SB 685
CFC OpposesSpecial education: nonpublic schools and agencies
CFC Says
CFC opposes SB 685.
Currently at 2nd Committee, having cleared 3 stages. Hearing in Assembly Education Committee in 2 days.
Legislative Progress
Official Description
(1)Existing law sets forth a method for providing special education and related services to pupils with exceptional needs. Existing law permits, under certain circumstances, contracts to be entered into for the provision of those services by nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies. Existing law defines “nonpublic, nonsectarian school” and “nonpublic, nonsectarian agency” for these purposes. Existing law authorizes a master contract for special education and related services provided by a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency only if the school or agency has been certified as meeting specified standards. Existing law sets forth the certification process and procedures for the nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies that seek certification from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, including that the school or agency file an application with specified information. Existing law requires the Superintendent, before certification of a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency, to conduct an onsite review of the facility and program for which the applicant seeks certification and authorizes the Superintendent to verify that the school or agency has received a successful criminal background check clearance and has enrolled in subsequent arrest notice service for each owner, operator, and employee of the school or agency. Existing law requires the Superintendent to monitor the facilities, educational environment, and quality of the educational program of an existing certified nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency on a 3-year cycle, as provided. Existing law requires the master contract for nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency services to include, among other things, an individual service agreement for each pupil placed by a local educational agency. Existing law requires a contracting local educational agency to pay the full amount of the tuition or fees, as applicable, for individuals with exceptional needs who are enrolled in programs or receiving services provided pursuant to the contract. Existing law requires a master contract for nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency services to be developed in accordance with specified provisions, including, among others, that the master contract specify the general administrative and financial agreements, including teacher-to-pupil ratios, between the school or agency and the local educational agency to provide the special education and designated instruction services. Existing law requires a certified nonpublic school or agency to provide written notification to the State Department of Education and the local educational agency with which it has a master contract of any pupil-involved incident at the school or agency in which law enforcement was contacted. This bill would eliminate the requirement that nonpublic schools or agencies that enter into contracts for the provision of special education services be nonsectarian. The bill would (A) exclude from the above-described tuition or fees the amount attributable to the provision of religious instruction, which the bill would define for these purposes, (B) prohibit public funds paid pursuant to those contracts from being used to pay for religious instruction at a nonpublic school or agency, (C) prohibit a nonpublic school or agency from providing religious instruction to pupils placed by a local educational agency, as provided, (D) require an applicant seeking an initial or renewal certification to certify, under penalty of perjury, that all educational services provided under a master contract with a local educational agency are secular, neutral, and respectful regarding religion and religious view, as provided, and (E) notwithstanding any other law, prohibit a nonpublic school or agency, in performing services under a master contract, individual service agreement, or individualized education program, from subjecting any person to discrimination on the basis of specified protected characteristics. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a master contract and individual services agreement for nonpublic school or agency services to contain provisions requiring compliance with those 5 described provisions. The bill would require the above-described application for a nonpublic school seeking certification from the Superintendent to include (A) an assurance that the nonpublic school has requested from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing a list of all credentialholders who have had final adverse action taken against their credential, (B) commencing July 1, 2027, documentation that specified staff and administrators have obtained fingerprint clearance with the commission, as provided, and (C) commencing January 1, 2028, a list of staff providing instruction and services to pupils in the state and copies of their credentials. The bill would require, instead of authorize, the Superintendent to verify that a nonpublic school or agency seeking certification has received a successful criminal background check clearance and has enrolled in subsequent arrest notice service for each owner, operator, employee, and contractor of the nonpublic school or agency, as applicable. The bill would require the Superintendent, as part of monitoring the quality of the educational program of an existing certified nonpublic school, to also monitor the criminal background checks required for employment and pupils’ receipt of any mandated instruction required for all pupils of local educational agencies, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent, as part of monitoring an existing certified nonpublic agency, to instead monitor the agency for compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. The bill would require the department to (A) require each person employed by a nonpublic school interacting with a California pupil to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history background check, (B) submit those fingerprints, and (C) request subsequent arrest records, as specified. The bill would impose the same requirements on a local educational agency with respect to each person employed by the nonpublic school that it has a master contract with, as provided. The bill would require the Department of Justice to provide a state and federal response to those requests in accordance with specified provisions. The bill would require a certified nonpublic school to additionally provide written notification to the department and the local educational agency with which it has a master contract of any pupil-involved incident at the school resulting in, among other things, a serious injury to a pupil, as specified, or the commencement of an investigation into an employee or contractor involving an allegation of misconduct. The bill would require a nonpublic school employing a person with a credential to report any change in employment status of the credentialholder to the commission within 30 days if the change in status is a result of an allegation of misconduct, as specified. The bill would also make conforming changes. (2)Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or a county board of education to request the State Board of Education to waive all or part of specified education laws or regulations adopted by the state board, as provided, with exceptions. Existing law requires the state board to approve any and all requests for waivers except in those cases where the state board specifically finds, among other things, that the educational needs of the pupils are not adequately addressed. This bill would prohibit the state board from waiving all or part of any laws relating to special education pursuant to the above-described provisions. Existing law authorizes a public agency, as defined, to request the state board to grant a waiver of any provision of education laws or regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions if the waiver (A) is necessary or beneficial to the content and implementation of a pupil’s individualized education program and (B) does not abrogate any rights provided to individuals with exceptional needs and their parents or guardians, or affect the compliance of a local educational agency with specified federal regulations. Existing law authorizes the state board to grant, in whole or in part, any of those requests when the facts indicate that a failure to do so would hinder implementation of a pupil’s individualized education program or compliance by a local educational agency with specified federal mandates. This bill would prohibit a waiver submitted by a public agency that is related to the placement of a pupil at a noncertified nonpublic school or that is for a nonpublic school to waive specified requirements from being approved unless it meets certain conditions, including, among others, that the waiver include a description of how the public agency requesting the waiver will oversee and evaluate the pupil’s placement and that the public agency require the nonpublic agency to meet certain requirements, as provided. (3)Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards and procedures for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to make available to each private school a listing of all credentialholders who have had final adverse action taken against their credential which is required to be identical to that made available to public schools in the state. This bill would require the commission to also make available the above-described listing to the State Department of Education. The bill would require the department to request notice from the commission regarding the list, monitor the status of the credentialholders at nonpublic schools, and confirm that a credentialholder has been removed from contact with California pupils when a credentialholder has their credential suspended or revoked, and would impose the same requirements on a local educational agency with respect to each nonpublic school that it has a master contract with, as provided. (4)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.