(a) If the average daily attendance of a school district, county office of education, or charter school during a fiscal year has been materially decreased during a fiscal year because of any of the following, the fact shall be established to the satisfaction of the Superintendent by affidavits of the members of the governing board or body of the school district, county office of education, or charter school and the county superintendent of schools:
(1) Fire.
(2) Flood.
(3) Impassable roads.
(4) Epidemic.
(5) Earthquake.
(6) The imminence of a major safety hazard as determined by the local law enforcement agency.
(7) A strike involving transportation services to pupils provided by a nonschool entity.
(8) An order provided for in Section 41422.
(b) (1) In the event a state of emergency is declared by the Governor in a county, a decrease in average daily attendance in the county below the approximate total average daily attendance that would have been credited to a school district, county office of education, or charter school had the state of emergency not occurred shall be deemed material. The Superintendent shall determine the length of the period during which average daily attendance has been reduced by the state of
emergency.
(2) The period determined by the Superintendent shall not extend into the next fiscal year following the declaration of the state of emergency by the Governor, except upon a showing by a school district, county office of education, or charter school, to the satisfaction of the Superintendent, that extending the period into the next fiscal year is essential to alleviate continued reductions in average daily attendance attributable to the state of emergency.
(3) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent shall extend through the 2018–19 fiscal year the period during which it is essential to alleviate continued reductions in average daily attendance attributable to a state of emergency declared by the Governor in October 2017, for a school district where no less than 5 percent of the residences within the school district or school district facilities were destroyed
by the qualifying emergency.
(c) (1) The average daily attendance of the school district, county office of education, or charter school for the fiscal year shall be estimated by the Superintendent in a manner that credits to the school district, county office of education, or charter school for determining the apportionments to be made to the school district, county office of education, or charter school from the State School Fund approximately the total average daily attendance that would have been credited to the school district, county office of education, or charter school had the emergency not occurred or had the order not been issued.
(2) (A) From September 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, inclusive, with the exception of a material loss of attendance for pupils who are individuals with exceptional needs, as defined in Section 56026,
whose individualized education program developed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 56340) of Chapter 4 of Part 30 does not specifically provide for participation in independent study or pupils who are enrolled in community day schools pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 48660) of Chapter 4 of Part 27, a school district, county office of education, or charter school shall not receive average daily attendance credit pursuant to this section for pupils that have been quarantined and are unable to attend in-person instruction due to exposure to, or infection with, COVID-19 pursuant to local or state public health guidance.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), from September 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, inclusive, a school district, county office of education, or charter school may receive average daily attendance credit pursuant to this section for school closures related to impacts from COVID-19 or material loss of
attendance due to COVID-19 related staffing shortages if the following conditions are established to the satisfaction of the Superintendent by affidavits of the members of the governing board or body of the school district, county office of education, or charter school and the county superintendent of schools:
(i) The school district, county office of education, or charter school is unable to provide in person instruction to pupils due to staffing shortages as a result of staff quarantine due to exposure to, or infection with, COVID-19 pursuant to local or state public health guidance.
(ii) For certificated staff shortages, the school district, county office of education, or charter school has exhausted all options for obtaining staff coverage, including using all certificated staff and substitute teacher options, and has consulted with their county office of education and the
Superintendent in determining that staffing needs cannot be met through any option.
(iii) For classified staff shortages, the school district, county office of education, or charter school has exhausted all options for obtaining staff coverage, including using all staff options, and has consulted with their county office of education and the Superintendent in determining that staffing needs cannot be met through any option.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, for a school district or charter school physically located within a school district, where no less than 5 percent of the residences within the school district, or the school district’s facilities, were destroyed as a result of a state of emergency that was declared by the Governor in November 2018, all of the following shall apply:
(1) (A) In the 2020–21 fiscal year, for school districts, the Superintendent shall calculate the difference between the school district’s certified second principal apportionment local control funding formula entitlement pursuant to Section 42238.02 in the 2020–21 fiscal year and the 2019–20 fiscal year and, if there is a difference, allocate the amount of that difference to the school district.
