California Assembly Bill AB614 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 614AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonilla FEBRUARY 16, 2011  An act to amend Section 48000 of the Education Code, relating to kindergarten.   An act to amend Section 48321 of the Education Code, relating to school attendance.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 614, as amended, Bonilla.  Kindergarten.   School attendance review boards: member composition.   Existing law authorizes the establishment of county school attendance review boards and local school attendance review boards. Existing law requires a county school attendance review board to be composed of at least a parent and 9 representatives of specified community groups. Existing law authorizes a local school attendance review board to be composed of at least a parent and 9 representatives of specified community groups.   This bill would instead authorize a county school attendance review board to be composed of those persons. The bill would also specifically authorize a representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel to be appointed to a county school attendance review board and a local school attendance review board.   Existing law requires that a child be admitted to kindergarten at the beginning of the school year, or at any time later in the same year if the child will have his or her 5th birthday on or before the following dates: December 2 for the 2011-12 school year, November 1 for the 2012-13 school year, October 1 for the 2013-14 school year, and September 1 for the 2014-15 school year and each school year thereafter. Existing law requires that as a condition of receipt of apportionments for these purposes, a child whose admission to a traditional kindergarten is delayed be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program, as defined.   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 48321 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  48321. (a) (1) A county school attendance review board may be established in each county. (2) The county school attendance review board, if established,  shall   may  include, but need not be limited to, all of the following: (A) A parent. (B) A representative of school districts. (C) A representative of the county probation department. (D) A representative of the county welfare department. (E) A representative of the county superintendent of schools. (F) A representative of law enforcement agencies. (G) A representative of community-based youth service centers. (H) A representative of school guidance personnel. (I) A representative of child welfare and attendance personnel. (J) A representative of school or county health care personnel.  (K) A representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel.  (3) The school district representatives on the county school attendance review board shall be nominated by the governing boards of school districts and shall be appointed by the county superintendent of schools. All other persons and group representatives shall be appointed by the county board of education. (4) If a county school attendance review board exists, the county superintendent of schools shall, at the beginning of each school year, convene a meeting of the county school attendance review board for the purpose of adopting plans to promote interagency and community cooperation and to reduce the duplication of services provided to youth who have serious school attendance and behavior problems. (b) (1) Local school attendance review boards may include, but need not be limited to, all of the following: (A) A parent. (B) A representative of school districts. (C) A representative of the county probation department. (D) A representative of the county welfare department. (E) A representative of the county superintendent of schools. (F) A representative of law enforcement agencies. (G) A representative of community-based youth service centers. (H) A representative of school guidance personnel. (I) A representative of child welfare and attendance personnel. (J) A representative of school or county health care personnel.  (K) A representative of school, county, or community mental health personnel.  (2) Other persons or group representatives shall be appointed by the county board of education. (c) The county school attendance review board may elect  ,  pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to Section 48324, one member as chairperson with responsibility for coordinating services of the county school attendance review board. (d) The county school attendance review board may provide for the establishment of local school attendance review boards in any number as shall be necessary to carry out the intent of this article. (e) In any county in which there is no county school attendance review board, a school district governing board may elect to establish a local school attendance review board, which shall operate in the same manner and have the same authority as a county school attendance review board. (f) The county school attendance review board may provide consultant services to, and coordinate activities of, local school attendance review boards in meeting the special needs of pupils with school attendance or school behavior problems. (g) When the county school attendance review board determines that the needs of pupils as defined in this article can best be served by a single board, the county school attendance review board may then serve as the school attendance review board for all pupils in the county, or, upon the request of any school district in the county, the county school attendance review board may serve as the school attendance review board for pupils of that district. (h) Nothing in this article is intended to prohibit any agreement on the part of counties to provide these services on a regional basis.  SECTION 1.   Section 48000 of the Education Code is amended to read: 48000. (a) A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year, if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before one of the following dates: (1) December 2 of the 2011-12 school year. (2) November 1 of the 2012-13 school year. (3) October 1 of the 2013-14 school year. (4) September 1 of the 2014-15 school year and each school year thereafter. (b) The governing board of a school district maintaining one or more kindergartens may, on a case-by-case basis, may admit to a kindergarten a child having attained the age of five years at any time during the school year with the approval of the parent or guardian, subject to the following conditions: (1) The governing board determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the child. (2) The parent or guardian is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance. (c) As a condition of receipt of apportionment for pupils in a transitional kindergarten program pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 46300, a school district or charter school shall ensure the following: (1) In the 2012-13 school year, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between November 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district. (2) In the 2013-14 school year, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between October 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district. (3) In the 2014-15 school year and each school year thereafter, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district. (d) For purposes of this section, "transitional kindergarten" means the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. (e) A transitional kindergarten shall not be construed as a new program or a higher level of service.