School infrastructure: network infrastructure.

Existing law authorizes the California School Financing Authority to issue revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $400 million to be repaid from a dedicated portions of funds allocated to school districts from the California State Lottery Education Fund for the purposes of establishing computer-based networks and telecommunications systems for instructional purposes, including the procurement and installation of computer hardware and software, multimedia audio, video, and data transfer equipment, and wiring, cabling, and other equipment necessary to establish network connectivity, and any planning and installation costs associated with establishing and installing the networks. This bill would require the State Department of Education to establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for the construction of network infrastructure, as defined, for local educational agencies to administer computer-based assessments for pupils. The bill would require the department to develop guidelines for the implementation of the program. The bill would, for the 2014–15 fiscal year, appropriate $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the grant program.