Assemblyman Vince Fong’s legislation increases education opportunities for students

Assemblyman Vince Fong’s legislation increases education opportunities for students 

SACRAMENTO – To create more educational opportunities for students, Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Central Valley) introduced Assembly Bill 2019. Fong’s legislation expands dual enrollment programs for middle and high school students. The bill passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee with bipartisan support.

“Higher education provides economic and financial mobility, especially for disadvantaged students, and many schools have stepped up by partnering together to expand dual enrollment,” said Assemblyman Fong. “Dual enrollment programs are tried and true ways to open more doors to California students.”

“Students and administrators in the Central Valley and the Indian Wells Valley are often faced with issues of funding, scheduling, and the sheer distance between school sites, so AB 2019 helps remedy these problems so students can take full advantage of educational opportunities,” Fong added.

“The Kern County Superintendent of Schools is grateful for Asm. Vince Fong’s support and advocacy for AB 2019, which would provide a pivotal step in reducing barriers to Dual Enrollment programs for high school students in Kern County and across the state,” said Kern County Superintendent of Schools Dr. John G. Mendiburu. “Specifically, this bill would improve access to Dual Enrollment courses for students who have been historically underrepresented in college level course matriculation. We look forward to working with Asm. Fong and the Legislature to ensure this bill becomes a law”.

“It was an honor to represent our district and the dual enrollment community in our state in support of AB 2019. This bill is critical for us to be able to develop a viable Middle College Program with Cerro Coso College, and it was inspiring to see the tremendous support of Assemblymember Vince Fong and the members of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education on behalf of our students,” added Sierra Sands Unified School District Superintendent Dr. April Moore.

Assembly Bill 2019 expands the definition of early and middle college high schools to include early and middle college programs to allow those programs to have reduced instructional minute requirements, like their counterparts.

The bill is sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and is supported by Sierra Sands Unified School District, Cerro Coso Community College, California County Superintendents, California High School Districts Coalition, and other education stakeholders.

AB 2019 will be heard next in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday, April 10.