AB 133 — Education finance: education omnibus trailer bill.

(7) Existing law appropriates $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent to apportion to the Orange County Department of Education to award no less than $30,000,000 as grants to local educational agencies for the purpose of funding schoolwide and districtwide implementation of services or practices aligned to the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework, as specified, and requires the Orange County Department of Education to encumber or expend those funds on or before June 30, 2026.

The bill would, upon review and approval by the Orange County Department of Education, authorize funds encumbered by a subgrantee but not yet expended, to be expended until June 30, 2027.

By extending the expenditure period of an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation.

To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on the Orange County Department of Education, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires funds described above not awarded on or before December 15, 2022, to be available for the Orange County Department of Education to provide support to local educational agencies impacted by the fire-related state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor in January 2025, as provided.

This bill would authorize funds that have not been encumbered to be utilized by the Orange County Department of Education for those purposes until June 30, 2027.

By extending the encumbrance period of an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation.

(8) Existing law, upon an appropriation for these purposes, requires the State Department of Education, in consultation with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to administer a competitive grant program to award grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to establish dual enrollment programs, as specified.

Existing law requires approved applicants to be provided one-time grants, as specified, to (A) start up or expand a middle college or early college high school or program or (B) establish a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) dual enrollment partnership, or to be provided both grants.

This bill would, among other things, require an applicant that has previously received one of those grants to also be provided a renewal grant upon the completion of the requirements pertaining to that specific grant type, provided they are not currently in an active grant period for that grant type.

(9) Existing law establishes the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching Program and requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to develop and implement a program to award, on a competitive basis, grants of up to $600,000 to consortia of local educational agencies to form broader consortia with 4-year institutions of higher education, or with 4-year institutions of higher education and community colleges, to establish or expand pathways to bilingual teaching to enable bilingual candidates to earn a multiple subject, single subject, PK-3 early childhood education specialist, or education specialist teaching credential, with a bilingual authorization, as provided.

Existing law requires broader consortia to enter in an agreement with one or more local educational agencies to hire qualified graduates of the pathway in bilingual teaching positions, as specified.

Existing law requires the commission to annually report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on any grants funded until funds are fully expended, as specified.

This bill would revise the program by, among other things, (A) delaying its implementation until January 1, 2027, (B) making individual local educational agencies, as defined to include school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education, eligible for grants but maintaining priority for consortia of local educational agencies, (C) authorizing, instead of requiring, broader consortia to enter into an agreement with one or more local educational agencies to hire qualified graduates of the pathway in bilingual teaching positions, and (D) revising reporting requirements, as specified.

(10) Existing law, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, appropriates $4,400,163,000 from the General Fund to the department for the Student Support and Professional Development Discretionary Block Grant, for allocation to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the state special schools for discretionary purposes, as specified.

Existing law, as a condition of receiving those funds, requires, among other things, a school district or charter school with an existing declining enrollment, or projected declining enrollment in the next 5 years, to hold a public hearing on their plans to address the declining enrollment’s impacts on the local educational agency, including, but not limited to, schoolsite closures or consolidations.

This bill would require the public hearing to be held in conjunction with a required public hearing for purposes of the school district’s or charter school’s local control and accountability plan, and would require the plans to address the declining enrollment’s impacts on the local educational agency to instead include, but not be limited to, attracting and retaining pupils, strengthening course offerings, new program opportunities, class size reduction, facilities management, including potential schoolsite consolidations and closures, and local revenue options.

(11) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to enter into a CCAP partnership with the governing board of a school district or a county office of education, or the governing body of a charter school or regional occupational center or program, for the purpose of offering or expanding dual enrollment opportunities for pupils who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, as provided.

Existing law provides that a day of attendance for a pupil enrolled in grades 11 and 12 in an early college high school, middle college high school, or dual enrollment courses offered by a local educational agency with or without a CCAP partnership agreement is 180 minutes of attendance if the pupil is also enrolled in a community college, classes of the California State University, or classes of the University of California, as provided.

This bill, for purposes of the above-described 180-minute day of attendance requirement, would require the dual enrollment courses to be offered with a CCAP partnership agreement.

(12) Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt evaluation rubrics to measure school district and individual schoolsite performance, for certain purposes, including to identify school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools in need of technical assistance.

Existing law also requires the state board to adopt performance criteria and state and local indicators related to the evaluation rubrics.

Existing law, beginning with the release of the 2026 California School Dashboard, and every 3 years thereafter, requires the county superintendent of schools to provide technical assistance for a minimum of 3 years to a school district for which one or more pupil subgroups meets the performance criteria established by the state board, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide technical assistance for a minimum of 3 years to a county office of education for which one or more pupil subgroups meets the performance criteria established by the state board, as provided.

This bill would, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, require the county superintendent of schools to provide technical assistance to any school district for which one or more pupil subgroups meets the performance criteria established by the state board, as reported on the 2025 California School Dashboard, and the Superintendent to provide technical assistance to any county office of education for which one or more pupil subgroups meets the performance criteria established by the state board, as reported on the 2025 California School Dashboard.

By imposing new duties on county superintendents of schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to annually publish information on all local educational agencies identified for prioritized support through universal assistance pursuant to the universal and targeted assistance county office of education funding grant, as determined by the state board’s targeted assistance criteria.

This bill would instead require the department to make the above-described determination about local educational agencies identified for prioritized support using solely the most recent year of performance data on the state indicators and specified performance criteria adopted by the state board for local educational agency assistance and intervention, as provided.

(13) Existing law makes various appropriations for the Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program and augmentation of that program, including, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, $350,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for further augmentation of that program.

Existing law specifies various reporting requirements related to the program and the augmentations of the program.

This bill would, among other things, revise existing reporting requirements and require additional reporting, as specified.

(14) Existing law establishes the Golden State Pathways Program to promote pathways in high-wage, high-skill, high-growth areas, including technology, health care, education, and climate-related fields that, among other things, allow pupils to advance seamlessly from high school to college and career and provide the workforce needed for economic growth, and, for the 2021–22 fiscal year, appropriates $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the Superintendent to competitively award grant funds to school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education.

Existing law authorizes the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, to use up to 5% of the total appropriation to contract with up to 10 local educational agencies for the provision of technical assistance to local educational agencies, applicants, and grant recipients, as provided, and requires those specific funds to be available for encumbrance and expenditure for 5 fiscal years.

This bill would require the funds for contracting with up 10 local educational agencies for the provision of technical assistance to instead be available for encumbrance and expenditure until June 30, 2029.

By extending the encumbrance and expenditure period for an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation.

Existing law requires the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, to contract with an independent entity to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in meeting its specified goals, and requires the evaluation to be completed no sooner than June 30, 2027, and no later than June 30, 2028.

The bill would extend the evaluation’s deadline by 2 years to instead be no later than June 30, 2030, and would require the department, by June 30, 2028, to report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor on the process for awarding grants, the name of each grant recipient, the amount awarded to each grant recipient, and the activities provided with grant funds.

