1240
. The county superintendent of schools shall do all of the
following:
(a) Superintend the schools of his or her county.
(b) Maintain responsibility for the fiscal oversight of each
school district in his or her county pursuant to the authority
granted by this code.
(c) (1) Visit and examine each school in his or her county at
reasonable intervals to observe its operation and to learn of its
problems. He or she annually may present a report of the state of the
schools in his or her county, and of his or her office, including,
but not limited to, his or her observations while visiting the
schools, to the board of education and the board of supervisors of
his or her county.
(2) (A) For fiscal years 2004-05 to 2006-07, inclusive, to the
extent that funds are appropriated for purposes of this paragraph,
the county superintendent, or his or her designee, annually shall
submit a report, at a regularly scheduled November board meeting, to
the governing board of each school district under his or her
jurisdiction, the county board of education of his or her county, and
the board of supervisors of his or her county describing the state
of the schools in the county or of his or her office that are ranked
in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the 2003 base Academic Performance
Index (API), as described in subdivision (b) of Section 17592.70, and
shall include, among other things, his or her observations while
visiting the schools and his or her determinations for each school
regarding the status of all of the circumstances listed in
subparagraph (I) and teacher misassignments and teacher vacancies. As
a condition for receipt of funds, the county superintendent, or his
or her designee, shall use a standardized template to report the
circumstances listed in subparagraph (I) and teacher misassignments
and teacher vacancies, unless the current annual report being used by
the county superintendent, or his or her designee, already includes
those details for each school.
(B) Commencing with the 2007-08 fiscal year, the county
superintendent, or his or her designee, annually shall submit a
report, at a regularly scheduled November board meeting, to the
governing board of each school district under his or her
jurisdiction, the county board of education of his or her county, and
the board of supervisors of his or her county describing the state
of the schools in the county or of his or her office that are ranked
in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the 2006 base API, pursuant to
former Section 52056, as that section read on June 30, 2013. The
annual report shall include the determinations for each school made
by the county superintendent, or his or her designee, regarding the
status of all of the circumstances listed in subparagraph (I) and
teacher misassignments and teacher vacancies, and the county
superintendent, or his or her designee, shall use a standardized
template to report the circumstances listed in subparagraph (I) and
teacher misassignments and teacher vacancies, unless the current
annual report being used by the county superintendent, or his or her
designee, already includes those details with the same level of
specificity that is otherwise required by this subdivision. For
purposes of this section, schools ranked in deciles 1 to 3,
inclusive, on the 2006 base API shall include schools determined by
the department to meet either of the following:
(i) The school meets all of the following criteria:
(I) Does not have a valid base API score for 2006.
(II) Is operating in fiscal year 2007-08 and was operating in
fiscal year 2006-07 during the Standardized Testing and Reporting
(STAR) Program testing period.
(III) Has a valid base API score for 2005 that was ranked in
deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, in that year.
(ii) The school has an estimated base API score for 2006 that
would be in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive.
(C) The department shall estimate an API score for any school
meeting the criteria of subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) of
subparagraph (B) and not meeting the criteria of subclause (III) of
clause (i) of subparagraph (B), using available test scores and
weighting or corrective factors it deems appropriate. The department
shall post the API scores on its Internet Web site on or before May
1.
(D) For purposes of this section, references to schools ranked in
deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, on the 2006 base API shall exclude schools
operated by county offices of education pursuant to Section 56140,
as determined by the department.
(E) (i) Commencing with the 2010-11 fiscal year and every third
year thereafter, the Superintendent shall identify a list of schools
ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the API for which the county
superintendent, or his or her designee, annually shall submit a
report, at a regularly scheduled November board meeting, to the
governing board of each school district under his or her
jurisdiction, the county board of education of his or her county, and
the board of supervisors of his or her county that describes the
state of the schools in the county or of his or her office that are
ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the base API as defined in
clause (ii).
(ii) For the 2010-11 fiscal year, the list of schools ranked in
deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the base API shall be updated using the
criteria set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B),
subparagraph (C), and subparagraph (D), as applied to the 2009 base
API and thereafter shall be updated every third year using the
criteria set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B),
subparagraph (C), and subparagraph (D), as applied to the base API of
the year preceding the third year consistent with clause (i).
(iii) The annual report shall include the determinations for each
school made by the county superintendent, or his or her designee,
regarding the status of all of the circumstances listed in
subparagraph (I) and teacher misassignments and teacher vacancies,
and the county superintendent, or his or her designee, shall use a
standardized template to report the circumstances listed in
subparagraph (I) and teacher misassignments and teacher vacancies,
unless the current annual report being used by the county
superintendent, or his or her designee, already includes those
details with the same level of specificity that is otherwise required
by this subdivision.
(F) The county superintendent of the Counties of Alpine, Amador,
Del Norte, Mariposa, Plumas, and Sierra, and the City and County of
San Francisco shall contract with another county office of education
or an independent auditor to conduct the required visits and make all
reports required by this paragraph.
(G) On a quarterly basis, the county superintendent, or his or her
designee, shall report the results of the visits and reviews
conducted that quarter to the governing board of the school district
at a regularly scheduled meeting held in accordance with public
notification requirements. The results of the visits and reviews
shall include the determinations of the county superintendent, or his
or her designee, for each school regarding the status of all of the
circumstances listed in subparagraph (I) and teacher misassignments
and teacher vacancies. If the county superintendent, or his or her
designee, conducts no visits or reviews in a quarter, the quarterly
report shall report that fact.
(H) The visits made pursuant to this paragraph shall be conducted
at least annually and shall meet the following criteria:
(i) Minimize disruption to the operation of the school.
(ii) Be performed by individuals who meet the requirements of
Section 45125.1.
(iii) Consist of not less than 25 percent unannounced visits in
each county. During unannounced visits in each county, the county
superintendent shall not demand access to documents or specific
school personnel. Unannounced visits shall only be used to observe
the condition of school repair and maintenance, and the sufficiency
of instructional materials, as defined by Section 60119.
(I) The priority objective of the visits made pursuant to this
paragraph shall be to determine the status of all of the following
circumstances:
(i) Sufficient textbooks as defined in Section 60119 and as
specified in subdivision (i).
(ii) The condition of a facility that poses an emergency or urgent
threat to the health or safety of pupils or staff, as described in
school district policy or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section
17592.72.
(iii) The accuracy of data reported on the school accountability
report card with respect to the availability of sufficient textbooks
and instructional materials, as defined by Section 60119, and the
safety, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities, including
good repair, as required by Sections 17014, 17032.5, 17070.75, and
17089.
(J) The county superintendent may make the status determinations
described in subparagraph (I) during a single visit or multiple
visits. In determining whether to make a single visit or multiple
visits for this purpose, the county superintendent shall take into
consideration factors such as cost-effectiveness, disruption to the
schoolsite, deadlines, and the availability of qualified reviewers.
(K) If the county superintendent determines that the condition of
a facility poses an emergency or urgent threat to the health or
safety of pupils or staff as described in school district policy or
paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 17592.72, or is not in
good repair, as specified in subdivision (d) of Section 17002 and
required by Sections 17014, 17032.5, 17070.75, and 17089, the county
superintendent, among other things, may do any of the following:
(i) Return to the school to verify repairs.
(ii) Prepare a report that specifically identifies and documents
the areas or instances of noncompliance if the school district has
not provided evidence of successful repairs within 30 days of the
visit of the county superintendent or, for major projects, has not
provided evidence that the repairs will be conducted in a timely
manner. The report may be provided to the governing board of the
school district. If the report is provided to the school district, it
shall be presented at a regularly scheduled meeting held in
accordance with public notification requirements. The county
superintendent shall post the report on his or her Internet Web site.
The report shall be removed from the Internet Web site when the
county superintendent verifies the repairs have been completed.
(d) Distribute all laws, reports, circulars, instructions, and
blanks that he or she may receive for the use of the school officers.
(e) Annually, on or before September 15, present a report to the
governing board of the school district and the Superintendent
regarding the fiscal solvency of a school district with a disapproved
budget, qualified interim certification, or a negative interim
certification, or that is determined to be in a position of fiscal
uncertainty pursuant to Section 42127.6.
(f) Keep in his or her office the reports of the Superintendent.
(g) Keep a record of his or her official acts, and of all the
proceedings of the county board of education, including a record of
the standing, in each study, of all applicants for certificates who
have been examined, which shall be open to the inspection of an
applicant or his or her authorized agent.
(h) Enforce the course of study.
(i) (1) Enforce the use of state textbooks and instructional
materials and of high school textbooks and instructional materials
regularly adopted by the proper authority in accordance with Section
51050.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, sufficient textbooks or
instructional materials has the same meaning as in subdivision (c) of
Section 60119.
(3) (A) Commencing with the 2005-06 school year, if a school is
ranked in any of deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the base API, as
specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), and not currently
under review pursuant to a state or federal intervention program, the
county superintendent specifically shall review that school at least
annually as a priority school. A review conducted for purposes of
this paragraph shall be completed by the fourth week of the school
year. For the 2004-05 fiscal year only, the county superintendent
shall make a diligent effort to conduct a visit to each school
pursuant to this paragraph within 120 days of receipt of funds for
this purpose.
(B) In order to facilitate the review of instructional materials
before the fourth week of the school year, the county superintendent
in a county with 200 or more schools that are ranked in any of
deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the base API, as specified in paragraph
(2) of subdivision (c), may utilize a combination of visits and
written surveys of teachers for the purpose of determining
sufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials in accordance
with subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section
60119 and as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 60119. If a county
superintendent elects to conduct written surveys of teachers, the
county superintendent shall visit the schools surveyed within the
same academic year to verify the accuracy of the information reported
on the surveys. If a county superintendent surveys teachers at a
school in which the county superintendent has found sufficient
textbooks and instructional materials for the previous two
consecutive years and determines that the school does not have
sufficient textbooks or instructional materials, the county
superintendent shall within 10 business days provide a copy of the
insufficiency report to the school district as set forth in paragraph
(4).
(C) For purposes of this paragraph, "written surveys" may include
paper and electronic or online surveys.
(4) If the county superintendent of schools determines that a
school does not have sufficient textbooks or instructional materials
in accordance with subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision
(a) of Section 60119 and as defined by subdivision (c) of Section
60119, the county superintendent shall do all of the following:
(A) Prepare a report that specifically identifies and documents
the areas or instances of noncompliance.
(B) Provide within five business days of the review, a copy of the
report to the school district, as provided in subdivision (c), or,
if applicable, provide a copy of the report to the school district
within 10 business days pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph
(3).
(C) Provide the school district with the opportunity to remedy the
deficiency. The county superintendent shall ensure remediation of
the deficiency no later than the second month of the school term.
(D) If the deficiency is not remedied as required pursuant to
subparagraph (C), the county superintendent shall request the
department to purchase the textbooks or instructional materials
necessary to comply with the sufficiency requirement of this
subdivision. If the department purchases textbooks or instructional
materials for the school district, the department shall issue a
public statement at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the
state board occurring immediately after the department receives the
request of the county superintendent and that meets the applicable
public notice requirements, indicating that the district
superintendent and the governing board of the school district failed
to provide pupils with sufficient textbooks or instructional
materials as required by this subdivision. Before purchasing the
textbooks or instructional materials, the department shall consult
with the school district to determine which textbooks or
instructional materials to purchase. The amount of funds necessary
for the purchase of the textbooks and materials is a loan to the
school district receiving the textbooks or instructional materials.
Unless the school district repays the amount owed based upon an
agreed-upon repayment schedule with the Superintendent, the
Superintendent shall notify the Controller and the Controller shall
deduct an amount equal to the total amount used to purchase the
textbooks and materials from the next principal apportionment of the
school district or from another apportionment of state funds.
(j) Preserve carefully all reports of school officers and
teachers.
(k) Deliver to his or her successor, at the close of his or her
official term, all records, books, documents, and papers belonging to
the office, taking a receipt for them, which shall be filed with the
department.
(l) (1) Submit two reports during the fiscal year to the county
board of education in accordance with the following:
(A) The first report shall cover the financial and budgetary
status of the county office of education for the period ending
October 31. The second report shall cover the period ending January
31. Both reports shall be reviewed by the county board of education
and approved by the county superintendent no later than 45 days after
the close of the period being reported.
(B) As part of each report, the county superintendent shall
certify in writing whether or not the county office of education is
able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the
fiscal year and, based on current forecasts, for two subsequent
fiscal years. The certifications shall be classified as positive,
qualified, or negative, pursuant to standards prescribed by the
Superintendent, for the purposes of determining subsequent state
agency actions pursuant to Section 1240.1. For purposes of this
subdivision, a negative certification shall be assigned to a county
office of education that, based upon current projections, will not
meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year
or for the subsequent fiscal year. A qualified certification shall be
assigned to a county office of education that may not meet its
financial obligations for the current fiscal year or two subsequent
fiscal years. A positive certification shall be assigned to a county
office of education that will meet its financial obligations for the
current fiscal year and subsequent two fiscal years. In accordance
with those standards, the Superintendent may reclassify a
certification. If a county office of education receives a negative
certification, the Superintendent, or his or her designee, may
exercise the authority set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 1630.
Copies of each certification, and of the report containing that
certification, shall be sent to the Superintendent at the time the
certification is submitted to the county board of education. Copies
of each qualified or negative certification and the report containing
that certification shall be sent to the Controller at the time the
certification is submitted to the county board of education.
(i) For the 2011-12 fiscal year, notwithstanding any of the
standards and criteria adopted by the state board pursuant to Section
33127, each county office of education budget shall project the same
level of revenue per unit of average daily attendance as it received
in the 2010-11 fiscal year and shall maintain staffing and program
levels commensurate with that level.
(ii) For the 2011-12 fiscal year, the county superintendent shall
not be required to certify in writing whether or not the county
office of education is able to meet its financial obligations for the
two subsequent fiscal years.
(iii) For the 2011-12 fiscal year, notwithstanding any of the
standards and criteria adopted by the state board pursuant to Section
33127, the Superintendent, as a condition on approval of a county
office of education budget, shall not require a county office of
education to project a lower level of revenue per unit of average
daily attendance than it received in the 2010-11 fiscal year nor
require the county superintendent to certify in writing whether or
not the county office of education is able to meet its financial
obligations for the two subsequent fiscal years.
(2) All reports and certifications required under this subdivision
shall be in a format or on forms prescribed by the Superintendent,
and shall be based on standards and criteria for fiscal stability
adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 33127. The reports and
supporting data shall be made available by the county superintendent
to an interested party upon request.
(3) This subdivision does not preclude the submission of
additional budgetary or financial reports by the county
superintendent to the county board of education or to the
Superintendent.
(4) The county superintendent is not responsible for the fiscal
oversight of the community colleges in the county, however, he or she
may perform financial services on behalf of those community
colleges.
(m) If requested, act as agent for the purchase of supplies for
the city and high school districts of his or her county.
(n) For purposes of Section 44421.5, report to the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing the identity of a certificated person who
knowingly and willingly reports false fiscal expenditure data
relative to the conduct of an educational program. This requirement
applies only if, in the course of his or her normal duties, the
county superintendent discovers information that gives him or her
reasonable cause to believe that false fiscal expenditure data
relative to the conduct of an educational program has been reported.
(o) If any activities authorized pursuant to this section are
found to be a state reimbursable mandate pursuant to Section 6 of
Article XIII B of the California Constitution, funding provided for
school districts and county offices of education pursuant to Sections
2574, 2575, 42238.02, and 42238.03 shall be used to directly offset
any mandated costs.