Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that appropriates funds for education related expenses as part of an education trailer bill.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $300 million from the General Fund to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Sec. 4.b).

• Appropriates $200 million in the 2021–22 fiscal year to local educational agencies as follows (Sec. 4.c-1):

• A minimum base grant of $100,000 to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs;

• A minimum base grant for each county office of education equal to 15% of the total allocation awarded to each local educational agency in their county to support countywide planning and capacity building; and

• Of the remaining funds:

• 60% will be available as enrollment grants. These grants will be allocated based on the local educational agency’s proportional share of total kindergarten enrollment for the 2019–20 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant.

• 40% will be available as supplemental grants. These grants will be allocated based on the local educational agency’s kindergarten enrollment for the 2019–20 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agency’s unduplicated pupil percentage. Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent to total from funds available for the supplemental grant.

• Requires professional development grant funds to be used for any of the following purposes (Sec. 4-6):

• Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses;

• Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes;

• Substitute teacher pay for California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that are currently working in a California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten classroom;

• Stipends and professional development expenses, as determined by the Superintendent;

• Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services;

• Linked courses, cohorts, or apprenticeship models;

• Training and professional development for principals and other administrators of transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children; and

• Other educational expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.

• Appropriates $2.84 billion from the General Fund to the Superintendent to administer the California Community Schools Partnership Program (Sec. 8-3.b).

• Specifies the California Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, and Full-Day Kindergarten Facilities Grant Program will be used for the modernization of existing preschool classrooms, or the modernization of existing kindergarten and grade 1 to 12, inclusive, classrooms that would be converted to provide California state preschool programs operated by school districts on a public school site (Sec. 15.a-1).

• Requires modernization grants that retrofit an existing preschool classroom, including outdoor play areas and installed equipment, the applicable classroom complies with all of the following (Sec. 15.g):

• The Field Act;

• The California Building Standards Code;

• The regulations for early learning and care programs;

• Written approval from the State Department of Education that the building plans comply with the standards set forth in this law.

Full Bill Text