(15) Existing law establishes California’s New Americans in Schools (CalNAS) program and appropriates $100,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to award grants on a competitive basis to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide services for newcomer pupils, English learners, and immigrant families, as specified.

Existing law requires $10,000,000 of that amount to be available to the State Department of Education to competitively award a grant to a local educational agency, or a consortium of local educational agencies, to provide statewide technical assistance for the program, as specified.

This bill would, among other things, (A) revise award prioritization factors, (B) provide definitions for immigrant families and newcomer pupils, (C) require the $10,000,000 to be awarded instead to a local educational agency or consortium of local educational agencies to serve as a statewide technical assistance center and provide technical assistance for the CalNAS program, as specified, and (D) authorize the statewide technical assistance center, subject to the approval and oversight of the department, to use no more than 10% of their allocation to subcontract with qualified nonprofit entities to support implementation of the required services.

By revising the purposes of an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation.

(16) Existing law establishes the Dream Resource Center Grant Program for the purpose of providing pupils, including undocumented pupils, in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, with specified resources.

Existing law requires the department, in administering the program, to review applications and award grants based off of a tiered point system that prioritizes applications for funding, as provided.

This bill would, among other things, revise the point system for prioritization, as specified.

(17) Existing law establishes the Golden State Teacher Grant Program under the administration of the Student Aid Commission and requires the commission to provide, among other grants, one-time federally funded grants of up to $20,000 to each student enrolled, or who has applied for enrollment, on or after July 1, 2026, in certain professional preparation programs leading to a special education credential if the student commits to working at a priority school or a California preschool program for 4 years within the 8 years following the date the student completes the professional preparation program.

Existing law limits those grants to up to $10,000 for a California resident student enrolled, or who has applied for enrollment, on or after July 1, 2026, in a professional preparation program leading to a special education credential at a private postsecondary educational institution approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as a qualified institution, as specified.

This bill would, for purposes of those grants, require the special education credential to instead be a preliminary special education credential.

(18) Existing law authorizes the Adjutant General to enter into a cooperative agreement with the City of Oakland and a school district for the purposes of establishing an Oakland Military Institute, as specified.

This bill would authorize the Adjunct General to instead into a cooperative agreement with the Oakland Military Institute College Preparatory Academy, a California charter school, as specified.

(19) Existing law, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, appropriates $30,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for allocation to the Riverside County Office of Education and the El Dorado County Office of Education, in equal amounts, in support of the Supporting Inclusive Practices project, as provided.

This bill would instead appropriate those funds to the department for allocation to only the El Dorado County Office of Education, or for allocation pursuant to other legislation, in support of the Supporting Inclusive Practices project.

By revising the required allocation of an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation.

(20) The Budget Act of 2026 reappropriates $46,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for grants to local educational agencies to support youth experiencing homelessness.

Existing law, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, appropriates an additional $70,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies to increase the identification of, and improve educational outcomes for, homeless children and youths, and requires those funds to be available for encumbrance and expenditure through June 30, 2029.

Existing law, as a condition of funding, specifies reporting requirements by a recipient local educational agency relating to those funds, including submitting a final report on or before December 31, 2029, as provided.

This bill would instead require both of those amounts to be available for encumbrance and expenditure through June 30, 2030, and would delay the final report deadline by one year to instead be on or before December 31, 2030.

By extending the encumbrance and expenditure periods for existing appropriations, the bill would make an appropriation.

(21) This bill would also delete obsolete references, make conforming changes, and make other nonsubstantive changes.

(22) 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

(23) Certain funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

(24) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes relating to the Budget Act of 2025.</xhtml:p>"?> MAJORITY YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO YES The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 98 of the Education Code , as added by Section 1 of Chapter 45 of the Statutes of 2026, is amended and renumbered to read:

99.

Both of the following mean a natural person:

(a) A public school employee, including, but not limited to, certificated employees, classified employees, teachers, educators, short-term employees, principals, administrators, counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers.

(b) A contractor performing services in a public school.

SEC.

2.

Section 2582 of the Education Code is amended to read:

2582.

(a) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to augment the Mathematics Professional Learning Partnership, established by Section 114 of Chapter 38 of the Statutes of 2024 and augmented by Section 95 of Chapter 8 of the Statutes of 2025, to further support educator training, including mathematics coaches, teachers, and school administrators for implementation of the new mathematics curriculum framework in local educational agencies.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2031.

(1) The Mathematics Professional Learning Partnership shall continue to support the California Mathematics Project along with its other existing partners and shall expand upon collaborations with the Rural Math Collaborative to provide training in and support mathematics coaching in local educational agencies in rural areas.

These support providers shall also train coaches who can be deployed to provide mathematics coaching in schools and local educational agencies with the highest need of support.

(2) The Kern County Superintendent of Schools shall use these funds to build upon the expenditure plan submitted to the Department of Finance pursuant to Section 95 of Chapter 8 of the Statutes of 2025 and shall submit a revised expenditure plan to the Department of Finance for approval by December 1, 2026.

(b) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, 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, for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

SEC.

3.

Section 8281.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:

8281.5.

(a) The California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program is hereby established as a state early learning initiative with the goal of expanding access to developmentally appropriate classroom-based preschool and prekindergarten programs at local educational agencies.

(b) For the 2021–22 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.

(c) (1) Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the department shall allocate two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) in the 2021–22 fiscal year to local educational agencies as follows:

(A) A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 2020–21 certification, as follows:

(i) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 23 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

(ii) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 24 to 99 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

(iii) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 100 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).

(B) A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.

(C) Of the remaining funds after allocations under subparagraphs (A) and (B):

(i) Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 2019–20 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant.

For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 2019–20 fiscal year for each local educational agency.

(ii) Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 2019–20 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agency’s unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574 certified as of the second principal apportionment.

Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.

(D) Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.

(2) Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for four-year-old children.

Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.

(3) Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do both of the following:

(A) Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the department, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.

(B) Develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agency’s expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.

(4) (A) Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2028.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2030, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(B) The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to paragraph (3).

(C) The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (f).

(d) (1) For the 2022–23 fiscal year, the sum of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026.

The department shall allocate funds to local educational agencies as follows:

(A) A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs, as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 2021–22 certification, as follows:

(i) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 500 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

(ii) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 501 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

(B) A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.

(C) Of the funds remaining after the allocations pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B):

(i) Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 2021–22 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant.

For purposes of this clause, the total statewide kindergarten enrollment shall be calculated using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 2020–21 fiscal year for each local educational agency.

(ii) Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment minus the transitional kindergarten program enrollment for the 2020–21 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agency’s unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable, and certified as of the second principal apportionment.

Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.

(D) Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.

(2) Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for children four years of age.

Allowable costs shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, classroom operating costs, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, classroom materials, and supplies.

(3) Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following:

(A) Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the department, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.

(B) If the local educational agency did not develop the plan required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before March 30, 2023, for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agency’s expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.

A plan developed pursuant to this subparagraph satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).

