32526. (a) (1) For the 2022–23 fiscal year, the sum of seven billion nine hundred thirty-six million dollars ($7,936,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for transfer to the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund created in Section 32525. The Superintendent shall allocate available moneys in the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund deposited pursuant to this section to local educational agencies in the manner, and for the purposes, set forth in this section. This allocation shall be known as the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant.
(2) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(b) Funds described in subdivision (a) shall be allocated on a per-unit basis of the local educational agency’s 2021–22 fiscal year second period reported kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, average daily attendance multiplied by the local educational agency’s 2021–22 unduplicated pupil percentage calculated pursuant to Section 2574 or 42238.02, as applicable. Prior fiscal year average daily attendance and unduplicated pupil percentage shall be considered final as of the second principal apportionment for that fiscal year.
(c) (1) The governing board or body of a local educational agency may expend the one-time funds received pursuant to this section to establish learning recovery initiatives through the 2027–28 school year that, at a minimum, support academic learning recovery and staff and pupil social and emotional well-being.
(2) Specifically, funds received under subdivision (b) shall only be expended for any of the following purposes:
(A) Instructional learning time for the 2022–23 through 2027–28 school years by increasing the number of instructional days or minutes provided during the school year, providing summer school or intersessional instructional programs, or taking any other action that increases or stabilizes the amount of instructional time or services provided to pupils, or decreases or stabilizes staff-to-pupil ratios, based on pupil learning needs.
(B) Accelerating progress to close learning gaps through the implementation, expansion, or enhancement of learning supports, such as:
(i) Tutoring or other one-on-one or small group learning supports provided by certificated or classified staff.
(ii) Learning recovery programs and materials designed to accelerate pupil academic proficiency or English language proficiency, or both.
(iii) Providing early intervention and literacy programs for pupils in preschool to grade 3, inclusive, including, but not limited to, school library access.
(iv) Supporting expanded learning opportunity program services pursuant to Section 46120.
(v) Providing instruction and services consistent with the California Community Schools Partnership Act (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 8900) of Part 6) regardless of grantee status.
(C) Integrating pupil supports to address other barriers to learning, and staff supports and training, such as the provision of health, counseling, or mental health services, access to school meal programs, before and after school programs, or programs to address pupil trauma and social-emotional learning, or referrals for support for family or pupil needs.
(D) Access to instruction for credit-deficient pupils to complete graduation or grade promotion requirements and to increase or improve pupils’ college eligibility.
(E) Additional academic services for pupils, such as diagnostic, progress monitoring, and benchmark assessments of pupil learning.
(d) (1) Local educational agencies receiving apportionments pursuant to this section shall report to the department, using the template developed by the department, and make publicly available on their internet websites, interim expenditures of those apportioned funds to the department by December 1, 2024, and December 1, 2027, and a final report on expenditures no later than December 1, 2029. Local educational agencies that do not submit the final expenditure report shall forfeit all funds apportioned pursuant to this section.
(2) If a charter school ceases to operate before December 1, 2029, a final expenditure report shall be due to the department within 60 days of the effective date of closure and the department shall collect any unspent amounts.
(3) (A) The department, on or before June 30, 2023, shall develop an expenditure report template for use by local educational agencies in fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (1).
(B) The template shall require the inclusion of the total expenditures, by fiscal year, for each allowable use pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), disaggregated by each allowable use specified in subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive, of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).
(C) The template shall, to the greatest extent practicable, use language that is understandable and accessible to parents.
(e) (1) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, six billion five hundred million dollars ($6,500,000,000) of the appropriation made by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) 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.
(2) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, one billion four hundred thirty-six million dollars ($1,436,000,000) of the appropriation made by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2022–23 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 2022–23 fiscal year.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 571, Sec. 15. (AB 185) Effective September 27, 2022.)