SB 499

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for school districts and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to the local control funding formula to include, in addition to a base grant, supplemental and concentration grant add-ons that are based on the percentage of pupils who are English learners, foster youth, or eligible for free or reduced-price meals, as specified, served by the school district or charter school. Existing law authorizes schools participating in certain federal school meals programs to establish a base year for purposes of calculating the number of pupils at the school who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals by determining each pupil's eligibility status in that base year and using that number to report eligibility for up to each of the following 3 school years. This bill would additionally allow schools participating in those federal school meals programs to establish a base year by carrying over the number of pupils at the school who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals from the school year in which the school applied to use a federal universal school meal provision. (2) Existing law requires a school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining a kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide a needy pupil, as defined, one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, and authorizes the school district or county superintendent of schools to use funds available from any federal or state school meals program to comply with that requirement. Existing law authorizes certain educational entities that participate in the federal School Breakfast Program, commencing with the 2019–20 fiscal year, to provide universal breakfast, as specified. This bill would establish the California-Grown for Healthy Kids Program, administered by the State Department of Education, to increase the provision of universally free school meals made with fresh, California-grown fruits and vegetables. The bill would require fresh, California-grown fruits and vegetables provided pursuant to the program to be provided free of charge to all pupils. The bill, contingent upon an appropriation made for these purposes, would make a school food authority, as defined, that meets specified requirements, including that it makes universally free school breakfast available in all schoolsites and provides universally free breakfast and lunch to all pupils in very high poverty schools, eligible to receive supplemental funding of $0.10 per breakfast served. The bill would authorize a school food authority to combine funding received pursuant to the program with other public or private funding sources to ensure that fresh, California-grown fruits or vegetables, or both, are provided to pupils. The bill would require, as a condition of receipt of funds pursuant to the program, a schoolsite to offer nutrition education activities and provide pupils with culturally appropriate meals.