(C) Ensure expenditures are consistent with their local plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (c).

(D) Commit to planning with their county’s local planning council, local tribes, and the California state preschool program and Head Start program providers in their region.

(E) Offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible pupils interested in transitional kindergarten within their attendance area by the 2025–26 school year.

(4) (A) Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2028.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2030, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(B) The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (f).

(5) The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).

(e) (1) For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the sum of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to local educational agencies for the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program pursuant to this section.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2032.

The department shall allocate funds to local educational agencies as follows:

(A) A minimum base grant to all local educational agencies that operate kindergarten programs, as determined using California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment from the 2025–26 certification, as follows:

(i) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 1 to 500 pupils, inclusive, the minimum base grant shall be twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

(ii) For local educational agencies with an enrollment of 501 or more pupils, the minimum base grant shall be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

(B) A minimum base grant for each county office of education of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each local educational agency in their county that operates kindergarten programs to support countywide planning and capacity building.

(C) Of the funds remaining after the allocations pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B):

(i) Sixty percent shall be available as enrollment grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s proportional share of total California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 2025–26 fiscal year, as applied to the total amount of program funds available for the enrollment grant.

(ii) Forty percent shall be available as supplemental grants.

These grants shall be allocated based on the local educational agency’s California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System Fall 1 kindergarten enrollment for the 2025–26 fiscal year, multiplied by the local educational agency’s unduplicated pupil percentage, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02 or subdivision (b) of Section 2574, as applicable, and certified as of the second principal apportionment.

Funds for this purpose shall be distributed percent-to-total from funds available for the supplemental grant.

(D) Notwithstanding any other law, any kindergarten enrollment reported by a county office of education shall be attributed to the school district of geographic residence.

(2) (i) Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding developmentally appropriate California state preschool programs or transitional kindergarten programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the local educational agency, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for children four years of age.

Allowable costs shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, planning costs, hiring and recruitment costs, staff training and professional development, developmentally appropriate classroom materials and furnishings, and supplies.

(ii) It is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies support ongoing professional development for preschool and transitional kindergarten educators and site administrators on developmentally appropriate curricula pursuant to Section 48000 and best practices in the classroom, including, but not limited to, behavioral supports and early childhood behavioral interventions.

(iii) It is further the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies use funds pursuant to this subdivision to increase the number of highly qualified teachers, classroom aides, and site administrators available to serve California state preschool programs and transitional kindergarten pupils, and to provide California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with training in providing instruction in inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive instruction, supporting dual language learners, enhancing social-emotional learning, implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative practices, and mitigating implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline, pursuant to this subdivision.

(3) Local educational agencies receiving grants pursuant to this subdivision shall do all of the following.

(A) Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the department, including, but not limited to, recipient information and participating in overall program evaluation.

(B) (i) Ensure expenditures are consistent with their local plan adopted pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).

(ii) If the local educational agency did not develop the plan required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting for how all children in the attendance area of the local educational agency will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the local educational agency’s expanding learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs.

A plan developed pursuant to this clause satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).

(iii) A plan developed pursuant to clause (ii) shall be made available to review upon request by the department.

(C) Collaborate with their county’s local planning council, local tribes, and the California state preschool program and Head Start program providers in their region.

(D) Offer transitional kindergarten to all eligible pupils interested in transitional kindergarten within their attendance area.

(E) Offer full-day transitional kindergarten on any schoolsite offering kindergarten or develop a plan for consideration by the governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2028, for how the local educational agency will offer full-day transitional kindergarten on any schoolsite offering kindergarten.

(4) (A) Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2032.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2034, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(B) The department may allocate or prorate any returned or collected funds pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (f).

(5) The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by local educational agencies in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3).

(6) It is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies support California state preschool programs to transition their service models to offer full-day, high-quality preschool services for three-year-old children, and support Head Start programs to transition to Early Head Start service models for infants and toddlers.

(7) It is further the intent of the Legislature, that local educational agencies offer full-day transitional kindergarten at all schoolsites offering kindergarten enrollment, and offer full-day kindergarten for all children in the year before first grade enrollment.

(f) (1) (A) Of the total amount appropriated under subdivision (b), the department shall award one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) in competitive grants to local educational agencies to increase the number of highly-qualified teachers available to serve California state preschool programs and transitional kindergarten pupils, and to provide California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with training in providing instruction in inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive instruction, supporting dual language learners, enhancing social-emotional learning, implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative practices, and mitigating implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline, pursuant to this section.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2024.

(B) Any funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d), or subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (e) shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2034.

(2) The department shall develop and administer a process to award grants under paragraph (1), subject to approval of the executive director of the state board, on a competitive basis to local educational agencies.

To apply for a grant, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the department describing how it will allocate funds and increase either the number of credentialed teachers meeting the requirements of subdivision (g) of Section 48000, or the competencies of California state preschool programs, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers to enhance their ability to provide instruction in inclusive classrooms, provide culturally responsive instruction, support dual language learners, enhance social-emotional learning, implement trauma-informed and restorative practices, and mitigate implicit biases to eliminate exclusionary discipline.

(3) A local educational agency may apply on behalf of a consortium of providers within the local educational agency’s program area, including California state preschool programs and Head Start programs operated by community-based organizations.

(4) An applicant shall demonstrate all of the following to be considered for a grant award:

(A) A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten or kindergarten professional development in a region.

(B) A need for preschool and transitional kindergarten teachers in a region.

(C) The presence of, or plan to create, inclusive classroom settings.

(D) The ability to connect the preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten program to before and after school programs and extended day services.

(E) A plan to integrate preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professional development opportunities.

(F) A plan for recruiting new preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten teachers with experience in early learning and care settings and collaborating with institutions of higher education to ensure a qualified prekindergarten teacher pipeline.

(G) A plan for how principals and administrators overseeing the transitional kindergarten program, or other prekindergarten program, will receive training and professional development on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.

(5) In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the department shall establish a methodology that accounts for all of the following:

(A) The percentage of transitional kindergarten and kindergarten pupils eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

(B) The percentage of dual language learners that the local educational agency is serving or is planning to serve in a California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.

(C) The percentage of pupils with disabilities the local educational agency is serving or planning to serve in an inclusive California state preschool program or transitional kindergarten program.

(D) The percentage of pupils served, or planned to be served, in full-day California state preschool, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten programs offered by the local educational agency or community-based organizations.

(E) The extent to which applicants operate in an attendance area where a significant disproportionality of particular races or ethnicities, as described in Section 1418(d) of Title 20 of the United States Code, has been identified in special education.

(F) The extent to which the local educational agency is located in an area that has more than three young children, three to five years of age, inclusive, for every licensed childcare slot.

(G) The extent to which applicants plan to partner with community-based California state preschool programs and Head Start programs in their program area to ensure those teachers have access to professional development along with teachers employed by the local educational agency.

