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• Year 2007

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today testified before the Assembly Education Committee in support of a statewide school bond proposal to be put before voters in November 2008. The complete text of O’Connell’s speech will be posted at Testimony Before the Assembly Education Committee - Year 2007.

The Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2008 would provide for the issuance of $9 billion in state general obligation bonds to provide aid to school districts, county superintendents of schools, county boards of education, California Community Colleges, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and California State University to construct and modernize education facilities.

O’Connell addressed four areas:

• The need to integrate preschool facilities into the kindergarten through grade twelve facilities to encourage school readiness for all children.
• The need to increase grant funding to support the building and modernizing of school facilities, including those for career technical education, for the 21st century. Current funding supports existing lecture-style teaching and not the flexible designs and technology-rich spaces of different sizes and configurations necessary to prepare students for the global economy.
• The need to include in the bond $500 million for improved school food service nutrition facilities and equipment. Longstanding neglect of school kitchens and eating areas is a barrier to the state’s efforts to combat childhood obesity.
• The need for more space for community services on school campuses, such as parent volunteer rooms, health or social services, to allow parents and the community to respond to the unique needs of students.