AB 279

Current law generally limits the total amount of revenue a school district may

receive from general school aids and property taxes in a school year. However, there

are several exceptions to the revenue limit. One exception to the revenue limit is an

increase for funds needed to service general obligation debt issued by a school

district, if the debt was approved by a referendum. This type of referendum is often

referred to as a capital referendum.

This bill prohibits a school board from initiating the process for a capital

referendum for borrowing other than for maintenance expenses if the school district

received lower than a certain score for pupil achievement in reading and

mathematics on the most recent school and school district accountability report.

Specifically, the school board of a school district in which 2,000 or more pupils are

enrolled is prohibited from initiating the capital referendum process if its overall

pupil achievement score in reading and mathematics was below 60 points, and a

school board of a school district in which fewer than 2,000 pupils are enrolled is

prohibited from initiating the capital referendum process if its overall pupil

achievement score in reading and mathematics was below 50 points. The bill also

requires the Department of Public Instruction to use a 100 point scale for certain

measures that are required to be included in the school and school district

accountability report, including pupil achievement in reading and mathematics.