(6) Grants awarded under paragraph (1) for professional development may be used for costs associated with the educational expenses of current and future California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that support their attainment of required credentials, permits, or professional development in early childhood instruction or child development, including developing competencies in serving inclusive classrooms and dual language learners.

Professional development grant funds shall be used for any of the following purposes:

(A) Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses.

(B) Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes.

(C) Substitute teacher pay for California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten professionals that are currently working in a California state preschool program, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten classroom.

(D) Stipends and professional development expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.

(E) Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services.

(F) Linked courses, cohorts, or apprenticeship models.

(G) Training and professional development for principals and other administrators of transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on the value and tenets of effective instruction for young children.

(H) Other educational expenses, as determined by the Superintendent.

(7) Local educational agencies awarded funding pursuant to paragraph (1) may partner with local or online accredited institutions of higher education or local agencies that provide high-quality or credit-bearing trainings, or apprenticeship programs that integrate and embed higher education coursework with on-the-job training of professionals.

(8) Professional learning provided pursuant to this subdivision shall, as applicable, be aligned to the preschool learning foundations and academic standards pursuant to Sections 51226, 60605, 60605.1, 60605.2, 60605.3, 60605.4, 60605.8, and 60605.11, as those sections read on June 30, 2020, and former Section 60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.

(9) Local educational agencies receiving grants under this subdivision shall commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the department, including, but not necessarily limited to, recipient information, including demographic information, educational progress, and the type of courses taken, and participating in overall program evaluation.

(10) The department shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2024, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this subdivision.

(11) (A) Funds allocated or awarded pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by June 30, 2028.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2029, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any unexpended funds allocated for purposes of this subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d), and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (e) shall be expended by June 30, 2034.

Notwithstanding any other law, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (d), and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (e) shall revert to the General Fund on June 30, 2035.

(g) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Full-day transitional kindergarten” means full-day transitional kindergarten as authorized pursuant to Section 8973.

(2) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(h) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2020–21 fiscal year, 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, for the 2020–21 fiscal year.

(i) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2021–22 fiscal year, 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, for the 2021–22 fiscal year.

(j) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (e) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, 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, for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

SEC.

4.

Section 8320 of the Education Code is amended to read:

8320.

(a) The California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program is hereby established with the goal of expanding access universally to preschool programs for three- and four-year-old children across the state through a mixed-delivery system.

(b) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Children with exceptional needs” has the same meaning as defined in Section 8205.

(2) “Mixed-delivery system” means a system of early childhood education services that is delivered through a variety of providers, programs, and settings, including Head Start agencies or delegate agencies funded under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.

Sec.

9831, et seq.), public, private, or proprietary agencies, including community-based organizations, public schools, and local educational agencies that offer center-based childcare and preschool programs, tribal childcare and preschool, and family childcare through a family childcare home education network.

(3) “Three- and four-year-old children” has the same meaning as “three-year-old children” and “four-year-old children,” as those terms are defined in Section 8205.

(4) “Universal preschool” means those programs that offer part-day or full-day, or both, educational programs for three- and four-year-old children, and may be offered through a mixed-delivery system.

(c) (1) (A) Pursuant to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for each of the 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 fiscal years, the Superintendent shall consult with the Director of Social Services and shall create an application to award grant funds to one designated lead agency within each county, as set forth in this section.

Each county shall submit a single planning grant application.

(B) The county grant submission shall contain a signed agreement from the resource and referral agencies in the county and the local planning council.

(2) (A) (i) A local planning council established pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 10485) of Chapter 31 of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall have first priority for grant awards from their county’s allocation of funds calculated for each county, as described paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).

(ii) A local planning council shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services.

(iii) If a local planning council wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the local planning council shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.

(B) (i) In counties where the local planning council does not submit a letter of intent to receive an award, a resource and referral agency established pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10217) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code that operates in the county may submit a joint letter of intent with the local planning council to the Superintendent, on a template developed by the Superintendent in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, indicating interest in conducting the activities of this grant in their county.

(ii) The joint letter submitted pursuant to clause (i) shall designate a lead fiscal agency and describe the partnership the resource and referral agencies will use to meet the requirements of the grant.

(iii) If a resource and referral agency wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the resource and referral agency shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.

(C) Once letters of intent have been submitted, the Superintendent shall require the designated lead agency from each county to submit an application that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following information:

(i) A description of how it will allocate funds and achieve tasks described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).

(ii) A description of how the applicant will partner with the county office of education and other local educational agencies in the county on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5 to ensure activities conducted under this grant meet community needs for universal preschool in a mixed-delivery system not already addressed.

(D) All grantees shall be required to coordinate with the county office of education on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5.

In counties where the county office of education operates the resource and referral agency or the local planning council, the staff responsible for those activities at the county office of education shall be included and financially supported to participate in the activities of this grant.

(E) The grantee shall form a single working group that shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the county offices of education, school districts, charter schools offering transitional kindergarten, resource and referral programs, alternative payment programs operating preschool programs, First 5 county commissions, contracted state preschool programs, including both local educational agency and community-based organization programs, general childcare programs serving preschool-age children, tribal preschool programs, private center-based childcare preschool providers, licensed family childcare providers, educators, exclusive bargaining representatives, Head Start, faculty at local institutions of higher education focusing on child development or early childhood education, and early childhood education teacher preparation programs, including institutions of higher education.

(d) The Superintendent shall develop and administer a grant process and award grant funds to each county that applies for funding for the 2022–23 fiscal year if the application conforms with the requirements of this section.

Funds shall be allocated using a methodology for determining the amount of funds in each county that accounts for all of the following:

(1) (A) Base grant funding that reflects the number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region.

(B) Add-on funding that reflects both of the following:

(i) The number of three- and four-year-old children in the county or region who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, subsidized preschool programs as part of the mixed-delivery system for universal preschool, as determined by the Superintendent.

(ii) The number of three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region.

(2) To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2023, existing grantees shall be eligible to apply for a renewal grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent.

(3) (A) To the extent funds are available in the Budget Act of 2024, the following entities shall be eligible to apply for a grant subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent:

(i) Existing grantees.

(ii) Newly formed consortia.

(iii) Individual counties that participated in a former consortium for this grant, with the first priority for the funds going to the local planning council, pursuant to the process described in subdivision (c), as appropriate.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in a county that previously received funds from this grant, where the previous grantee or consortia of grantees does not intend to reapply for funding pursuant to subparagraph (A), the following entities shall be eligible to apply as part of an existing or newly formed consortia, with the following priority order:

(i) The local planning council.

(ii) Resource and referral agencies.

(iii) First 5 county commissions.

(C) If an entity applies for the grant pursuant to subparagraph (B), the grant submission shall include a signed statement, from all entities within the county with a higher priority and within the same priority, that acknowledges their intent not to apply for the funds.

(D) An entity receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall complete all activities of the grant pursuant to subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), and paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).

(E) The entity applying for funds in each county pursuant to this paragraph shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the Superintendent, before submitting the request for data.

