Category: Legislature

CSBA, school and public agency leaders hold press conference to urge Legislature to reform AB 218

As California lawmakers consider reforms to Assembly Bill 218 in the final weeks of the legislative session, leaders representing school districts and public entities across the state held a virtual press briefing on Aug. 20 to discuss reforms that would preserve survivors’ ability to seek justice while establishing reasonable safeguards against unlimited publicly-funded liability. The event featured representatives from school districts, CSBA, the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities, the Association of California School Administrators, the California Association of School Business Officials and the Rural County Representatives of California.

Legislature’s Appropriations Committees hold critical suspense hearings

While several CSBA bills pass through, crucial measures are held in the suspense file On Aug. 13, the Legislature’s respective appropriations committees dispensed with their suspense files. The suspense file allows the appropriations committees to consider bills with a fiscal impact that exceeds a certain […]

The Education Coalition presses Legislature to reject Prop 98 withholding at press conference

In a demonstration of unity, California’s leading education organizations representing administrators, classified employees, county superintendents, parents, school board members, school business officials and teachers convened on the West Steps of the State Capitol on May 21 to urge the Legislature to reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to withhold $3.9 billion owed to public schools.

Gov. Gavin Newsom presents his last May Budget Revise

The May Revise contains welcome provisions that will benefit public schools, including a 4.31 percent COLA for LCFF and a $2.4 billion ongoing increase for special education. Unfortunately, the Governor’s proposal masks an underfunding of the Prop 98 school funding guarantee and relies on the prolific use of one-time money to inflate funding levels in the short term without providing the stability and predictability schools need to plan effectively for student support.

Legislators and CSBA announce SOS for Student Achievement legislative package at Capitol press event

On March 17, Assemblymembers Darshana Patel (D-San Diego), Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy) and Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) joined CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade and Hope Elementary School District Superintendent Melanie Matta at the Capitol to unveil the SOS for Student Achievement: Close the state accountability gap campaign and related legislation to improve overall student performance, close achievement gaps and establish comprehensive state-level support for local school districts and county offices of education.

Legislature closes out the first year of the 2025–26 legislative session

Originally scheduled to end at midnight on Friday, Sept. 12, the Legislature waived the rules to allow it to continue deliberations into Sept. 13, not adjourning until mid-afternoon. This year featured a number of contentious education-related measures ranging from nonclassroom-based charter school reform to efforts […]