By Thomas Gase

Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation on Wednesday aims to protect the finances of California public schools faced with the challenge of declining enrollment by extending the authority of local school boards to consider the fiscal impact of new charter school applications.

The bill comes with enrollment in California public schools declining over the past two decades because of several factors including a declining birth rate and migration from California. Due to school districts receiving their funding based on the number of students they educate, the loss of students has serious financial effects, which require local leaders to make difficult budget choices, including the closing of schools.

Source: Bill Dodd seeks to bolster school district fiscal health – Times Herald Online