(F) Each county shall submit a single planning grant application for the relevant fiscal year.

(G) If funds are awarded pursuant to this paragraph to a First 5 county commission, the First 5 county commission shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds, where appropriate, to local planning councils and resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.

(4) (A) (i) For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for allocation to one designated lead agency within each county that is a local educational agency pursuant to subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2032.

(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Existing local educational agency grantees or new local educational agency consortia lead agencies shall be eligible to apply for a renewal grant or new grant, respectively, subject to terms and conditions developed by the Superintendent, which shall include, but not be limited to, a one-to-one funding match requirement.</xhtml:p>"?> (ii) A county office of education shall have first priority for grant awards from their county’s allocation of funds calculated for each county, as described in paragraph (1).

(B) (i) A county office of education shall express interest by submitting a letter of intent to the department on a template developed by the department.

(ii) If a county office of education wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the county office of education shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.

(iii) The letter of intent shall include signatures from the local planning council and resource and referral agencies in the county or region acknowledging the county office of education’s intent to apply.

(C) (i) In counties where the county office of education does not submit a letter of intent to receive an award, a school district or charter school that operates in the county may submit a joint letter of intent with the county office of education to the department, on a template developed by the department, indicating interest in conducting the activities of this grant in their county.

(ii) If the school district or charter school wishes to partner with other counties in their region pursuant to subdivision (j), the school district or charter school shall indicate this intent in their letter of intent.

(iii) The letter of intent shall include signatures from the local planning council and resource and referral agencies in the county or region acknowledging the school district’s or charter school’s intent to apply.

(D) Once letters of intent have been submitted, the department shall require the designated lead agency from each county to submit an application that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(i) A description of how it will allocate funds and achieve tasks described in subdivision (f).

(ii) A description of how the applicant will partner with the local planning council, resource and referral agency, and other local educational agencies in the county on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5 to ensure activities conducted under this grant meet community needs for universal preschool in a mixed-delivery system not already addressed.

(iii) (I) For a designated lead agency that was a prior grantee pursuant to the allocations in subdivision (c), information on how the lead agency intends to build on previous efforts.

(II) For a designated lead agency that was not a prior grantee pursuant to the allocations in subdivision (c), information on how the lead agency will build on previous efforts of the prior grantee and include the prior grantee in the work moving forward, as appropriate.

(iv) Signatures from the local planning council and resource and referral agencies in the county or region supporting the application and the activities listed in the application.

(E) All grantees shall be required to coordinate with the county office of education on the work required pursuant to Section 8281.5.

In counties where the county office of education operates the resource and referral agency or the local planning council, the staff responsible for those activities at the county office of education shall be included and financially supported to participate in the activities of this grant.

(F) All grantees shall be required to identify funds within their county or region, or both, for a one-to-one funding match.

(e) (1) Grant funds issued pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (d) may be used for costs associated with any of the following:

(1)</xhtml:p>"?> (A) Assessing the parental preferences and the need for access to available high-quality universal preschool through a mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-old children in the county or region by program type.

(2)</xhtml:p>"?> (B) Establishing or strengthening partnerships with other providers of early childhood education services and family childcare home education networks within the county or region’s mixed-delivery system and with tribal partners, to ensure that high-quality options for universal preschool, including inclusive preschool programs and multilingual programs, are available for three- and four-year-old children.

(3)</xhtml:p>"?> (C) Engaging in community-level coordination and planning with agencies participating in the county or region’s mixed-delivery system to implement high-quality universal preschool options.

(4)</xhtml:p>"?> (D) Coordinating with special education local and regional partners, including regional centers and local educational agencies, to ensure three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region have access to universal preschool through the mixed-delivery system in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 1412(a)(5)(A) of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(5)</xhtml:p>"?> (E) Partnering with the regional agency responsible for the system described in Section 8203.1 to fund and support workforce development, coaching, and other quality improvement activities to support the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.

(6)</xhtml:p>"?> (F) Other costs, as specified by the Superintendent.

(f)</xhtml:p>"?> (2) Entities receiving grants pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (d) shall do all of the following:

(1)</xhtml:p>"?> (A) Plan for the provision of high-quality universal preschool options for three- and four-year-old children, through a mixed-delivery system that ensures access to high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services.

Indicators of quality shall be determined by the Superintendent pursuant to Section 8203.

(2)</xhtml:p>"?> (B) Plan for increasing inclusion of children with exceptional needs in universal preschool.

(3)</xhtml:p>"?> (C) Assist existing and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in identifying and accessing local workforce pathway programs, including financial support programs, to increase the number of site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff who have required credentials and degrees.

(4)</xhtml:p>"?> (D) Provide outreach services and enrollment support for families of three- or four-year-old children, to meet family needs and provide those children with high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences.

(5)</xhtml:p>"?> (E) Partner to plan for, align and coordinate the plans, and conduct the activities described in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, with all local educational agencies in the county or region that received funding pursuant to the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Article 13.2 (commencing with Section 8281.5)).

(6)</xhtml:p>"?> (F) Partner with tribes to reflect family and tribal community needs, as sovereign nations, in the planning and implementation of the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.

(7)</xhtml:p>"?> (G) Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, plan development steps and participants engaged in the grant activities and planning, core needs of critical communities, including tribal communities, and recipient information and participation in overall program evaluation.

(8)</xhtml:p>"?> (H) Develop a plan for consideration by the county board of education at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2023, for how all four-year-old children and an increased number of at-promise three-year-old children in the county may access full-day learning programs before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the universal preschool programs in the mixed-delivery system and expanded learning offerings.

(f) (1) Grant funds issued in the 2026–27 fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) may be used for costs associated with any of the following:

(A) Assessing the parental preferences and the need for access to available high-quality universal preschool through a mixed-delivery system for three- and four-year-old children in the county or region by program type.

(B) Establishing or strengthening partnerships with other providers of early childhood education services and family childcare home education networks within the county or region’s mixed-delivery system and with tribal partners, to ensure that high-quality options for universal preschool, including inclusive preschool programs and multilingual programs, are available for three- and four-year-old children.

(C) Engaging in community-level coordination and planning with agencies participating in the county or region’s mixed-delivery system to implement high-quality universal preschool options.

(D) Coordinating with special education local and regional partners, including regional centers and local educational agencies, to ensure three- and four-year-old children with exceptional needs in the county or region have access to universal preschool through the mixed-delivery system in the least restrictive environment in accordance with Section 1412(a)(5)(A) of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(E) Partnering with the regional agency responsible for the system described in Section 8203.1 to fund and support workforce development, coaching, and other quality improvement activities to support the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.

(F) Other costs, as specified by the department.

(2) Entities receiving grants issued in the 2026–27 fiscal year pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall do all of the following:

(A) Plan and coordinate countywide or regionwide, or both, for the provision of high-quality universal preschool options for three- and four-year-old children, through a mixed-delivery system that ensures access to high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services.

Indicators of quality shall be determined by the department pursuant to Section 8203.

