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
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).
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
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
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.
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.
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).
In J.R. v. Ventura Unified School District (9th Cir. 2026) 173 F.4th 1039, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a lawsuit brought by parents against a school district under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was untimely as to educational services their child received before 2019, clarifying the statute of limitations period and related tolling doctrine, and re
Schools cannot be sued for emotional distress under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but they may still face financial liability.