Senate Bill 141 – Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill – Amends Existing Law To Extend Reporting Deadlines Related To Various Apportionments And Apportions $10,000,000 To Establish The Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative Program And $1,500,000 To Continue Developing Curriculum For The Holocaust And Genocide Education

Senate Bill 141 is urgency legislation that became effective following the Governor’s signature.  The Governor signed SB 141 on September 13, 2023.  This summary includes some of the technical changes to existing Education Code Sections and the following changes:

• Requires the Superintendent of Instruction allocate $10 million from the apportionment made in the Budget Act of 2023 to the Commission on Teaching Credentialing to establish the Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative program. The purpose of the Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative program is to provide grants to local education agencies to train, place, and retain diverse and culturally responsive administrators for TK to 12 to improve outcomes and meet the needs of California’s education workforce.
  1. The bill amends the definition of “local educational agencies” to include regional occupational center or program operated by a joint powers authority or a county office of education, allows these LEAs to apply for grants.
  2. The bill prohibits grant recipients from charging a sponsored candidate a fee to participate in the program.
  3. Adds two additional goals of the Program as follows:
     1. To build capacity and partnerships between local educational agencies, nonprofit educational service providers, and institutions of higher education to meet the needs of administrator candidates with a focus on improving outcomes for pupils and strengthening California’s educator workforce.
     2. Increase quality school administrators statewide and incorporate culturally diverse practices that prove effective towards increasing local educational agency and school site leadership.
  4. Amends the selection criteria to include give priority consideration to grant applicants who demonstrate a commitment to increasing diversity in the teaching workforce, have a higher percentage than other applicants of enrolled unduplicated pupils (means English learners eligible for free or reduced-price meals or foster youth) and have one or both of the following characteristics: (1) a school where 50% or more of enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; (2) a school that is located in either a rural location or a densely populated region.
  5. It expands the purpose for which these funds may be used for to include (1) costs, including administrative services credential clear induction program; (2) up to 5% for program administrative costs.
  6. Finally, the bill adds that an administrator candidate has four years from the date they received the preliminary administrator credential to complete the two-year service requirement.
• Apportions for the 2023-2024 fiscal year $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for allocation to the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education to continue its work on developing and providing curriculum resources related to genocide and Holocaust education; and providing professional development that includes educator training and Holocaust education.
• Until July 1, 2024, any holder of a credential or permit issued by the Commission of Teacher Credentials that authorizes the holder to substitute in a general, special, or career technical education assignment may serve in a substitute assignment within their authorization, including for staff vacancies, for up to 60 cumulative days for any one assignment.
• Permits the allocation of funds to the State Department of Education for the appointment of an independent panel of experts for the purpose of creating an approved list of screening instruments to assess pupils for risk of reading difficulties.
  2025. The bill also extends the availability of the funds for encumbrance or expenditure through June 30, 2025.
• Amends existing law establishing the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialist Grant Program (Program) to include a definition for “employ”. The bill provides that “employ” means that local agency, to the extent feasible, will hire a new literacy coach, reading specialist, or both, train existing staff to become a literacy coach, or supporting existing staff in obtaining reading specialist credential or authorization.  The bill also prohibits the use of the additional allocation of funds to support the salaries of existing literacy coaches and reading specialists.
• Other applicants of enrolled unduplicated pupils, increasing diversity in the teaching workforce, have a higher percentage than Provides the apportion made of $2,402,000 to support the development of an online training school site and community resources focused on strategies to support LGBTQ+ pupils is available through June 30, 2025.
• Exempts the Paradise Unified School District from any reduction in state support for exceeding the number of administrative employees per teacher ratio permitted under the law for the fiscal year 2021-2022 to 2023-2024.
• Allows the State Department of Education to use any unexpended funds it receives from the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program until June 30, 2028.
• Allows the State Department of Education to collect from school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools principal apportionment monthly payment to recover the $1,590,595 that was reduced from the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund allocation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Amends the existing definition of eligible local education agency that may be allocated a Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier to exclude a charter school classified as a non-classroom-based charter school as of the prior fiscal year’s principal apportionment certification.
• Exempts a local education agency (LEA) from having to operate its Expanded Learning Opportunities Program for a cumulative 9 hours (combined instructional time, recess, meals, and expanded instructional day) and for at least 30 days, to retain funding eligibility, if the LEA is temporarily prevented from operating its expanded learning program because of a school or program site closure due to emergency conditions.

Reestablishes, until June 30, 2025, the requirement that an agency operating a state preschool program that 5% of funded enrollment be reserved for children with exceptional needs.  The bill also provides that any agency that did not meet the requirement that 7.5% or 10% of funded enrollment be reserved for children with exceptional needs commencing July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, shall be eligible to be placed on a conditional contract on July 1, 2027 and July 1, 2028, respectfully.