June 5, 2026
Number 16

School districts, county offices of education, and charter schools (LEAs) must annually provide parents and guardians with a written notice of their rights and responsibilities (Annual Notice).  The Annual Notice is required to be given at the start of the school year.  As we approach the end of the 2025-2026 school year, LEAs should be preparing to update their Annual Notice for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. 

The following is a summary of required Annual Notice updates, as well as some optional provisions.

Mandatory Annual Notice Provisions

1. Antisemitism - Uniform Complaints (Assembly Bill 715) 

In response to a widespread surge in antisemitic discrimination, harassment, and bullying in schools, the Legislature enacted Assembly Bill (AB) 715, which expands LEAs obligations regarding discriminatory instructional and professional development materials.  AB 715 amended Education Code section 244 to prohibit governing boards from approving the use of professional development materials, professional development services, and instructional materials and curricula, that would subject a student to unlawful discrimination, including antisemitism, under Education Code section 220, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race, and ethnicity, among other things. 

If a governing board knows, or reasonably should know, that discriminatory professional development materials or services have been used, or that instructional materials or curriculum have subjected students to unlawful discrimination, the governing board must investigate the matter and take appropriate corrective action under the Uniform Complaint Procedures, which may include restorative justice practices.  (Education Code section 244(b)(1) and (2).)  Uniform Complaint Procedures will need to be updated to address complaints alleging a governing board’s action or inaction in violation of AB 715.  AB 715 also amended Education Code section 48980, to require that annual parent notices inform parents and guardians of these protections and complaint rights.  (Education Code section 48980(o).)

Also, complainants may now appeal directly to the State Superintendent of Schools if the governing board fails to issue an investigation report within the required Uniform Complaint Procedures timelines.  (Education Code section 262.3(a)(2).)  Please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 43 for more information.

2. Immigration Status and Enforcement - Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025 (AB 495)

LEAs must now provide parents and guardians information regarding the right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs and the following information developed by the California Attorney General (AG)

(a) The “Immigration-Enforcement Actions at California Schools Guide for Students and Families,” also known as “Know Your Educational Rights,” available here in English and Spanish; and

(b) Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All: School Guidance and Model Policies, most recently updated in December 2025, including, but not limited to, information related to plans for family safety, the caregiver’s authorization affidavit in Section 6552 of the Family Code, and the importance of providing the school with, and regularly updating, emergency contact information, including secondary and additional contact information. This information must be revised as necessary to be consistent with any revisions or updates to the guidance issued by the AG.

The documents above may be provided via the Annual Notice or by any other cost-effective means determined by the LEA.  (Education Code section 234.7(e)(1)(A) and (B).)

Parental Annual Notice Provision:  The Annual Notice should include the following information, with links to the appropriate languages:

Immigration Enforcement – “Know Your Rights” 

All students have the right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs.  For more information, please see the resources developed by the California Attorney General at:

Know Your Educational Rights (English)

Know Your Educational Rights (Spanish)

Know Your Educational Rights (Chinese)

Know Your Educational Rights (Korean)

Know Your Educational Rights (Vietnamese)

Know Your Educational Rights (Tagalog)

School Guidance and Model Policies

The local educational agency will not release student information to third parties for immigration enforcement purposes, unless the parent/guardian consents or as required to do so by a valid judicial subpoena, judicial warrant, or court order. 

Posting Requirements – “Know Your Educational Rights”:  The AG’s “Know Your Educational Rights” guidance must also be posted in LEAs’ administrative buildings, on the school’s internet websites, and at each of its school sites.  It must be posted in every language that the AG provides and must be updated the school year following any updates published by the AG.  (Education Code section 234.7(e)(1)(C).)  Below are the links to “Know Your Educational Rights,” currently available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog:

Know Your Educational Rights (English)

Know Your Education Rights (Spanish)

Know Your Educational Rights (Chinese)

Know Your Educational Rights (Korean)

Know Your Educational Rights (Vietnamese)

Know Your Educational Rights (Tagalog)

Board Policy and Comprehensive School Safety Plan Updates – March 1, 2026 Deadline:  March 1, 2026, was the deadline for LEAs to update their board policies to align with the AG’s School Guidance and Model Policies published in December 2025.  LEAs must also be prepared to provide their updated policies to the California Department of Education upon request.  (Education Code section 234.7(h)(2) and (3) and (j).)  March 1, 2026, was also the deadline for comprehensive school safety plans to be updated to include procedures for notifying parents, guardians, teachers, administrators and school personnel of the presence of immigration enforcement on campus.  (Education Code section 32282(a)(2)(N).)  Please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 41 for more information. 

3. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Immunization (AB 144)

AB 144 amended Education Code section 48980.4 and Health and Safety Code section 120336, so that starting July 1, 2026, this mandatory annual notice provision must recommend that students follow the State Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) immunization guidelines, as opposed to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines, and that the provision include the CDPH’s recommended ages for the HPV vaccine and the scientific rationale for vaccination at those ages.  (Health and Safety Code section 120336.)  For more information, please see the CDPH Guidance:  HPV and HPV Vaccination:  What Every Parent Should Know.

4. Epinephrine Delivery Systems (Senate Bill 568)

Senate Bill (SB) 568 updated California law on the use of epinephrine in schools by changing the term “epinephrine auto-injectors” to “epinephrine delivery systems,” which includes nasal sprays.  (Education Code sections 49414 and 49423.)  SB 568 responds to federal regulatory approval of a nasal epinephrine spray and closes gaps in access for preschool students.  For more information, please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 54. 

Parental Annual Notice provisions should be revised so that references to “epinephrine auto-injectors” are replaced with “epinephrine delivery systems.”

5. Dental and Eye Exams / Release of Directory Information for Unhoused Students (Assembly Bill 677) 

LEAs are not permitted to share directory information pertaining to unhoused students unless a parent, or pupil accorded parental rights, has provided written consent.  AB 677 added an exception for sharing limited directory information with nonprofits providing free eye and dental exams.  The directory information of a student identified as a homeless child or youth may be disclosed, as authorized by LEA policy, to facilitate an eye examination by a nonprofit eye exam provider or a free oral health assessment hosted by schools, unless the parent or the student accorded parental rights provides written notice to the school that they do not consent to the exam.  (Education Code section 49073(c)(2).)  Please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 54 for more information.

If a problem is identified for a student as a result of one of these exams, the parent, guardian, or caregiver of an unhoused student must be notified by an alternative means of communication, rather than by regular mail, when possible.  (Education Code sections 49452.8(i)(2) and 49455.5(f).)

This mandatory parental annual notice provision should be revised to include this new exception for the release of directory information to facilitate eye examinations and oral health assessments for unhoused students.

6. Military Families / Continuity of Special Education for Transfer Students (AB 1412)

Effective January 1, 2026, AB 1412 clarifies that a parent’s official military orders for a transfer or pending transfer to a military installation in California satisfies residency requirements for all students with disabilities.

Moving forward, LEAs must promptly coordinate with a student’s parent or guardian and the prior school to facilitate the timely exchange of records and prevent delays in providing services for students with disabilities transferring into California from out-of-state schools.  As with in-state transfers previously, LEAs must now either immediately adopt the student’s previously existing Individual Education Program (IEP) or develop, adopt, and implement a new IEP within 30 days of arrival.  (Education Code sections 48204.3 and 56325(b).)

Additionally, LEAs no longer need to wait for official records to arrive; instead, they must take proactive steps to obtain the student’s IEP, supporting documentation, and other relevant records as quickly as possible from the prior school, and may now use unofficial records provided by a parent or guardian as the basis for the design and provision of services while awaiting the official records.  (Education Code section 56325(b)(3).)  Please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 49 for more information.

The mandatory parental annual notice provision related to residency for children of military service members should be updated accordingly.

Miscellaneous

7. Mahmoud v. Taylor – Parental Curriculum Opt-Out Rights

LEAs should consider reviewing and updating their board policies to ensure compliance with the parental curriculum notice and opt-out concepts outlined in Mahmoud v Taylor (2025) 606 U.S. 522, but the case does not necessarily impact the parental Annual Notice, which should already inform parents of their right to review instructional materials and to discuss curriculum.  Please see our 2025 Client News Brief Number 28 for more information about this case.

8. Student I.D. Cards and LGBTQ Suicide Hotline Contact Information (AB 727)  

Public schools serving grades 7-12 and public colleges that issue student ID cards are required to include specific contact information for “The Trevor Project’s LGBTQ+ suicide hotline” by July 1, 2026.  (Education Code section 215.5 (a)(4).)

This new requirement does not impact the parental annual notice but is in addition to the already existing requirement that California public schools include the 988 suicide hotline on student ID cards.  Please see 2025 Client News Brief Number 54 for more information. 

Lozano Smith regularly reviews and updates Annual Notices for school districts and county offices of education around the State.  If you would like our assistance in updating your Annual Notice, Uniform Complaint Procedures, or related policies and documents, or if you have any questions about any of the requirements discussed in this Client News Brief, please contact the authors of this Client News Brief or an attorney at one of our eight offices located statewide.  You can also subscribe to our podcast, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, or download our mobile app.