(a) In order to be eligible to receive funds available for purposes of this article, the governing board of a school district shall take the following actions:
(1) (A) The governing board of a school district shall hold a public hearing or hearings at which the governing board shall encourage participation by parents, teachers, members of the community interested in the affairs of the school district, and bargaining unit leaders, and shall make a determination, through a resolution, as to whether each pupil in each school in the school district has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, that are aligned to the content standards adopted by the state board in each of the following subjects, as appropriate, that are consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum framework adopted by the state board:
(i) Mathematics.
(ii) Science.
(iii) History-social science.
(iv) English language arts, including the English language development component of an adopted program.
(B) The public hearing shall take place on or before the end of the eighth week from the first day pupils attend school for that year. A school district that operates schools on a multitrack, year-round calendar shall hold the hearing on or before the end of the eighth week from the first day pupils attend school for that year on any tracks that begin a school year in August or September.
(C) As part of the hearing required pursuant to this section, the governing board of a school district also shall make a written determination as to whether each pupil enrolled in a world language or health course has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials that are consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum frameworks adopted by the state board for those subjects. The governing board of a school district also shall determine the availability of laboratory science equipment as applicable to science laboratory courses offered in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. The provision of the textbooks, instructional materials, or science equipment specified in this subparagraph is not a condition of receipt of funds provided by this subdivision.
(2) (A) If the governing board of a school district determines that there are insufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, the governing board shall provide information to classroom teachers and to the public setting forth, in the resolution, for each school in which an insufficiency exists, the percentage of pupils who lack sufficient standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials in each subject area and the reasons that each pupil does not have sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, and take any action, except an action that would require reimbursement by the Commission on State Mandates, to ensure that each pupil has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, or both, within two months of the beginning of the school year in which the determination is made.
(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the governing board of a school district may use moneys in any of the following funds:
(i) Any funds available for textbooks or instructional materials, or both, from categorical programs, including any funds allocated to school districts that have been appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
(ii) Any funds of the school district that are in excess of the amount available for each pupil during the prior fiscal year to purchase textbooks or instructional materials, or both.
(iii) Any other funds available to the school district for textbooks or instructional materials, or both.
(b) The governing board of a school district shall provide 10 days’ notice of the public hearing or hearings set forth in subdivision (a). The notice shall contain the time, place, and purpose of the hearing and shall be posted in three public places in the school district. The hearing shall be held at a time that will encourage the attendance of teachers and parents and guardians of pupils who attend the schools in the school district and shall not take place during or immediately following school hours.
(c) (1) For purposes of this section, “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil, including English learners, has a standards-aligned textbook or instructional materials, or both, to use in class and to take home. This paragraph does not require two sets of textbooks or instructional materials for each pupil. The materials may be in a digital format as long as each pupil, at a minimum, has and can access the same materials in the class and to take home, as all other pupils in the same class or course in the school district and has the ability to use and access them at home.
(2) Sufficient textbooks or instructional materials as defined in paragraph (1) do not include photocopied sheets from only a portion of a textbook or instructional materials copied to address a shortage.
(d) The governing board of a school district that receives funds for instructional materials from any state source is subject to the requirements of this section.
(e) For the purpose of transitioning to instructional materials that are aligned with the common core academic content standards and science content standards, it is the intent of the Legislature that textbooks, instructional materials, and supplemental instructional materials be deemed to be aligned with the content standards pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (c), and be deemed consistent with the content and cycles of the curriculum framework adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a) if the textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional materials, or a combination of any such materials are aligned to the content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605 or 60605.8, or former Section 60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 865, Sec. 26.5. (AB 2319) Effective January 1, 2019.)