SB 585

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state that includes, among other local educational agencies, school districts. School districts are generally divided into 3 types: unified school districts, high school districts, and elementary school districts. Existing law authorizes the reorganization of school districts pursuant to specified procedures. Existing law provides that an action to reorganize one or more school districts is initiated upon the filing with the county superintendent of schools of a petition to reorganize one or more school districts, and defines an "action to reorganize districts" as either an action to form a new school district, as specified, or an action to transfer territory, including the transfer of all or part of an existing school district to another existing school district. This bill would prohibit a reorganization from converting any of the territory of a unified school district into territory of a school district of a different kind and would make conforming changes. This bill would require the State Department of Education to prepare a detailed plan for a transition so that, as of July 1, 2025, all school districts existing in the state on that date would be unified school districts if the plan were enacted into law. The bill would require the plan to specify all of the district changes that would be necessary to accomplish the transition. The bill would also specify several topics, including certain geographic, academic, and financial factors, as well as the ethnic composition of pupils enrolled in the districts, that the department would be required to consider in preparing the plan. The bill would require the department to submit the plan, along with pertinent findings and recommendations, in the form of a written report to the chairpersons of the education policy committees of the respective houses of the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2021, as specified.