AB 2501

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of their constituent schools. Existing law requires the schoolsite council of a school to write and develop the school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of the particular school. Existing law requires a schoolsite council or school safety planning committee, before adopting a school safety plan, to hold a public meeting at the schoolsite, as specified. Existing law requires schools to forward copies of their school safety plans to the school district or county office of education for approval. Existing law requires school districts and county offices of education annually to notify the State Department of Education regarding schools that fail to adopt a school safety plan. This bill would revise and recast those procedures. The bill would make the requirement to develop and adopt a school safety plan applicable to charter schools authorized by the governing boards of school districts or county offices of education in addition to other public schools operated by those districts or county offices. The bill also would impose various criminal penalties for school and local educational agency officers who fail to comply with the revised procedures. The bill would authorize the filing of a complaint of noncompliance with the school safety plan requirements of Title IV of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 with the department pursuant to the Uniform Complaint Procedures set forth in the California Code of Regulations. By requiring school and local educational agency officers to perform additional duties, and creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.