It is imperative that we bring to your attention a serious matter that will be presented to the State Allocation Board (Board) on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. The Board item proposes ceasing the acceptance of applications by OPSC under the School Facility Program (SFP) as bond authority is exhausted. It is anticipated that bond authority for the new construction program will be exhausted this fall and for modernization in 2019. Such action by the Board would jeopardize the continuation of the SFP into the future. The proposal suggests urgency.

We request that you communicate immediately with your legislative representatives asking that they in turn communicate with their Senate and Assembly colleagues on the Board requesting a delay of any action on this proposal at this time. Again, the proposal suggests urgency. This matter is serious and requires a full public vetting.

I strongly recommend that you attend the Board meeting on June 27th to voice your concerns and to request a delay of action.

~ Tom Duffy, Legislative Director

Click here to view the document.

The SAB Legislative Members are listed below:

Senate Members
Ben Allen
Richard Pan
Janet Nguyen

Assembly Members
Patrick O’Donnell
Adrin Nazarian
Rocky Chavez

The 2018-19 State Budget was approved by the Legislature on Thursday, June 14, along with the first batch of trailer bills.  More budget trailer bills will be signed next week, and we will report those changes when they become available.  The following is a highlight of what was included, and of interest to the school facilities community.

General Funding

The 2018-19 State Budget provides increased support for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and one-time funding for discretionary purposes.  For the school facilities community, this is an opportunity to fund critical maintenance and school safety priorities by participating in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and highlighting on-going local capital needs, and using one-time funds for one-time needs.

Presentation proposals for the annual California STEAM Symposium in Long Beach are due on June 20^th, 2018. This year the conference will be held from October 28 to October 29. Partnering with a local education agency is optimal for our commercial partners in order to avoid being considered a vendor. The following conference strand recognizes the importance of school facilities in STEM and STEAM learning:

Essential Conditions for 21st-Century STEAM Teaching and Learning: Innovative learning environments promote inquiry and facilitate collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity to help meet the needs of a variety of learners. STEAM learning environments that are student-centered require flexibility and accessibility for various types of learning, including project-based and Social-Emotional Learning, outdoor learning, modernized technology, and personalized instruction. Educators can support our diverse student population to succeed by designing instruction to foster a positive classroom environment where all learners are engaged and able to express what they know. Hear educators and facilities professionals share promising practices that cultivate success through their physical and conceptual structures.

To learn about the other conference strands and to submit your proposal online please visit: https://www.stemcalifornia.org/Page/108

Please contact Molly Stitt at the California Department of Education if you have questions:

mstitt@cde.ca.gov

916-322-6249