(B) In the 2021–22 fiscal year, for school districts, the Superintendent shall allocate an amount equal to 25 percent of the difference calculated in subparagraph (A) to the school district.
(C) In the 2022–23 fiscal year, for school districts, the Superintendent shall allocate an amount equal to 12.5 percent of the difference calculated in subparagraph (A) to the school district.
(2) (A) In the
2019–20 and 2020–21 fiscal years, for charter schools, the Superintendent shall calculate the difference between the charter school’s certified second principal apportionment local control funding formula entitlement pursuant to 42238.02 in the current year and each respective prior year and, if there is a difference, allocate the amount of that difference to the charter school.
(B) In the 2021–22 fiscal year, for charter schools that operate a minimum of 175 school days and report at least 75 percent of the total second period average daily attendance for the 2019–20 fiscal year, as described in Section 41601, the Superintendent shall allocate 25 percent of the difference calculated in subparagraph (A) to the charter school.
(3) For a county office of education funded pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 2575 that has within the boundaries of the county school
districts or charter schools affected pursuant to this subdivision and that has in the schools operated by the county office of education at least a 10-percent decrease in average daily attendance in the current fiscal year, in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 fiscal years, the Superintendent shall calculate the difference between the county office of education’s alternative education grant entitlement certified at the annual principal apportionment pursuant to Section 2574 in the current fiscal year and each respective prior fiscal year and, if there is a difference, allocate the amount of that difference to the county office of education.
(4) A school district may transfer funds received pursuant to paragraph (1) to the county office of education for the portion of the funds that represents pupils served by the county office of education who are funded through the school district’s local control funding formula apportionment pursuant to Section
2576.
(5) In each fiscal year, the allocations pursuant to this subdivision shall be made to school districts and charter schools by the Superintendent as soon as practicable after the second principal apportionment and to county offices of education as soon as practicable after the annual principal apportionment. The allocations made shall be final. The Superintendent may provide a preliminary allocation of up to 50 percent no sooner than the first principal apportionment.
(6) (A) The amounts described in this subdivision shall be continuously appropriated from the General Fund to the Superintendent for these purposes.
(B) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by this subdivision shall be deemed to be
“General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which they are appropriated, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, for a school district or charter school physically located within a school district, where no less than 5 percent of the residences within the school district, or the school district’s facilities, were destroyed as a result of a state of emergency that was declared by the Governor in September 2020, all of the following shall apply:
(1) For the 2021–22 fiscal year, for school districts, the Superintendent shall calculate the difference between the
school district’s certified annual principal apportionment local control funding formula revenues pursuant to Section 42238.02 in the 2021–22 fiscal year and the 2019–20 fiscal year, including local revenue, pursuant to subdivision (j) of Section 42238.02, and any additional funds received pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 42238.03 in excess of the entitlement calculated pursuant to Section 42238.02 and 42238.03 and, if there is a difference, allocate the amount of that difference to the school district.
(2) For the 2021–22 fiscal year, for charter schools that operate a minimum of 175 school days and report at least 75 percent of the total second period average daily attendance for the 2019–20 fiscal year, as described in Section 41601, the Superintendent shall calculate the difference between the charter school’s certified second principal apportionment local control funding formula revenues pursuant to Section 42238.02 in the 2021–22
fiscal year and the 2019–20 fiscal year, and, if there is a difference, allocate the amount of that difference to the charter school.
(3) School districts and charter schools shall notify the Superintendent of their eligibility pursuant to this subdivision by November 1, 2021, in the manner prescribed by the Superintendent.
(4) Preliminary allocations made pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be made to school districts by the Superintendent through the principal apportionment beginning with the 2021–22 fiscal year first principal apportionment certification and shall be made final as of the annual principal apportionment.
(5) Allocations pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be made to charter schools by the Superintendent as soon as practicable after the second principal apportionment and shall be made final as of the annual
principal apportionment. The Superintendent may provide a preliminary allocation of up to 50 percent no sooner than the first principal apportionment.
