Advocacy & Communications

CSBA’s Governmental Relations and Communications teams work together to advocate for important policy and budget changes that support LEAs and keep members informed about the latest education-related legislation and policy issues being discussed at the state and federal levels.

“No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.”

—author Greg Kincaid

Accomplishments

  • $637 million increase in ongoing funding for home-to-school transportation allowing local educational agencies to receive 60 percent of their costs reimbursed as a continuous appropriation
  • $2.8 billion to support protections for declining enrollment and the adoption of CSBA’s COVID-ADA relief proposal to ensure that LEAs are not unfairly penalized for student absences due to public health quarantine requirements
  • A 13 percent overall increase in the Local Control Funding Formula, which included a 6.56 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
  • $611.8 million in ongoing funding to increase reimbursement rates for school meals under the state’s new universal school meals program 13 percent overall increase in the Local Control Funding Formula, which included a 6.56 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
  • Three CSBA-sponsored bills were signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. A fourth sponsored bill, Assembly Bill 2933 (O’Donnell, D-Long Beach), contained the home-to-school transportation provisions included in the final state budget.
    • AB 2584 (Berman, D-Menlo Park) – school board recall election reform
    • Senate Bill 1061 (Laird, D-Santa Cruz) – school board vacancy special elections
    • AB 2295 (Bloom, D-Santa Monica) – helping streamline and incentivize LEAs to produce educational workforce housing on surplus property
  • Reviewed more than 4,000 bills introduced in the Legislature and analyzed hundreds of proposals.
    • Took positions on more than 100 critical pieces of legislation impacting public education