Governor Brown's May Revise - Adult Ed

Adult Education

The May Revision maintains $500 million Proposition 98 General Fund to establish

the Adult Education Block Grant program to provide funds for adult education to

school districts and community colleges. This proposed program will coordinate

efforts of various entities — such as schools, community colleges, universities, local

workforce investment boards, libraries, social services agencies, public safety agencies, and employers — to provide education and training more effectively.

The May Revision strengthens this proposal, substantially informed by feedback received from stakeholders.

Significant Adjustments:

• Eliminate Allocation Boards within Each Consortium — Each consortium will be

required to create rules and procedures regarding how it will make decisions, based

on state guidelines that require consortia to seek and respond to input on proposed

decisions from interested stakeholders and to make decisions publicly.

• Require More Robust, but Less Frequent, Planning — Each consortium will develop a comprehensive plan for adult education in its region at least once every three years,

with annual updates.

• Provide Greater Funding Certainty — The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges will certify maintenance of effort

levels by July 30, and will determine the allocation of any remaining block grant funds

to consortia by October 30. Beginning in 2016, the Superintendent and Chancellor

will provide preliminary allocations to consortia shortly following the release of

each Governor’s Budget, and final allocations, along with preliminary projections

for two future years, shortly after each Budget is enacted. At the consortia level,

allocations to districts will be at least equal to their distribution from the previous

year, with limited exceptions. Further, use of a local fiscal administrator is no

longer required.

• Integrate Adult Education Programs and Funding Streams — The Superintendent

and Chancellor will, by January 31, 2016, develop and submit a plan to distribute

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title II and Perkins funding using the

consortia structure in future years. School districts, county offices of education,

and community college districts that receive other specified state funds or federal funds for adult education must be participating members of an adult education consortium.