(B) Plan and coordinate countywide or regionwide, or both, for the increased inclusion of children with exceptional needs in universal preschool.

(C) Assist existing and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in identifying and accessing local workforce pathway programs, including financial support programs, to increase the number of site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff who have required credentials and degrees.

(D) Provide outreach services and enrollment support for families of three- or four-year-old children to meet family needs and provide those children with high-quality full- and part-day learning experiences.

(E) Coordinate grant efforts with efforts underway by local educational agencies in the county or region that received funding pursuant to the California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program (Article 13.2 (commencing with Section 8281.5)).

(F) Partner with tribes to reflect family and tribal community needs, as sovereign nations, in the planning and implementation of the universal preschool mixed-delivery system.

(G) Commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the department, including, but not limited to, plan development and implementation steps, participants engaged in the grant activities and planning, core needs of critical communities and families, including tribal communities, and recipient information and participation in overall program evaluation.

(g) (1) If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a local planning council, the local planning council shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, local resource and referral agencies to implement the activities of this section.

(h)</xhtml:p>"?> (2) If the entity receiving the grant in a county is a resource and referral agency, the resource and referral agency shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, the local planning council to implement the activities of this section.

(h) If the entity receiving a grant in a county pursuant to the allocation in paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) is a local educational agency that does not operate a resource and referral agency or the local planning council, the local educational agency shall collaborate with, and subgrant funds where appropriate to, the local planning council or the local resource and referral agencies, or both, to implement the activities of this section.

(i) (1) (A) Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (d) shall be expended on or before June 30, 2028.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2029, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(2)</xhtml:p>"?> (B) The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by grantees in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (G) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).

(2) (A) Funds that are allocated or awarded pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall be expended on or before June 30, 2032.

Notwithstanding any other law, on June 30, 2033, any unexpended funds of the amount awarded for purposes of this subdivision shall revert to the General Fund.

(B) The department shall initiate collection proceedings for grant funds used by grantees in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of this section, including, but not limited to, failing to submit all required data pursuant to subparagraph (G) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f).

(j) This section does not prohibit counties from joining together to address regional needs with their funding and developing regional plans.

(k) The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Department of Finance and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2033, on the expenditure of funds and relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the grants awarded under this section.

( l ) For purposes of this section, the State Department of Education may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts with nongovernmental entities on a bid or negotiated basis.

A contract entered into or amended pursuant to this section shall be exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, and Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.

(m) Notwithstanding any other law, a contracted nongovernmental entity described in subdivision (l) may subcontract as necessary in the performance of its duties, subject to approval of the Superintendent.

(n) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(o) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, 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, for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

SEC.

5.

Section 8902 of the Education Code is amended to read:

8902.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exacerbate conditions associated with poverty, including food insecurity, housing and employment instability, and inadequate health care.

(2) Community schools offer unique models to more efficiently and effectively provide trauma-informed integrated educational, health, and mental health services to pupils with a wide range of needs that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(3) Additional investment in community schools that provide integrated pupil supports, community partnerships, and expanded learning opportunities will help address the trauma and loss of learning that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statewide investment in community schools, supported by local networks designed to coordinate services and resources, is critical to realize whole-child education.

(b) For the 2021–22 fiscal year, the sum of two billion eight hundred thirty-six million six hundred sixty thousand dollars ($2,836,660,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department to administer the California Community Schools Partnership Program, established by Section 117 of Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2020, as amended by Section 63 of Chapter 110 of the Statutes of 2020, in the manner and for the purposes set forth in this section.

These funds shall be used in accordance with the California Community Schools Framework, as adopted by the state board.

These funds shall not be used for punitive disciplinary practices or the engagement of campus law enforcement.

These funds shall be available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2032.

The funds shall be distributed as follows:

(1) At least two billion six hundred ninety-four million eight hundred twenty-seven thousand dollars ($2,694,827,000) shall be allocated to establish new, and expand existing, community schools supported by local educational agencies or consortiums that help coordinate services and manage learning networks for these schools.

(2) Up to one hundred forty-one million eight hundred thirty-three thousand dollars ($141,833,000) shall be allocated to contract with local educational agencies to create a network of at least five regional technical assistance centers, pursuant to subdivision ( l ), to provide support and assistance to local educational agencies, or consortiums, and community schools through the 2029–30 school year or at the time when the new community schools technical assistance structure developed pursuant to Section 8903 is adopted by the state board.

The department shall designate one of the regional technical assistance centers to be the state transformational assistance center for purposes of this chapter.

Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, the regional technical assistance center serving as the state transformational assistance center may continue serving in that capacity through the 2029–30 school year or until the new community schools technical assistance structure developed pursuant to Section 8903 is adopted by the state board.

Regional technical assistance center responsibilities shall include all of the following, as determined by the state transformational assistance center:

(A) Outreach and technical assistance to potential applicants as needed before or after awarding a grant under the program under this section and to community schools participating in the California Community Schools Partnership Program established pursuant to Section 8903.

(B) Development of community school resources, sharing of best practices, and data collection and use, consistent with the Community Schools framework.

(C) (i) The state transformational assistance center shall be responsible for the development of optional centralized planning templates to support interagency planning and the leveraging of funding for the community school initiative, including, but not limited to, funding from the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, the California state preschool program, Universal Transitional Kindergarten, universal meal programs, health and mental health supports for pupils and staff, career technical education and college readiness initiatives, the local control funding formula, and any other available local, state, or federal funds that may facilitate and sustain the community school initiative.

(ii) The department shall require the centralized planning templates to be available to local educational agencies on or before January 1, 2028, and to be updated annually for new or amended funding sources.

(D) Facilitation of peer support networks for qualifying entities and county offices of education to support community engagement and the provision of supports within a multi-tiered system of support leading to positive and equitable pupil academic and well-being outcomes, as well as positive school climate outcomes, for both state and local measures identified in the local educational agency’s local control and accountability plan.

(E) Support local educational agencies in blending initiatives and funding consistent with the Community Schools framework, including, but not limited to, Promise Neighborhoods, Dream Resource Centers, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, and Career and College readiness initiatives.

(3) (A) (i) Up to one hundred forty million dollars ($140,000,000) shall be allocated to county offices of education serving at least two qualifying entities receiving grant funding pursuant to subdivision (g) or (h) to coordinate county-level governmental, nonprofit community-based organizations, and other external partnerships to support community school implementation at grant recipients under this section and Section 8903 in their county.

This shall include designating a county-level community schools liaison to coordinate with the department and technical assistance centers in capacity building, resource connection, and continuous improvement activities consistent with supporting grant recipients in their county in implementation of community schools, as specified in subdivisions (g) and (h).

(ii) County office of education grant awards under this paragraph shall also be used to de-silo programs and services that can uplift and support the whole child, with the overall goal of moving towards fully integrating county-level community schools implementation supports and services into the larger statewide system of support by embedding these supports and services within the county’s universal and targeted assistance approach once one-time coordination grants conclude.

A county office of education may also use its existing coordination grant funding to implement Section 8903.

