Signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments pass a bill that amends education statutes in an effort to qualify federal Race-to-the-Top funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("stimulus bill").

Highlights:

-Authorizes a parent of a child enrolled in a low-achieving school to submit an application to transfer that student to a school in another district (Sec. 1). -Requires that the application to transfer be submitted to the school district of enrollment prior to January 1 of the school year preceding the year for which the pupil is requesting admittance, unless the parent is enlisted in the military and was relocated within 90 days (Sec. 1). -Requires the school district to establish a period of time for residents of the school district to enroll before accepting transfer applications (Sec. 1). -Authorizes the school district to adopt specific written standards for acceptance and rejection of transfer applicants, however the standards shall not be based on a pupil's previous academic achievement, physical condition, proficiency in English, or family income (Sec. 1). -Prohibits a transfer pupil already enrolled in the school district from being required to submit an application in order to remain enrolled (Sec. 1). -Authorizes priority assignment to the following (Sec. 1):

-Siblings of children already attending the desired school; -Pupils transferring from a program improvement school ranked in decile 1 on the Academic Performance Index; and -School districts with transfer requests that outnumber the spaces available must perform a lottery with the two above groups receiving priority.

-Prohibits displacing a pupil in the attendance area of a school or already enrolled in a school for a transferring student (Sec. 1). -Requires a school district to notify the applicant parent and school district of residence in writing within 60 days of receiving an application whether the application was accepted or rejected, and the reasons for rejection if rejected (Sec. 1). -Authorizes at least ½ of the parents with students attending a school that fails to make yearly progress to sign a petition requesting that the school district implement changes (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends education statutes in an effort to qualify federal Race-to-the-Top funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("stimulus bill").

Highlights:

-Authorizes a parent of a child enrolled in a low-achieving school to submit an application to transfer that student to a school in another district (Sec. 1). -Requires that the application to transfer be submitted to the school district of enrollment prior to January 1 of the school year preceding the year for which the pupil is requesting admittance, unless the parent is enlisted in the military and was relocated within 90 days (Sec. 1). -Requires the school district to establish a period of time for residents of the school district to enroll before accepting transfer applications (Sec. 1). -Authorizes the school district to adopt specific written standards for acceptance and rejection of transfer applicants, however the standards shall not be based on a pupil's previous academic achievement, physical condition, proficiency in English, or family income (Sec. 1). -Prohibits a transfer pupil already enrolled in the school district from being required to submit an application in order to remain enrolled (Sec. 1). -Authorizes priority assignment to the following (Sec. 1):

-Siblings of children already attending the desired school; -Pupils transferring from a program improvement school ranked in decile 1 on the Academic Performance Index; and -School districts with transfer requests that outnumber the spaces available must perform a lottery with the two above groups receiving priority.

-Prohibits displacing a pupil in the attendance area of a school or already enrolled in a school for a transferring student (Sec. 1). -Requires a school district to notify the applicant parent and school district of residence in writing within 60 days of receiving an application whether the application was accepted or rejected, and the reasons for rejection if rejected (Sec. 1). -Authorizes at least ½ of the parents with students attending a school that fails to make yearly progress to sign a petition requesting that the school district implement changes (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text