Our team of attorneys monitor the Legislature, court decisions, and administrative agencies (e.g. CDE, Board of Education, State Controller’s Office, PERB, etc.) and issue frequent Legal Alerts on matters of legal importance to our clients. This page is updated frequently, so please visit us often.
The Time to Apply for Facilities Under Prop. 39 is Here!
Finding adequate facilities is one of the most challenging aspects of operating a charter school in California. Proposition 39 has been a successful tool for charter schools to secure public school facilities and/or begin a dialogue with the school district in which...
You Won’t Think the Fine Fits the Crime!
Duties for Filing Officers and Officials - Form 700 Filing Due April 3, 2023The Form 700 Statement of Economic Interest (“Form 700”) filing deadline of April 1, 2023, has been extended to Monday, April 3, 2023, due to April 1 falling on a weekend this year. Your...
Virtual Meetings Are Done; Long Live Teleconference/Videoconference Meetings
On February 28, 2023, Governor Newsom ended the COVID-19 State of Emergency. For charter school boards, this means that, as of March 1, 2023, boards can no longer utilize the relaxed virtual meeting rules, to which we’ve become accustomed over the past three years. ...
Federal Appeals Court Issues New Ruling Analyzing Rachel H. Factors When Considering Least Restrictive Environment
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has once again confirmed the importance of educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. This time the Court clarified the first factor of the Rachel H. test used to determine whether a more restrictive...
The U.S. Department of Education Releases Federal Charter Schools Program Application and Revised Rules and Regulations
The U.S. Department of Education recently published critical information related to various grant opportunities available to charter schools under the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (“CSP”), as follows:Dissemination Grant On July 22,...
Time to Revisit Your Employment Agreements? Significant Impact of United States Supreme Court Case on Employee Claims
Although many charter schools around California have already issued employment agreements for the 2022-2023 school year, a recent US Supreme Court case warrants reviewing these agreements as California employers now have a better opportunity to protect themselves from...
Court Has Stayed Order Requiring Mandatory Notices to Parents Regarding Virtual Instruction
You may have received information regarding a court order, in the case of E.E. v. State of California, issued by a federal court, which required Local Educational Agencies (“LEAs”) to send a notice to specified students regarding the provision of independent study or...
Alert! California Renews Employee Supplemental Sick Leave Program for COVID-19 Related Reasons, Including Retroactive Application and New Employer Rights to Request Proof of Employee COVID-19 Illness
With the second anniversary of the onset of the pandemic drawing near, COVID-19 continues to cause substantial disruptions to charter school operations. These disruptions continue even after the expiration of last year’s SB 95 Supplemental Sick Leave Program, which...
Is Your Charter School in Compliance with The Top Six New 2022 Employment Laws?
It’s that time of year again as the Golden State begins implementing the spate of new rules and procedures signed into law by Governor Newsom for 2022. This year, the following new laws stand out among the rest as particularly impactful for charter schools. How...
AB 27 and SB 400 Add New Requirements For Identifying and Serving Homeless Youth
All charter schools are responsible for identifying and serving homeless children and youth under the McKinney Vento Act and related state law. The Governor signed AB 27 and SB 400 on September 29, 2021, as urgency legislation and is effective immediately, creating...
