Technical fixes to Williams settlement now law
Published: August 30, 2005
Since the state settled Williams v. State of California last summer, technical changes have been needed to correct errors and conflicts and to make the law workable for school districts.
Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the cleanup bill, AB 831, on July 26 and it went into effect immediately. It specifies that the instructional materials dollars provided under the settlement can only be spent on students at those schools. Prior to AB 831, districts could spend the dollars wherever they saw fit, within the constraints of the Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program. The bill also clarifies that having one set of books in the classroom is not sufficient under the Education Code, and cleans up audit procedures for K-3 class-size reduction to conform to new rules.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in May 2000, claiming that the state had failed in its duty to provide students in the lowest-performing schools with equal educational opportunity. The suit asked the court to create a statewide system of standards, oversight and enforcement. CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance intervened in the suit to give all school districts a voice in the class action lawsuit, and was instrumental in shaping the settlement.
The settlement provided affected schools with money to purchase instructional materials, assess facilities needs, and for reimbursement for emergency repairs to their facilities. The settlement also required county superintendents to report on conditions in decile 1-3 schools, and required districts to provide data about the condition of their schools and to provide a means for appealing unresolved complaints about inadequate conditions.
According to the terms of the settlement, all boards must hold a hearing each September regarding sufficiency of instructional materials and to adopt a sufficiency resolution. In August, CSBA held an audio conference to review the board’s obligations with respect to this hearing and resolution: what information must be gathered to adopt the resolution; what the resolution should include; discuss how the resolution will be used by auditors and county office inspectors; and review what happens if the district receives a complaint about insufficient materials.
The free audio conference on Aug. 15 was among the first online and distance training opportunities the association has offered members, with more planned for the future. “The information was timely and very well presented,” said one participant. “I compliment CSBA on doing this and would encourage more things of this nature in the future.” Another responded: “It was a convenience to get valuable information without having to drive across town or to another city!”
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