Section 42238.42.

(a) In the event that the amount required to be appropriated for the purpose of the state's minimum funding obligation to school districts and community college districts pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution for the 1996–97 fiscal year, as determined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), exceeds the amount appropriated for that purpose for the 1996–97 fiscal year, as determined pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the amount computed pursuant to subdivision (d), is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the purposes of equalizing the revenue limits of school districts pursuant to subdivision (e) and Section 42238.43 and for the purpose of reducing the deficit factor applied to the revenue limits of county superintendents of schools pursuant to Section 2558.45 and reducing the deficit factor applied to the revenue limits of the school districts pursuant to Section 42238.145.

(b) To determine the amounts available for the purposes of this section, the Department of Finance shall make the following computations:

(1) At the first principal apportionment for the 1997–98 fiscal year, compute the level of General Fund revenues that meets the state's minimum funding obligation to school districts and community college districts pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution for the 1996–97 fiscal year based upon the most current determination of data as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 41206 of the Education Code.

(2) Subtract from the amount determined in paragraph (1) an amount equal to the total amount of General Fund revenues that have been appropriated for the purpose of meeting the state's minimum funding obligation for the 1996–97 fiscal year to school districts and community college districts pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution as of February 1, 1998.

(3) If the amount computed in paragraph (2) is greater than zero, that amount is the total amount available for the purposes of this section.

(c) To determine the portion of the amount computed in subdivision (a) to set aside for community college districts pursuant to this section, the Department of Finance shall make the following computations:

(1) Add the total General Fund allocations to school districts and community college districts for the purposes of meeting the state's minimum funding obligation to school districts and community college districts pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution for the 1996–97 fiscal year to the total statewide amount of "allocated local proceeds of taxes," as defined in subdivisions (g) and (h) of Section 41202, allocated to school districts and community college districts for the 1996–97 fiscal year.

(2) Divide the sum of the General Fund allocations made to community college districts for the purposes of meeting the state's minimum funding obligation to community college districts pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution for the 1996–97 fiscal year and the total statewide amount of "allocated local proceeds of taxes," as defined in subdivision (h) of Section 41202, allocated to community college districts for the 1996–97 fiscal year by the sum computed pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) Multiply the amount computed pursuant to subdivision (b) by the percentage determined in paragraph (2). Community college districts shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the amount computed pursuant to this paragraph and that amount shall be set aside from the General Fund for appropriation to community college districts by the Legislature.

(d) The amount of the appropriation made pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section shall be computed by subtracting the amount computed in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) from the amount computed pursuant to subdivision (b). The Director of the Department of Finance shall certify to the Controller the amount of the appropriation computed pursuant to this subdivision and under no circumstances shall funds be released by the Controller for purposes of this section before that certification is received by the Controller.

(e) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall allocate 50 percent of the amount computed pursuant to subdivision (d) to school districts for the purpose of making equalization adjustments to the base revenue limit of school districts for the 1996–97 fiscal year, as follows:

(1) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall perform the computations set forth in Section 42238.43 for the purpose of equalization adjustments to the base revenue limits of school districts for the 1996–97 fiscal year to determine the amount to allocate to each school district pursuant to this paragraph.

(2) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall repeat the process of computing equalization adjustments to the base revenue limits of school districts for the 1996–97 fiscal year pursuant to Section 42238.43 until the total amount of funds available for that purpose pursuant to this subdivision is allocated to school districts.

(3) If the total amount of funds available for allocation pursuant to this subdivision is insufficient to fully fund the amounts computed pursuant to paragraph (1) or the amount computed pursuant to any of the iterations made pursuant to paragraph (2), the allocations computed pursuant to those paragraphs shall be reduced proportionately.

(f) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall allocate 50 percent of the amount computed pursuant to subdivision (d) to county superintendents of schools for the purpose of reducing the 1996–97 and 1997–98 deficit factors applied to the revenue limits of county superintendent of schools and school districts pursuant to Sections 2558.45 and 42238.145, respectively. The amount of the allocation made to each school district and county superintendent of schools for the purpose of reducing their respective deficit factors shall be computed in proportion to their respective shares of the total statewide amount of the revenue limits after adjustment for deficit factors for school districts and county superintendents of schools.

(g) In no event shall this section be construed to require an appropriation that would cause the aggregate amount required to be appropriated from the General Fund for the 1996–97 fiscal year pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution to be exceeded.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 299, Sec. 14. Effective August 18, 1997.)