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AB 126 Expands Charter School Authorizer Oversight and Audit Responsibilities

Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 126, the 2026 Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, on July 9, 2026.  Among other provisions, AB 126 makes substantial changes impacting charter school authorizers, including changes affecting audit procedures, authorizer oversight, and fiscal monitoring.

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New Paid Pregnancy Disability Leave for Public School and Community College District Employees

Starting January 1, 2027, employees of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, educational joint powers authorities, and community college districts (CCD) will have access to fully paid pregnancy disability leave for up to 14 weeks in addition to existing leaves for related purposes.

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Changes to California Independent Study Documentation and Staffing Requirements Effective Immediately

The 2026 Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill, also known as Assembly Bill (AB) 126, includes revisions to California’s independent study statutes, effective July 9, 2026.  These changes include new pupil work product documentation requirements and revised options for calculating student-to-teacher staffing ratios for school districts, county offices of education (COEs), and charter sc

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Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: CDE Publishes Model Policy for School Districts

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in classroom tools, the California Department of Education (CDE) has released new guidance and a comprehensive Model AI Policy developed pursuant to Senate Bill 1288 (Becker, 2024).

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California Environmental Quality Act – Recent Developments

For many years, various interest groups and governmental agencies have discussed the possibility of reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  While CEQA serves an important role in public disclosure, informed decision making, and consideration of the environmental effects of a project, it has also been used to delay or block important public and private projects, sometimes d

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Supreme Court Holds that States May Ban Transgender Females from Participating in Women’s and Girls’ Sports

On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a consolidated opinion in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, holding by a 6-3 majority that states may limit women’s and girls’ sports teams to biological females under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitut

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Court Rules CPRA’s ‘Promptly Available’ Standard is Flexible, Not Fixed

In Voice of San Diego v. San Diego Unified School District (2026) 120 Cal.App.5th 923, as modified (May 27, 2026) , California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal held the California Public Records Act (CPRA) does not impose a fixed deadline such as “days or a few weeks” for agencies to produce requested records.

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Follow up on SB 707: Local Educational Agencies Are Not Subject to Certain New Brown Act Meeting Requirements

While Senate Bill (SB) 707 introduced significant changes to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act), as discussed in our 2025 Client News Brief Number 59, not all changes applied equally to all public agencies.

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Annual Notice of Parental Rights and Responsibilities Requirements, Recommendations, and Reminders for 2026

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).

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