerships Program for the purpose of
creating incentives for establishing locally driven after
school enrichment programs that partner school and
communities to provide academic and literacy support and
safe, constructive alternatives for youth. The program is
administered by the State Department of Education.
Current law establishes the Healthy Start Program which
awards grants to local agencies for planning and operating
coordinated services to children and their families.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
1) Requires the Office of Planning and Research to
establish the School Community Partnership Program.
2) Establishes the School Community Partnership
Commission oversee the program, to be comprised of:
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a) Three members appointed by the Governor;
b) Two members appointed by the Speaker,
c) Three members appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.
3) Requires the Commission to adopt regulations, assist
local commissions, work with the State Department of
Education related to planning for local school
community partnerships.
4) Requires that funds for the program be allocated to
counties pursuant to a specified scheduled that is
weighted by the size of the youth population of the
county (e.g., counties with a youth population greater
than one million -- $600,000; counties with a youth
population less than 150,000 -- $75,000).
5) Requires the counties to award the local program
funding to a local school community partnership
commission
6) Requires the local plan to focus on necessary steps
for development of before, after, and out-of-school
programs and family support services that support the
well being of children.
7) Appropriates $8 million from the General Fund for the
purposes of the School Community Partnership Program.
SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS GRANT PROGRAM
8) Requires the Office of Planning and Research to award
grants under the School and Community Partnerships
Grant Program to school and community partnership
collaborations to pay the cost of planning and
operating school and community partnership
collaboration programs.
9) Defines a school and community partnership
collaboration to be the integration of education,
youth development, and facility services.
10) Provides that planning grants of up to $50,000 may be
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awarded to school districts and community partnership
collaborations preparing to enter the operational
phase of the grant program.
11) Provides that operational funds of $200,000 may be
awarded in the first year and $150,000 in the second
and third years of the operation of a proposed local
program, with $50,000 per year thereafter. Recipients
must contribute a match of half the amount awarded,
and must retain the services of a professional
coordinator to facilitate collaboration and
fundraising.
12) Provides that capital funds up to $250,000 may be
awarded for the development of joint-use facility.
13) Requires grant recipients to contribute a match of one
dollar for every $4 awarded. The match will be
contributed in cash or as services or resources of
comparable value.
14) Requires that, to qualify for grants, service
providers meet at least two of the following
qualifications: a) give priority to pupils from
low-income families; b) assist families in securing
support services for pupils; c) involve teachers and
parents or guardians in identifying a pupil's service
needs and in securing services to meet those needs; d)
qualify as Medi-Cal providers; and, e) provide
services to families such as English as a second
language courses, support in accessing health and
human services programs, and mentoring.
15) Specifies the academic, health, and social services
that may be provided by a qualifying program.
16) Requires that grant applicants provide descriptions of
the need for the program; the proposed program;
provisions for data collection and recordkeeping;
program evaluation; and governance structures and
systems, as specified.
17) Provides that 5% of appropriated funds may be used for
state-level administration, including technical
assistance.
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18) Directs OPR, commencing in the year 2000 and each
subsequent year for which funding is available, to
issue requests for grant applications by November 1,
to accept applications no later than March 1, and to
award grants on or before May 15.
19) Appropriates $4 million from the General Fund for the
purposes of the School and Community Partnerships
Grant Program.
RELATING TO BOTH GRANT PROGRAMS
20) Requires the Legislative Analyst to submit an
evaluation report on the grant programs created by
this bill by January 1, 2004.
21) States that the entire bill will not take effect
unless AB 729 also becomes law. (AB 729 - Lowenthal -
appropriates $1 million annually to the Office of
Planning and Research to establish the California
Community Facilities Technical Assistance Lab, in
partnership with the Metropolitan Forum Project.)
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill
According to the author's office, "New schools are being
built without any thought to schools being used as
community centers. Existing schools are operating on
a limited time frame. Schools currently function as
stand-alone structures that operate only 7-8 a day.
School facilities could serve as community spaces
instead of building duplicate facilities. These
community centers can serve a wide range of needs
including social services, adult education, and
recreation needs of the community."
2) Administering Agency - OPR or SDE or ?????
The State Department of Education currently administers a
number of programs (especially Healthy Start and After
School Programs) that appear to overlap the functions
under the jurisdiction of these new grant programs.
Why is another administrative apparatus (including a
state commission and a local commission) being
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established under the Office of Planning and Research?
Is this duplicative, or in competition with the
current ongoing efforts undertaken by the State
Department of Education?
3) Planning vs. Services
This bill appropriates $8 million for the planning grant
program and $4 million for the services
program, with the services program also having a
planning component. Are the community needs greatest
for more planning dollars, or for more service
dollars?
SUPPORT
League of Women Voters of California
OPPOSITION
Campaign for California Families
Capitol Resource Institute
Life Center Pregnancy Counseling also known as the School
and Community Partnership Collaboraton