AB 1858

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Under existing law, each school district and county office of education is responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in cooperation with certain local entities. Existing law requires that the plan include identification of appropriate strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the school's procedures for complying with existing laws related to school safety. Existing law requires the comprehensive school safety plan to include the development of procedures for conducting tactical responses to criminal incidents, including procedures related to individuals with guns on school campuses and at school-related functions. This bill would additionally require, as part of the comprehensive school safety plan, if the plan includes procedures to prepare for active shooters or other armed assailants by conducting a drill, the development of specified procedures relating to that drill. Existing law prohibits a chartering authority from denying a petition for the establishment of a charter school unless it makes written factual findings supporting at least one of specified bases for denial. One of those bases for denying a petition is if the petition does not contain a reasonably comprehensive description of the development of a school safety plan that includes the same safety topics required in the comprehensive school safety plan of a school district or county office of education. This bill would authorize a chartering authority to deny a charter school petition that does not include in its proposed development of a school safety plan the same provisions on procedures and policies relating to active shooter and armed assailant drills as are required by the bill in a school district or county office of education comprehensive school safety plan. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on chartering authorities, which include governing boards of school districts and county boards of education, when reviewing the petition for the establishment of a charter school, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require, on or before June 15, 2025, the State Department of Education to curate and post on its internet website best practices pertaining to school shooter or other armed assailant drills for use by school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, as provided. The bill would encourage a school district, county office of education, or charter school to comply with these best practices. (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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.