(iii) County office of education grant award amounts under this paragraph shall be determined based on the number of community schools funded pursuant to this section, and the number of pupils served in those schools, using an allocation formula determined by the department, and provide at least two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) and up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) annually through the 2029–30 fiscal year for each qualifying county office of education.

These funds are separate from any funds county offices of education receive pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (h) for serving as qualifying entities to a network of community schools.

(B) County offices of education receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall support centralized grant recipient communications with county-level governmental partners and funding sources, which may include, but not be limited to, pupil support and health care service billing and billing practices technical assistance, leading a County Children’s Cabinet, and coordination with Promise Neighborhoods lead organizations and agencies.

(C) County offices of education receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall support local educational agency planning and use of pupil and campus data, consistent with the guidance of the System of Support Equity Leads, and the state transformational assistance center, for integrating community school, expanded learning, early childhood education, county behavioral health, educator professional development, and other state-funded initiatives integral to the pillars of a community school approach as described in subdivision (b) of Section 8901, which may be part of the qualifying entity’s local control and accountability plan process pursuant to Section 47606.5, 52060, or 52066, as applicable.

(c) On or before November 15, 2021, the department, with the approval of the state board, shall update as necessary the application process and administration plan for the selection of grant recipients under the program, which may include prioritization for awards.

After November 15, 2021, the department shall update the state board on an annual basis regarding the administration of this section and present to the state board any proposed changes to the application process and administration plan.

(d) The department shall award, subject to the approval of the state board, grants on a competitive basis to qualifying entities for planning grants for new community schools, implementation grants for new community schools or for the expansion or continuation of existing community schools, as provided, to representative qualifying entities in northern, central, and southern California, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

(e) A qualifying entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the department at a time and in a manner, and with any appropriate information, as the department may reasonably require.

Each grant application submitted shall include all of the following:

(1) A description and documentation of how the participating community and cooperating agencies have been and will be engaged in the community school model.

(2) A description of all of the programs and services to be provided at the schoolsite, at a site near or adjacent to the school, or virtually.

(3) A description of all direct and indirect resources to be used for the community school program, and the agencies responsible for the implementation of the program.

(4) Provisions for data collection and recordkeeping, including records of the population served, the components of the service, the outcomes of the service, and costs, including all of the following:

(A) Direct costs.

(B) Indirect costs.

(C) Costs to other agencies.

(D) Cost savings.

(f) The department shall prioritize grant funding to qualifying entities who meet all of the following:

(1) Serve pupils in schools or a partner school or schools in which at least 80 percent of the pupil population are unduplicated pupils.

(2) Demonstrate a need for expanded access to integrated services, including those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(3) Involve pupils, parents, certificated and classified school staff, and cooperating agency personnel in the process of identifying the needs of pupils and families, and in the planning of support services to be offered.

(4) Commit to providing trauma-informed health, mental health, and social services for pupils within a multi-tiered system of support at the schoolsite, or an adjacent location, and partner with other schools, school districts, county agencies, or nongovernmental organizations.

(5) For qualifying entities that serve elementary school pupils, or for schools where there is a demonstrated need for childcare, including, but not limited to, programs for pregnant and parenting teens, commit to providing early care and education services for children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, through one or more local educational agencies or community-based organizations.

(6) Identify a cooperating agency collaboration process, including cosignatories, a mechanism for sharing governance, which may include a plan to use existing or create shared decisionmaking teams that include pupils, families, educators, and community-based organizations, and for integrating or redirecting existing resources and other school support services.

(7) Plan to support a network of site-based community schools at schoolsites that have the capacity to ensure that services, professional development, and engagement can occur on schoolsite, or at an adjacent location, with the support of community-based organizations and other relevant providers, for all relevant stakeholders.

(8) Identify a plan to sustain community school services after grant expiration, including by maximizing reimbursement for services from available sources, including, but not limited to, the Local Educational Agency Medi-Cal Billing Option Program, School-Based Medi-Cal Administrative Activities program, and reimbursable mental health specialty care services provided under the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program (42 U.S.C.

Sec.

1396d(a)(4)(B)).

(g) (1) Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), including all other funds appropriated for this program in the Budget Act of 2021, at least 10 percent shall be available for planning grants of up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) per qualifying entity, and shall be allocated in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years, for up to a two-year planning grant period, for local educational agencies with no existing community schools.

The planning grant may be used for any of the following purposes:

(A) Staffing costs for a community school coordinator.

(B) Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment, including, but not limited to, pupil and community demographics, school climate, integrated support services, expanded learning time, educator, family, pupil, and community engagement, new or existing partnerships with governmental entities or community-based organizations, and available funding sources.

(C) Grant application support, service billing development, and other administrative costs necessary to launch a community school model at scale.

(D) Partnership development and coordination support between the grantee and cooperating agencies.

(E) Providing training and support to local educational agency and cooperating agency personnel to develop best practices for integrating instruction and pupil supports.

(F) Preparing a community school implementation plan for submission to the governing board or body of the local educational agency and to the department.

(2) Any remaining planning grant funding available at the conclusion of the planning grant period shall be made available for implementation grants.

(h) (1) Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), including all other funds appropriated for this program in the Budget Act of 2021, up to 72 percent shall be available for implementation grants to qualified entities.

Implementation grants shall be at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) annually per schoolsite for new community schools or for the expansion or continuation of existing community schools that agree to align with the provisions of this section.

New and existing community schools shall be funded for five years, upon submission to the department of a community school plan and evidence of ongoing progress as part of the annual formative evaluations specified in subdivision (n).

The implementation grant may be used for any of the following purposes:

(A) Staffing, including, but not limited to, a community school coordinator, and contractor capacity.

(B) Coordinating and providing support services to pupils and families at or near community schools, including through childcare, expanded learning time before and after school, and during school intersessions.

(C) Providing training and support to local educational agency personnel and partner agency personnel on integrating school-based pupil supports, social-emotional well-being, trauma-informed practices, and establishing sustainable community school funding sources.

(D) Designing and executing educator, family, pupil, and community engagement strategies.

(E) Ongoing data collection and program evaluations, including at least one measure of growth in individual pupil well-being as measured through pupil surveys or the compilation of screening tool results.

(F) Implementing the sustainability plan described in paragraph (8) of subdivision (f) and updating the plan as necessary.

(G) Securing various long-term funding streams and commitments from partners that will continue to provide financial assistance or other means of support.

(H) Building capacity around sustainability and other efforts to support ongoing community school programming.

(I) Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment to support a continuous improvement process.

(2) The department shall prioritize new community schools for implementation grants under paragraph (1) and those moneys shall supplement, not supplant, existing services and funds.

For purposes of this section, continuing a position or services with these funds shall not be considered supplanting if the position or services were funded by a source that has legally expired.

(3) A local educational agency grantee may retain up to the lesser of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or 10 percent of the total funds awarded pursuant to this subdivision for its sites each year.

