AB 1871: Charter schools: free and reduced-price meals.

(1)Existing law requires each school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining any kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide for each needy pupil one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, and authorizes them to use funds made available through any federal or state program the purpose of which includes the provision of meals to a pupil, including the federal School Breakfast Program, the federal National School Lunch Program, the federal Summer Food Service Program, the federal Seamless Summer Option, or the state meal program, or to provide those meals at the expense of the school district or county office of education.

Existing law, the Charter Schools Act of 1992, provides for the establishment and operation of charter schools, and exempts charter schools from the laws governing school districts, except as specified.

This bill would, commencing with 201920 school year, require a charter school to provide each needy pupil, as defined, with one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, except as provided for a charter school that offers nonclassroom-based instruction. For a charter school that becomes operational on or after July 1, 2019, the bill would require the charter school to implement these requirements no later than July 1 of the school year after becoming operational, and to provide written notice, as specified, of the period of time that the charter school will not provide those meals. The bill would require the chartering authority to, upon request by a charter school and to the extent feasible within existing resources, provide technical assistance to the charter school in implementing the bills provisions. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on charter school officials and on chartering authorities, such as school districts and county boards of education, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)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.