During CSBA’s annual Legislative Action Week, members brought their lived experience to the Capitol to shine a light on the top issues facing their schools and students. In response to the ongoing health and safety concerns related to construction at the Capitol building in Sacramento, CSBA once again offered this flagship event virtually. Similar to last year, the virtual format allowed a record number of school board members to share their perspective with legislators in Sacramento.
As costs for schools continue to rise, school board members also advocated for fully funding the projected 2.43 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and ensurg that the proposed Student Support & Professional Development Discretionary Block Grant is fully discretionary.
Members shared their stories — and those of their teachers, staff and students — directly with legislators to convey that their schools simply cannot fulfill new program mandates because they are already stretched thin trying to conduct basic day-to-day operations and improve existing services and course offerings for their communities.
Another top priority for members was addressing the fiscal threat posed by the impacts of Assembly Bill 218 (2019), which temporarily resurrected the statute of limitations for child sexual assault and molestation claims. As a result, districts and county offices of education across the state have seen unprecedented legal claims that are posing a real financial threat to their fiscal solvency. With local educational agency solvency in mind, it was critical for the Legislature to hear from public education leaders about the financial threats posed by AB 218.
CSBA members urged the Legislature to:
- Support CSBA’s education workforce housing package — AB 1021 (Wicks/Muratsuchi) to expand existing incentives and efficiencies to rural and small LEAs, and AB 1381 (Muratsuchi) to help provide much-needed predevelopment funds for workforce housing projects.
- Support AB 1111 (Soria, D-Merced) to help push out the mandatory electric school bus purchase mandate by 10 years, from 2035 to 2045.
- Support AB 1224 (Valencia, D-Anaheim) to expand the amount of time a substitute teacher can serve in a classroom from 30 to 60 days.
- Oppose Senate Bill 494 (Cortese, D-Silicon Valley), which would fundamentally undermine district and county boards of education local control by removing their personnel authority to determine disciplinary outcomes for classified staff. This bill is a reintroduction of SB 433 from 2023, which CSBA opposed and worked to secure a successful veto.
As the legislative session continues and budget negotiations between the Legislature and Gov. Newsom move forward, the local perspective and advocacy school board members brought to the Capitol during Legislative Action Week will be pivotal in informing the votes of senators and assemblymembers.
“CSBA’s Legislative Action Week provides unparalleled access to legislators, an opportunity that many school board members would not otherwise have,” said Jaime Diamon, Carpinteria Unified School District board president. “It empowers the voices of elected school district officials, ensuring they are heard and seen in a purposeful way. The organization and coaching provided by CSBA staff is invaluable, especially for school board members who have never had an opportunity like this before.”