(f) Notwithstanding any other law, for a school district where a school eligible for funding pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 42280) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of Division 3 was destroyed as a result of a state of emergency that was declared by the Governor in August 2021, the following shall apply:
(1) The school district may continue to report the amount of attendance generated by pupils enrolled in another school of the school district that would have otherwise attended the destroyed school, and the number of full-time teachers employed by the school district that would have otherwise provided instructional services at the school, as if the school were operational in the 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 fiscal years.
(2) The school shall be considered a necessary small school for the purpose of Section 42282 in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 fiscal years.
(g) This section applies to any average daily attendance that occurs during any part of a school year.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 48, Sec. 39. (SB 114) Effective July 10, 2023.)
(a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that, given the effects of public health emergencies and the significant and growing number of natural disasters that the state has faced in recent years, there is an increased need for local educational agencies to provide instructional continuity for pupils when conditions make in-person instruction infeasible for all or some pupils, and that maintaining access to instruction during a natural disaster or emergency is crucial in mitigating the negative impacts of lost learning time and supporting pupil mental health.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that all local educational agencies have plans in place to keep pupils learning in the event of school closures or absences, especially by
being prepared to shift to online or other remote learning options, if necessary. While the first priority will always be to get pupils back to in-person instruction as quickly as possible following a natural disaster or other emergency event, schools should have the infrastructure in place to move instruction online, or otherwise deliver curriculum remotely, and ensure that pupils can access that instruction at short notice. Best practices like including independent study program agreements in back-to-school paperwork provided pursuant to Section 48980 for parents to sign ahead of time, posting assignments and pupil academic resources online, assigning laptops to all pupils, developing emergency partnerships with neighboring local educational agencies, and maintaining an online instructional platform can help local educational agencies be better prepared to shift to remote learning options if the need arises.
(b) For affidavits submitted to
the Superintendent for events occurring after September 1, 2021, but on or before June 30,
2026, that resulted in a school closure or material decrease in attendance, a school district, county office of education, or charter school that provides an affidavit to the Superintendent, pursuant to Section 41422 or 46392, shall certify that it has a plan for which independent study will be offered to pupils, pursuant to Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 51745) of Chapter 5 of Part 28 of Division 4. The plan shall comply with all of the following:
(1) Independent study is offered to any pupil impacted by any of the conditions listed in Section 46392 within 10 instructional days of the first day of a school closure or material decrease in attendance. Pupils who are individuals with exceptional needs shall receive the services identified in their individualized education programs pursuant to paragraph (9) of subdivision (a) of Section 56345 and may participate in an independent study program.
(2) Require reopening for in-person instruction as soon as possible unless prohibited under the direction of the local or state health officer.
(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 51745 or subparagraph (F) of paragraph (9) of subdivision (g) of Section 51747, include information regarding establishing independent study master agreements in a reasonable amount of time.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the plan is not required to comply with subdivision (d), (e), or (f) of Section 51747 for school closures or a material decrease in attendance for 15 days or less for affected pupils.
(d) A copy of the plan and, if applicable, the state or local public health or public safety order that required school closure shall accompany the affidavit
provided to the Superintendent described in subdivision (b).
(e) (1) For affidavits submitted to the Superintendent for events occurring on or after July 1, 2026, that result in a school closure or material decrease in attendance, a school district, county office of education, or charter school that provides an affidavit to the Superintendent, pursuant to Section 41422 or 46392, shall certify all of the following:
(A) It has a local governing board- or body-adopted comprehensive school safety plan in place meeting the requirements of Section 32282, including the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 32282.
(B) Either of the following:
(i) It has offered pupil engagement and instruction consistent with paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 32282.
(ii) Due to extenuating circumstances, it has not provided pupil engagement and instruction consistent with paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 32282. A school district, county office of education, or charter school that certifies pursuant to this clause shall describe the circumstances that prevented it from providing pupil engagement and instruction and shall describe what pupil engagement, services, and instruction it did provide to support its pupils during or immediately after the period of closure or material decrease in attendance.
(2) If applicable, a copy of the state or local public health or
public safety order that required school closure shall accompany the affidavit provided to the Superintendent described in paragraph (1).
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 998, Sec. 15. (AB 176) Effective September 30, 2024.)