SACRAMENTO -- Rural schools may have a better chance at competing for technology monies under a bill passed this week by the Assembly Education Committee.
AB 2706, authored by Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, would ensure all California school districts can compete for $43 million in annual competitive federal education technology grants.
In a press release, Berg said rural school districts aren't getting their fair share of this money because the existing grant process puts them at a competitive disadvantage.
Her bill aims to correct this inequity by restructuring the competition so that districts compete against districts of similar size, and allows districts to pool resources by forming consortia to compete for grants.
Also, the bill would allow school districts to use grants for grades 4 through 12, instead of just grades 4 through 8 as outlined in current law.
Berg praised Democrat and Republican lawmakers that teamed up on passing her bill, saying lawmakers are putting partisanship aside to provide opportunities for rural schoolchildren.
"This bill is also about jobs," she added. "I believe by ensuring that all students have access to education technology, we will be helping to produce a more competitive California workforce by the 21st century. We have to make this kind of investment to succeed in the global economy."
The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.