Advocacy Days Update
The Legislative Committee and Advocacy Network Committee participated in CASBO’s 2024 advocacy days that took place on March 20th and March 21st. During the advocacy days, members had robust schedules that were composed of 50 meetings in a day and a half. These meetings were scheduled with legislators, education staff, consultants, and the Governor’s team.
CASBO Coffee Meet and Greet
The first day of advocacy started with CASBO holding a coffee meet and greet to which members of the legislature and staff were invited to socialize with our committee members. Our members enjoyed meeting legislators and staff during this intimate gathering to discuss CASBO priorities.
Discussing CASBO Priorities and Making an Impact
Members met with legislators representing all seven sections of CASBO. The diverse range of meetings led to deep conversations based on the different needs that LEAs have and why school finance is an investment in student success. Along with an advocacy experience, these meetings were also an educational experience. Our members were able to learn the Legislature’s priorities and educate about the dense subject of education finance during their meetings.
Honoring Tina Douglas (CASBO President) with an Assembly Resolution
CASBO President, Tina Douglas, was honored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson for her decades of commitment to CASBO and service as President. Members were able to join Tina and Assemblymember Gipson to celebrate her being honored and commemorating the first day of Advocacy Days.
Outcomes from the Advocacy Days
Legislators and education staff had robust discussions about CASBO’s platform and priorities and heard from their constituents and the needs of their LEAs. Our members have been requested to come back and do follow-up meetings regarding their perspectives and priorities after the May revision.
Compliments were received on CASBO’s budget platforms and the clarity, precision, and simplicity of our leave-behind pamphlet. Approximately seven policy proposals were brought to CASBO for member feedback, input, and support.
Next Steps
CASBO will continue to advocate for the priorities listed above during budget subcommittee hearings and in the district.
CASBO Priority Bills
The Legislative Committee has taken action on the following bills introduced in the 2024 legislative session. For a full list of our bill positions, please visit our website.
Career Technical Education/Workforce Development
AB 1927 (Alanis): Golden state teacher grant program. This bill would expand eligibility for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program to prospective instructors who commit to at least 4 years of work as a credentialed CTE instructor.
CASBO Position: Support
AB 2019 (Fong): Dual enrollment. This bill would expand the definition of early and middle college high schools so students can qualify for reduced instructional minute requirements and would extend the reduction in instructional minutes to include students in courses under a College and Career Access Pathway (CCAP) agreement.
Per the chair’s request, the bill was recently amended to require LEAs, beginning on or before March 1, 2027, to submit a report to CDE, annually. According to Kern, the data requested is readily available.
CASBO Position: Support
Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment
AB 1871 (Alanis): Personal financial literacy for grades 7-12. This bill would reauthorize K-12 districts to use the design-build delivery method when constructing and designing school facilities and removes the sunset altogether.
CASBO Position: Support
Facilities/Contracting
AB 1851 (Holden): Drinking water: lead testing. This bill, as introduced, would have require the SPI to identify which school districts would participate in a pilot program administered by a nonprofit to test water faucets and fixtures for lead concentrations greater than 5ppb on or before January 1, 2028.
Anything above those levels would be made inoperable until exposure is mitigated, or fixture is replaced and trigger notifications from the nonprofit to school district and district to parents within 2 days of being noticed.
Note: The bill was recently amended to address CASBO’s concerns by making it contingent upon a budget appropriation and not require an LEA to participate in the pilot program.
CASBO Position: No Position
AB 2009 (Rendon): School districts: public contracts. This bill would increase the informal bid limit from $15,000 to $34,500. It also increases the force account limit from $21,000 to $43,000.
CASBO Position: Support
SB 956 (Cortese): Design-build contracts. This bill would reauthorize K-12 districts to use the design-build delivery method when constructing and designing school facilities and removes the sunset altogether.
CASBO Position: Support
Governance/Accountability
SB 1315 (Archuleta): Reporting requirements. This bill would require CDE on or before March 1, 2025, and every two years, provide a report to the SPI, the Governor, and the Legislature on the number and types of reports that LEAs are required to annually submit.
CASBO Position: Co-Sponsor
SB 1288 (Becker): AI working group. This bill would require CDE/SPI to develop/convene a working group to study AI in education.
CASBO Position: Support
AB 2112 (Muratsuchi): Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. This bill would require that the annual ELOP allocation for those LEAs funded under Rate 2 not be less than the 2022-23 rate of $2,054 per pupil.
CASBO Position: Support
AB 2652 (Muratsuchi): AI working group. This bill would require CDE/SPI to develop/convene a working group to study AI in education.
CASBO Position: Support
Human Resources
AB 2088 (McCarty): Public postings: vacancies. This bill would require an education employer to accept a current part-time employee’s number of years of service, regardless of the capacity in which they were earned, when that part-time employee applies for an additional part-time assignment that requires a certain number of years of service.
It would also require that classified employees who work part-time assignments that equal the number of hours for a full-time assignment for the same education employer receive the same benefits as employees who work a full-time assignment.
Note: Reintroduction of a different version of AB 1699 (2023)
CASBO Position: Oppose
AB 2245 (Carrillo): Permanent status: RCOPs. This bill deletes, beginning July 1, 2025, the prohibition on counting service as an instructor at regional occupational centers or programs (ROCPs) toward the service required to attain permanent employee status and instead requires service as an instructor to be included in computing the service required to attain permanent employee status at a school district.
CASBO Position: Oppose
AB 2901 (Aguiar-Curry): Paid leave. This bill would require a public school employer to provide up to 14 weeks of fully paid leave for certificated or classified employees who are absent due to pregnancy-related conditions.
CASBO Position: Oppose