Policy committees in both the Senate and the Assembly are working their way through the thousands of new bills introduced since the session began in December. Among the measures is a substantial package of CSBA-sponsored legislation that together will help increase support for districts facing cyberattacks, provide greater ability for school districts to address the teacher shortage, help boards appoint student members, and increase funding for student health.
If passed, this bill will authorize LEAs to use discretionary funding provided under the Arts, Music & Instructional Materials Block Grant for cybersecurity purposes, in keeping with the intent of the block grant to allow districts to use these funds for operational costs. It would also ensure that any actions undertaken by Cal-CISC include efforts to serve LEAs specifically.
SB 765 would provide an additional much-needed tool LEAs can use to address our state’s school staffing shortages. Retired teachers and other staff are some of the best-equipped candidates to hit the ground running and provide the best instruction and services to our students. This change would provide immediate relief, and although a temporary solution, it is a critical tool available to help schools ensure that all students have a qualified teacher in their classrooms.
AB 417 (Bennett, D-Ventura) would provide needed follow up to 2022 legislation allowing county boards of education to appoint a student board member in case of a vacancy if no student petitions for appointment. This bill would address a loophole in current law — in cases where a county board of education does not receive a student petition to create a student board member, the board may only select a student enrolled at a local school district high school — not a student enrolled in a high school under the jurisdiction of the county board. CSBA is sponsoring the bill to remedy this inequity, allowing students in high schools maintained by the county board of education an equal opportunity to serve on their governing board.
Supporting student health services
Senate Bill 645 (Ochoa-Bogh, R-Yucaipa), would have modernized the small district administrator cap to address the unique challenges facing small school districts in California. Under current law, school districts are limited in the number of administrators they can hire based upon the number of teachers they have. While intended to avoid districts becoming too “top heavy,” the cap arbitrarily limits many small school districts to just one or two administrators. This forces superintendents to play multiple roles, preventing them from focusing on their core responsibilities and often leading to burnout, and limits the ability of small school districts to hire the number of leaders they need to serve their students equitably. By modernizing the administrator-to-teacher ratio cap for small districts, SB 645 would allow these districts to hire the appropriate number of administrators based upon school size.
AB 906 (Gipson, D-Carson), co-sponsored with the California County Superintendents and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, would address the need for sufficient and predictable resources for COE-operated juvenile court schools and community schools. Under current law, students referred to juvenile court schools and county community schools are underserved by an exclusively attendance-based funding model that is insufficient for the unique staffing and programming necessary in these schools. AB 906 would establish a base funding level that is more equitable and reflective of current day realities for these important programs. CSBA, California County Superintendents and LACOE will continue to advocate for greater support of students in juvenile court and county community schools through the education budget trailer bill process.
Lastly, SB 551 (Portantino) would have required county mental health departments to work directly with LEAs in the provision of student mental health services using Proposition 63 funding and enhance the collaboration between county mental health agencies and school districts.