McCarthy, Benoit Introduce Legislation To Direct More Dollars To The Classroom

McCarthy, Benoit Introduce Legislation To Direct More Dollars To The Classroom

Plan will ensure school districts spend money wisely, efficiently

3/8/2005
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Morgan Crinklaw
(916) 319-2032

SACRAMENTO - Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Bakersfield, and Assemblyman John J. Benoit, R-Riverside, today announced that they have introduced legislation to help schools free up an estimated $300 million for classroom use. The measure, sponsored by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, would allow schools to use a competitive bidding process for non-classroom services such as transportation and maintenance.

This issue was the final point of discussion in last year's budget negotiations, and ended with a bipartisan agreement between the governor, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and McCarthy to resolve this one outstanding issue this year.

"This is a compromise bill that allows school districts to manage their budgets while at the same time protecting jobs, wages and health benefits," McCarthy said. "This flexibility will allow California schools to save millions of dollars that can go to the one place where they are needed most - in the classroom."

Current law makes it difficult for K-12 schools and community colleges to contract out, even though it would result in significant savings. The union-sponsored law, SB 1419, signed by former Gov. Gray Davis, prohibits schools from implementing fiscal accountability to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are spent efficiently.

The compromise proposal will remove the conditions and allow contracts to be issued when a clear cost savings can be demonstrated. Services could include driving school buses, preparing meals for students, cleaning classrooms, and maintaining landscaping. The bill addresses concerns made by Democratic leadership last year by requiring competitive bidding, wage protections and safeguards to ensure the security of students.

Specifically, the bill would allow for public-private partnerships for non-instructional services under the following guidelines:

* Competitive Bidding: The contract is competitively bid through an open, public process.

* Wage Protections: The provider must match the hourly wage rate for current employees.

* Health Care Coverage: The provider must match the monetary cost for employee health care coverage (including dental and vision).

* Displacement Protection: Requires that all affected school employees be offered a job with the new provider or a position in the school district.

* Student Safety: Strengthens the law to require comprehensive fingerprint and background checks for all school employees, as well as contractor employees who work on school grounds.

"California taxpayers spend $13 billion every year on non-classroom school spending, and competitive bidding typically results in savings of 20 percent to 40 percent," McCarthy said. "This common-sense reform has the potential to save our schools hundreds of millions each year, and that money can be reinvested directly into the classroom."

McCarthy and Benoit's plan was introduced in the regular session in Assembly Bill 1468, and in the extraordinary session in Assembly Bill 1X.

http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/members/index.asp?Dist=32&Lang=1&Body=PressReleases&RefID=2570