Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction, Grade 9

Added to Programs No Longer Administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) on January 15, 2016.

This information is for historical purposes only and it is possible that information contained here may not be current.

Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction, Grade 9

Time Period

1989–90 through 2012–13. Effective 2013–14, this program was subsumed into the local control funding formula.

Authorizing Legislation

Section 2 of Senate Bill (SB) 666 (Chapter 1147, Statutes of 1989).

Source of Appropriation/Budget Act Item

SB 666 (Chapter 1147, Statutes of 1989) provided the initial appropriation of $40 million; subsequent appropriations in Budget Item 6110-232-0001.

Applicable Statutes/Regulations

California Education Code Sections 52080-52090, Title 5 California Code of Regulations sections 15140–15141, operative 8-31-2005 (Register 2005, No. 31).

Program Description

As history, the Program to Reduce Class Size in Grades 9 to 12 was established in 1989 with the “…goal of attaining greater pupil proficiency made possible by a class size of 20 in high school courses taught by the English, mathematics, science, or social studies department to meet graduation requirements…” School districts were allowed discretion on which grade level (9, 10, 11 or 12) would be implemented. Additional intent language is included in Section 1 of SB 666.

SB 12 (Chapter 334, Statutes of 1998) deleted the prior program and created the Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction Program for Grade 9. This program allocated funds to school districts for participating high schools to reduce class size in grade nine English and one other course required for graduation (either mathematics, science, or social studies). Districts could also serve grades ten, eleven, or twelve if they had continuously implemented the program since 1998.

Grade nine English and the second grade nine course designated to participate in the program must count toward the completion of graduation requirements in Education Code Section 51225.3 (a)(1) (A), (B), (C), or (D). All of the participating classes in each participating school on the average can have no more than 20 students per certificated teacher and no more than 22 students in any participating class.

Special Education students enrolled in special day classes on a full-time basis were excluded from enrollment counts. Students enrolled in necessary small schools that received funding pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 42280) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of the Education Code were excluded. Implementation of this program must not adversely affect existing class size in courses not included in class size reduction.

Funds were allocated at a specified rate per student per course, to a maximum of two times the CBEDS ninth grade enrollment if two courses were implemented. The funding rate was established in the annual Budget Act.

SACS Resource/Revenue Codes

1200 / 8590

Flexibility

EC Section 42605 authorized complete flexibility by a school district, county office of education, and charter school in the use of funds appropriated in the state budget for fiscal years 2008-09 through 2012-13.