Key committee unanimously approves Wolk education finance reform package

Bills on home-to-school transportation and declining enrollment move forward

SACRAMENTO–The Assembly Committee on Education voted unanimously today to approve an education financing reform package by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) that would help resolve some of the most critical policy issues facing school districts statewide, including declining enrollment and home-to-school transportation.

The committee voted unanimously to pass Wolk’s Assembly Bill 694 to establish a funding formula that will move school agencies – on a pro-rated basis – up to a 90 percent rate of funding reimbursement for approved home-to-school transportation costs.

“For the past 25 years, California has under funded home-to-school transportation programs using an outdated funding model for this program, presenting a safety and environmental problem, as well as an educational one,” said Wolk. “Current funding levels have forced rural, suburban, and many urban school districts to take a statewide total of $400 million out of their classrooms to fund transportation programs, and many other districts to cut back or even eliminate their transportation programs altogether. That’s unacceptable.”

Those speaking in support of AB 694 detailed numerous reasons to increase transportation funding—including equity, as well as children’s health and safety.

“California is struggling to provide equal access to quality public education for all students but hasn’t yet addressed the most fundamental necessary component, providing transportation funding to actually get the kids to school,” said Bob Blattner, representing the bill’s sponsor, Getting Kids to School: A Fair Funding Coalition. “AB 694 puts in place a funding mechanism that is fair and adequate, enabling school districts to better serve their students.”

“School buses are the safest form of transportation for children, safer than walking, cars or transit buses,” said Wolk. “Yet, under the current funding formula, the state provides less than half of school districts’ home-to-school transportation costs.”

Also testifying in support of the bill was Rick Pratt with the California School Boards Association, one of the bill’s cosponsors, Cecilia Mansfield with the California State PTA, and Dixon Unified School District School Board Member Shana Levine. The bills other supporters include the California Association of School Business Officials, Elk Grove Unified School District, Natomas Unified School District, Mendocino County Office of Education, and Orange County Department of Education.

The committee also voted unanimously to approve Wolk’s AB 366 to provide school districts experiencing long-term declining enrollment with additional funding to smooth the reduction in their district revenues. The bill allows districts experiencing declining enrollment for three or more years to claim 25 percent of the difference in their Average Daily Attendance (ADA) over those three years. This adjustment would continue from year to year, provided the current year ADA is less than the ADA of three years prior.

“This is a widespread statewide problem, effecting large, small, urban, suburban, and rural school districts alike. Sixty percent of school districts are experiencing declining enrollment,” said Wolk. “The dramatic reduction in a school district’s funding after the first year of decline can be devastating for schools. When a school looses three or four students per class you can’t cancel the class. You have the same overall costs, with less student enrollment funding, and that hurts remaining students.”

“School districts are taking very drastic steps to reduce their cost,” said Robert Miyashiro with the California Declining Enrollment Coalition, the bill’s sponsor. “A district that loses 30 students loses $5,000 a student, $150,000. The district that lays the one teacher that teaches those students will save about $60,000, because they will lay off the least senior teacher. That leaves about $90,000 the school must find other ways to save.”

“Declining enrollment is a severe problem plaguing over half of California’s schools,” said Rick Pratt, the California School Boards Association’s assistant executive director of governmental relations. “It's long been evident that our schools need additional funding, but this is especially the case for schools experiencing declining enrollment. We cannot simply allow these schools to fall by the wayside. They need additional support and they need it now.”

AB 366 is supported by groups including the California School Board Association, California Teachers Association, California State PTA, California Association of School Business Officials, California Association of Suburban School Districts, Association of California School Administrators, Five Star Education Coalition, Los Angeles County Office of Education, San Diego Unified School District, and Small School Districts Association.

The committee also voted unanimously to support AB 134, Wolk’s legislation to solve a unique school facility funding problem experienced by school districts incorporating schools located on high security military bases.

“As a result of the high security status instated following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, students from non-military families are no longer able to attend schools on military bases. Yet districts incorporating schools on high security military bases are still required to count empty classrooms as part of their housing capacity, or available space for inter-district transfers,” said Wolk. “AB 134 will provide these districts with new school construction eligibility to be calculated on the actual enrollment of students in schools on these bases, thus allowing a more accurate calculation of the need for new schools in the district.”

All three bills will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

• “AB 694 provides more equitable funding for home-to-school transportation and rectifies current inequities in the outdated funding mechanism for pupil transportation services,” said Brenda Davis, president of the California State PTA.

ADDITIONAL FACTS:

Home-to-school transportation:

• California’s bus fleets are the oldest, dirtiest, and most inadequate in nation.
• Current funding levels have prevented the replacement of the state’s outdated fleet of buses--over 3,000 of which do not meet the Air Resources Board particulate standards.
• The California State Auditor published a report this year on Home-to-School Transportation, declaring “The Funding Formula Should Be Modified to Be More Equitable." http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2006-109.pdf

Declining Enrollment:

• The Department of Education and the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimate that approximately one half of the state's school districts are experiencing declining enrollment.

The effects of declining enrollment on schools include the inability to recruit and retain qualified staff, inability to provide assessment and curriculum development services, reduction of classroom aides and other staff, and elimination of programs and services.