AB 640 – Requires Governance Training for Local Educational Agency Officials

AB 640 establishes a new requirement that local education agency (LEA) officials must complete training in K-12 public education school finance laws, including laws related to the creation and approval of an LEA budget to support student learning and achievement and laws related to fiscal penalties for noncompliance. AB 640 defines LEA officials to include any regular member of a governing board of a school district, or a county board of education, or any regular member of the governing body of a charter school, or a nonprofit public benefit corporation operating a charter school.

AB 640 provides that the training regarding K-12 public education school finance laws may be up to four (4) hours long. It further provides that the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (COFCMAT) must develop a curriculum for this training by October 1, 2026. Entities that offer the training must use the curriculum that COFCMAT develops.

LEAs or LEA consortia may offer the training through any of the following methods:

1. Use LEA employees or contracted legal counsel with demonstrable experience in K-12 public education school finance laws to provide the training.
2. Arrange for an entity that supports LEAs with technical assistance and expertise in K-12 public education school finance laws and has trainers with demonstrable experience in K-12 public education school finance laws to provide the training.
3. Arrange for COFCMAT to provide the training.
4. Arrange for a nonprofit statewide education association led by officials who govern school districts and county offices of education to provide the training.
5. Offer or arrange for an entity meeting the requirements detailed in #2 above to provide sets of self-study materials with tests.

LEAs must maintain records of the dates LEA officials completed the training and what entity provided it for at least five (5) years after the date of the training.

LEA officials in office as of April 1, 2027, must complete the training by April 1, 2028, unless their term ends before then. Officials who commence initial service or a subsequent nonconsecutive term on or after April 1, 2027, must complete the training within a year of the start of their service, but they should be encouraged to begin the training prior to the first meeting of their governing body. Officials need not repeat the training during subsequent consecutive terms.

(AB 640 adds Article 6.5, commencing with Section 35220, to the Education Code.)