Assembly Bill 48 is on the Horizon—Is Your School District Prepared?

11 Oct Assembly Bill 48 is on the Horizon—Is Your School District Prepared?

Changes in How Your District Receives Funding Are Coming

In early September legislation known as “Assembly Bill 48” (AB 48) was approved by the California State Legislature and is now on its way to the Governor for final approval. At this point, AB 48 will go before California voters in March.

AB 48 is a bond bill and the first of its kind to go through the state Legislature since 2006. The bill, if ratified, will make sweeping changes and will, most notably, drastically change how districts are funded for facilities. However, to take full advantage of the $9 billion being earmarked for k-12 this bond, you need to meet certain requirements.

What is Assembly Bill 48 (AB 48)?

To put it simply, the purpose of AB 48 is to bolster California’s K-12 and higher education school facilities provided they meet the revised requirements laid out by the bill. Patrick O’Donnell, Assemblymember and Chair of the Assembly Education Committee had this to say about the bill via press release:

“School facilities set the tone for the day,” said Assemblymember O’Donnell, Chair of the Assembly Education Committee. “As a teacher, I believe that students have a right to learn in a safe environment. AB 48 ensures that students are housed in adequate facilities that meet their educational needs.”

AB 48 will invest in new K-12 and university facilities by providing state matching funds for new construction and modernization. The bond will provide $9 billion for K-12 schools and $2 billion each for California Community Colleges, California State University and the University of California.

AB 48 facilitates a move to a revised, equity-based model of funding facility modernization. Currently, our enrollment-based standard is simply inadequate for many regions of the state, who lack the necessary resources to modernize while also facing decreased enrollment numbers. Proponents of the bill say funding districts on the current enrollment-based method can have an unnecessarily harmful impact on the quality of a district’s education. AB48 hopes to mitigate that inadvertent impact, providing funding, when needed, assuming you meet the criteria.

How Will AB 48 Impact My School?

AB 48 is changing how state funds are distributed to public schools, from pre-school through higher education. Derick Lennox, an advocate representing the Small School Districts’ Association, said, “AB 48 will directly benefit small school districts and financial hardship districts — two constituencies that have the most to overcome when building schools. It’s a huge win for more than half the districts in the state.”

Edsource.org gives a breakdown of the proposed allocation:

• $9 billion for preschool to K-12
• $2 billion for community colleges
• $2 billion for the California State University
• $2 billion for the University of California

However, to benefit from this bond money, you’re required to submit a 5-year facilities master plan (or a revised plan) that is to be approved by the governing board of your school district.

This 5-year plan is integral to benefit from these funds, and comes with many stipulations, via leginfo.legislature.ca.gov section 17070.54:

• (b) The school facilities master plan submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include information on the school district’s eligibility for state bond funding pursuant to this chapter.
• (c) The school facilities master plan shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following information:
• An inventory of existing facilities, sites, and property.
• Existing classroom capacity, as determined pursuant to Sections 17071.10 and 17071.25.
• Projected enrollment growth for the applicable school district over the next five years, accounting for growth pursuant to Sections 17071.75 and 17071.76.
• A capital planning budget outlining the applicable school district’s projects.
• The financing and other funding sources that would be used to support the acquisition of the applicable school site, new construction project, modernization project, and lead testing and remediation projects.
• Verification of the applicable school district’s current assessed value from the appropriate local government entity that collects and maintains this information.
• The school district’s deferred maintenance plan pursuant to Section 17070.75.
• A narrative describing how the school facilities master plan is consistent with the goals, actions, and services identified in the school district’s local control and accountability plan for the first state priority, as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 52060, as it relates to school facilities.
• (d) The department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall develop guidelines that school districts may use to guide the development of the school facilities master plan required as a condition of participating in the school facilities program.
• (e) The Controller shall include the instructions necessary to verify that all of the required components of this section are reflected in a participating school district’s school facilities master plan in the audit guide required by Section 14502.1, as part of the audit procedures required pursuant to Section 41024.
• (f) The school district shall update its school facilities master plan to reflect any changes in enrollment, capacity, or other areas, as appropriate for purposes of participating in the school facilities program.

DIXON SmartSchoolHouse Will Help You Prepare

Putting all of this together can be a challenge, whether you’re creating a 5-year facilities master plan for the first time or simply revising an existing plan. These plans will be scrutinized more than ever, so it’s incredibly important to ensure they’re comprehensive and accurate.

At DIXON SmartSchoolHouse, we expertly handle these details for you, ensuring both short term results and longtime success. We’ve been following AB 48 for some time and we’re more than ready to advise districts on the best measures to ensure they get the most out of this changing in fund allocation. Joe Dixon, Owner and School Facility Expert, brings over three decades of experience in school district facility planning. He’s also taught Facilities, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation at California State University, Fullerton, for eleven years. Joe understands the intricacies of facilities planning and management, and will help you navigate this revised criterion to produce the best results.

Joe says he’s ready for the change that’s on the horizon, “When AB 48 passes in March, I’ll be ready to advise my clients on best practices, where I’ll help them devise a clear and concise strategy, including a 5-year facilities master plan that most benefits their school and takes advantage of the changes California will be seeing in funds allocation and distribution.”

If you don’t feel ready for AB 48 or simply have questions about its impact on your district, then send us an email so we can ensure you’re not just informed, but ready to embrace the change.