(a) A school district participating in the pilot project is exempt from the program requirements and regulations for those categorical education programs listed in Section 63050. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district participating in the pilot project shall receive the same amount of funds for the categorical programs constituting the three clusters described in Section 63050 while participating in the pilot project as the school district received for those programs in the year prior to participation in the pilot project, plus growth and cost-of-living adjustments if approved in the annual Budget Act. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to allow program expansion for any of the categorical programs contained in the clusters specified in Section 63050 that are also included in subdivision (b) of Section 63051. All funding for those programs is suspended for the duration of the district`s pilot program participation. (c) A school district participating in the pilot project shall not be entitled to receive, and may not receive, funding in replacement of categorical funds that have been redirected or otherwise reduced pursuant to this chapter. This subdivision may not be construed to prevent a school district from receiving funds that the district is otherwise eligible to receive for cost-of-living adjustments, or growth adjustments that are allocated in accordance with this code, unless otherwise provided for in the annual budget process.
