Assembly OKs bill to assist Travis Unified School District

Wolk legislation gets unanimous Assembly support, moves to Senate

SACRAMENTO–The Assembly voted 72-0 today to approve legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to solve a unique funding problem faced by school districts incorporating campuses on high-security military bases, including Travis Unified School District.

Under existing law, eligibility for state school facility bond dollars is calculated using a formula that emphasizes available classroom space without regard for other extraneous factors such as the difficulty of serving students on base given the unique conditions at schools located on high security military bases.

“After the terrorist attacks on September 11, heightened security has made it difficult if not impossible for students from non-military families living off base to attend these schools,” said Wolk. “Often, entire classrooms are empty, negatively affecting the district’s eligibility for funds to construct new schools—even if the district’s other campuses are overcrowded. My legislation resolves this inequity, enabling school districts to more accurately assess their eligibility for new school construction funding.”

Specifically, AB 134 allows districts with campuses on high-security military bases to be calculated on the actual enrollment of students at schools on these bases, thus allowing a more accurate calculation of the need for new schools in the district.

“Assemblywoman Wolk’s legislation will be a tremendous help to districts who serve military-connected students by reserving seats on the military campuses for dependents of military personnel. The bill will also allow us to keep students closer to their areas of residence by providing seats within the surrounding community,” said Kate Wren Gavlak, Superintendent of the Travis Unified School District , which is cosponsoring the bill with Sierra Sands Unified School District and Wheatland Elementary School District . All three districts incorporate schools located on military bases.