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.
Mandatory New Charter Petition Requirement: School Safety Plans (AB 1747)
While being prepared for an emergency has always been an important part of keeping students safe, nothing in the Charter Schools Act specifically addressed emergency preparedness. That changed with the passage of AB 1747, which amended Sections 47605 and 47605.6 of the Education Code to…
New Law Requires Charter Schools to Notify Students and Parents or Guardians at Least Twice Per Year on How to Access Available Student Mental Health Services
On September 18, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2022 into law, which took effect January 1, 2019 and adds Section 49428 to the Education Code. Developed in response to unmet mental health needs and school safety following the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…
California Attorney General Declares Charter Schools Subject to Multiple Transparency Laws
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra published a long-awaited opinion on December 26, 2018, declaring California charter schools are subject to the Public Records Act, Brown Act, Government Code Section 1090, and the Political Reform Act. The opinion also states that books and records of California charter schools authorized by a school district or county board of education are subject to review and inspection by a grand jury.
New Law Requires Charter Schools to Provide at Least One Meal Daily to Free or Reduced Priced Meal Eligible Students Beginning in the 2019-2020 School Year
On September 18, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1871 into law which adds Section 47613.5 to the Charter Schools Act. At the commencement of the 2019-2020 school year, this law requires charter schools, with some exceptions described below, to provide at least...
New Law Applies the California Healthy Youth Act to Charter Schools Beginning in the 2019-2020 School Year
On September 18, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB-2601 into law applying the California Healthy Youth Act (“CHYA”) to charter schools at the commencement of the 2019-2020 school year. The CHYA, found in Education Code Section 51930, requires California charter...
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 in securing public school facilities and/or beginning a dialogue with the school district in...
Alert to Unionized Charter Schools: New Landmark Supreme Court Case, California Laws Require Immediate Attention Prior to Interactions with Labor Unions and Employees
The Supreme Court of the United States released its long-awaited decision in Janus v. AFSCME on June 27, 2018, holding compulsory “fair share” agency fees that are paid to a union are an unconstitutional infringement of public employees’ freedom of speech since such...