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Committee approves bill to require training and parity for contracted classified school employees
Summary
AB 1247 would require contracted classified school employees to meet the same training and job qualifications as direct hires and address pension contributions; the committee approved the bill 5–2 after discussion of training, fingerprinting, and operational burdens in rural districts.
Assemblymember Garcia introduced AB 1247 seeking to limit risks associated with contracting out classified school positions by requiring that contracted workers meet the same qualifications and receive the same required trainings as directly hired classified school employees. Sponsors said the bill seeks to protect students and ensure training parity for duties ranging from mandated‑reporter training to CPR.
Supporters included the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA). CFT’s Mitch Steiger described local examples where the majority of employees in a before‑ and after‑school program were contracted, with direct‑hire staff reporting that contracted workers often lacked mandated training and sometimes declined essential duties such as diaper changes. Navneet Perrier of CSEA said contracted staff often do not live in the community and may not receive required training or participate in retirement systems such as CalPERS.
Opposition came from county superintendents and school business officials who argued the bill could impose burdensome, costly training requirements and reduce districts’ ability to respond to urgent or temporary staffing needs. Brianna Brenz (California County Superintendents) warned that mandating in‑person training with real‑time Q&A would remove the flexibility many districts use to train thousands of employees efficiently. Jeff Baca (Riverside County Office of Education) and others said many districts have reduced contracting and bring staff in‑house when possible but need limited contracting for urgent or specialized services.
Committee action: The committee voted to pass AB 1247 and referred it to the Committee on Higher Education. The recorded vote was 5 ayes (McKinner, Berner, Elawari, Garcia, Win) and 2 noes (Lackey, Alanis).
Implementation and open questions: Supporters said they were willing to negotiate contribution and operational language; opponents asked clarifying language on which trainings must be in person and how mandated‑reporter and fingerprinting protocols would apply. The author said the bill does not prohibit contracting out but requires parity in standards and training.