These funds shall be used to administer implementation grants locally, manage professional learning and networking, and coordinate services and funding streams for community schools under the local educational agency grantee.

Funds retained by the local educational agency grantee to provide direct services to pupils may be retained separately from this administrative set-aside.

(4) The funding under paragraph (3) shall supplement, and not supplant, existing services and funds, and shall be used for ongoing coordination of services, management of the community school, and ongoing data collection and program evaluations.

(5) Implementation grant funds may carry over from year to year and are restricted to permitted uses of the funds.

(6) Qualifying entities that receive implementation grants shall annually report and publicly present their community school plans, including data and outcomes from the prior year, at the schoolsite and at a meeting of the governing board of the school district, county board of education, or the governing body of the charter school.

Implementation grant recipients shall publicly post their community school grant application and community schools plan on the local educational agency’s internet website.

(7) The department may allocate any funds returned pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (k).

(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that qualifying entities that serve high school pupils with significant populations of undocumented pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, implement a Dream Resource Center as part of their community school model.

(j) (1) All planning and implementation grants awarded under subdivisions (g) and (h) shall be matched by the qualifying entity or its cooperating agencies with a local match equal to one-third of the grant amount.

The local match shall be contributed in cash or as services or resources of comparable value, as determined by the department.

(2) The department shall reserve adequate funding pursuant to this section to preserve capacity for qualifying entities receiving planning grants pursuant to subdivision (g) to receive implementation grants pursuant to subdivision (h) at the end of their planning grant period, if all planning grant requirements are met and planning grantee applicants meet implementation grant eligibility requirements pursuant to this section.

(3) Beginning July 1, 2024, the department shall prioritize awarding implementation grants to planning grantees.

Notwithstanding paragraph (2), to the extent that sufficient funding is not available to fund implementation grants for all planning grantee applicants, the department shall use the priorities described in subdivision (f) to determine which planning grantee schools receive implementation grants.

(k) Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), at least eighty-four million dollars ($84,000,000) shall be available for reappropriation in the 2026–27 fiscal year and to support all of the following:

(1) Up to twenty-eight million dollars ($28,000,000), subject to the approval of the state board, for the state transformational assistance center to support the long-term planning of the California Community Schools Apportionments Program, including the development of the reporting, accountability, and certification requirements and processes.

Funds shall be used for all of the following purposes:

(A) Up to three million dollars ($3,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2028, to conduct or commission a set of analyses to inform the long-term technical assistance, reporting, accountability, and certification process for community schools.

The state transformational assistance center may conduct these analyses or select one or more institutions of higher education to conduct the analyses no later than January 1, 2028.

If an institution or institutions of higher education is selected to conduct these analyses, the institution or institutions may work with a research-based nonprofit organization.

Indirect costs applied to contracts with entities conducting the analyses shall not exceed 10 percent of the contract amount.

The analyses shall do all of the following:

(i) Summarize research on the features associated with community schools’ progress and success, including community schools that have been previously established.

(ii) Identify key components of community schools to be tracked yearly in the annual progress report and through the certification process and explore mechanisms by which these components may be assessed at scale.

(iii) Engage with a wide range of education interestholders to solicit their input on central features of community schools’ progress and success that should inform technical assistance, reporting, and accountability consistent with the Community Schools framework.

(iv) Identify options to streamline and focus reporting requirements, given other reporting required of schools and local educational agencies.

The analyses and recommendations may include changes to other educational planning and reporting mechanisms, including, but not limited to, the local control and accountability plan, the School Plan for Student Achievement, and reporting requirements of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, if they can be used to support community schools reporting.

(v) Recommend long-term plan and guidance for the technical assistance structure for community schools in the ongoing funding context, including what an effective, long-term technical assistance structure that is embedded within the larger statewide system of support would look like, and identify potential costs.

(vi) On or before June 30, 2028, produce recommendations for state board consideration and adoption of the analyses.

(B) (i) Up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2031, to develop and implement the schoolsite certification process pursuant to the state board of education-adopted recommendations for accountability.

(ii) The state transformational assistance center, subject to the approval of the state board, may select an entity with demonstrated expertise on the community school model and school accountability, to assist with the development and implementation of the certification process.

(iii) The certification process shall be piloted no later than the 2028–29 school year and implemented no later than October 1, 2031.

(iv) The state transformational assistance center shall engage with education interestholders to solicit their input on a certification process.

(C) (i) Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2031, added to the amount specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) to increase the existing amount for the state transformational assistance center and for regional transformational assistance centers.

Funds shall be used to support the statewide expansion of community school sites, evaluate the technical assistance structure, and integrate the community schools model and supports into the statewide system of support by the time certification begins.

The department shall determine how much funding shall be allocated to the state transformational assistance center and regional transformational centers.

(ii) The Legislature and Governor intend to work together to augment the appropriation specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 8903, as needed, to support future costs for the state technical assistance structure after June 30, 2031.

Any additional funding to support the technical assistance structure shall be subject to an appropriation by the Legislature.

(2) (A) Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2029, for allocation to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to provide grants to develop, identify, and implement models of secondary school redesign pursuant to the Secondary School Redesign Pilot Program established by Section 84 of Chapter 8 of the Statutes of 2025.

(B) Grants provided pursuant to this paragraph shall ensure that models of secondary school redesign include before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning opportunities outside of the instructional day for pupils to the extent feasible and are consistent with the Community Schools framework.

(C) Priority for funding shall be given to grantees serving secondary community schools, as defined in Section 8901, that are committed to the Community Schools framework, and that demonstrate strong relationships between pupils, families, staff and community, that center pupil well-being.

(D) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence may retain up to three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) of the funds described in subparagraph (A) for costs associated with the administration of the model and evaluation of the pilot program.

Up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) shall be made available to reimburse the Marin County Office of Education, the administrative agent of the collaborative, for costs associated with the administration of the pilot program.

(E) The collaborative, on or before January 1, 2029, shall provide recommendations to the state board for improvements to the framework, developed pursuant to Section 8901.5, consistent with high performing secondary community school models funded and supported under this paragraph.

(3) For the 2026–27 fiscal year of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 8903, six million dollars ($6,000,000), is available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2029, for the department to contract with the San Bernardino County Office of Education, in partnership with the Sacramento County Office of Education, under the leadership of the state transformational assistance center, to support the continued implementation of Transforming Together, an initiative supported by the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and California Community Schools Partnership Program that aims to strengthen collaboration between county offices of education and community partners to better meet the behavioral health needs of pupils and families.

( l ) Of the amount identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the department shall contract, subject to the approval of the state board, on a competitive basis with at least five local educational agencies to serve as regional technical assistance centers to provide technical assistance to local educational agencies seeking to establish, expand, or improve community schools.

Preference shall be given to local educational agencies that commit to partnering with institutions of higher education or nonprofit community-based organizations.

Technical assistance shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in consultation and collaboration with the statewide system of support established pursuant to Section 52059.5, and be made available to share best practices and assist both prospective applicants and grant recipients with tasks, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment.