Sacramento - Assemblymember Tony Mendoza's AB 1172, a bill that gives school districts the authority to deny a charter school petition on the basis of financial impact, passed off the Assembly floor today. The bill now heads to the Senate Committee on Rules.

"Today’s Assembly vote is a victory for our State's cash-strapped school districts," Assemblymember Mendoza said. "If a charter school would be a burden to a district that is already faced with extremely difficult decisions-such as eliminating adult education, counselors, librarians, or closing a school—then the district should have the authority to deny the charter. This is a common sense measure to benefit California's struggling public education system."

AB 1172 would amend current law to include financial instability as a new reason to deny a charter petition. Specifically, the bill states that a school district could deny a charter petition if the district is in negative financial status, has received an emergency loan, or would lose enough money to go into qualified status by approving the charter, meaning that if the district is currently in positive financial standing but approving a charter school would push them over the edge into qualified status or make the situation worse, the district could deny the petition.

Assemblymember Tony Mendoza, a former public school teacher and current Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, has served in the State Assembly since 2006.

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