Summary
April 10, 2024
Honorable Alan Muratsuchi, Chair
Assembly Education Committee
1020 N Street, Room 159
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Assemblymember Muratsuchi,
On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I write to express our support for AB 2112, which would stabilize funding for Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs (ELOP) and would convene a stakeholder working group to provide recommendations to the Legislature over the next year. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) provides funding for before school, after school, intersession and summer school enrichment programs for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade.
Existing law ensures that under-resourced schools are provided additional support; by appropriating a specified amount of state funding to schools with at least 75% of students that are English learners, eligible for a free or reduced-price meal, and foster youth. However, this threshold is unstable and can vary significantly from year to year, leavings schools vulnerable to sudden losses of critical program funding. AB 2112 would stabilize ELOP funding by setting a floor for these schools at the 2022-23 funding levels. This gives schools the fiscal certainty necessary for the planning and development of lasting community partnerships that are the cornerstones of a high-quality expanded learning program.
Additionally, the bill would ensure ELOP best practices are advanced statewide, by convening a working group of Department of Education staff, expanded learning providers, local educational agency representatives, parents, pupils, and community partners – to provide recommendations to the Legislature fiscal and policy committees by November 2025.
High-quality expanded learning programs provide engaging learning opportunities that foster children's academic, social and emotional growth – and are important to school districts here in Marin. For example, at San Rafael City Schools, ELOP serves about 1,100 students each day after school is dismissed; allowing their families to work, take college classes or take care of other needs while their children are in a safe and enriching after-school program.
For these reasons, we support AB 2112 and appreciate your attention to expanded learning programming.
Sincerely,
Dennis Rodoni, President
Marin County Board of Supervisors
Cc: Marin County Board of Supervisors
Senator Mike McGuire
Assemblymember Damon Connolly
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