Elementary and secondary education: omnibus

The law expands financial and attendance scrutiny of schools, especially charter and independent-study programs, and improves statewide tracking of whether teachers are properly credentialed. It also delays transitional kindergarten multilingual-learner screening implementation while preserving funding for the rollout.

What the law does ​

• Requires the State Controller’s 2027–28 K–12 audit guide to add detailed enrollment, payment, related-party, staffing, independent-study, charter-school, and high-school enrollment-review procedures.
• Requires chartering authorities to give charter governing boards written notice by July 1 each year of material concerns identified during the prior 12 months.
• Requires teacher-preparation programs to report credential-candidate enrollment, annual status, and completion data to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and requires annual reporting and monitoring of covered teacher assignments beginning July 1, 2027.
• Delays voluntary transitional kindergarten multilingual-learner screening field tests to 2027–28 and required screening to 2028–29, while extending $10 million in screening funds through June 30, 2029.
• Allows military families to use an off-base hotel and other temporary housing addresses for school enrollment and registration.
• Adds a score of level 3 on the high school California Spanish Assessment as a route to the State Seal of Biliteracy beginning in 2024–25.
• Exempts qualifying family daycare homes and license-exempt providers from certain contractor business-license and insurance requirements, and permits contractor fees where authorized for specified child care and expanded-learning programs.

Who it affects ​

• School districts, county offices of education, charter schools, chartering authorities, and their auditors.
• Teachers, credential candidates, teacher-preparation programs, and local education agency administrators.
• Transitional kindergarten pupils with a primary language other than English and their families.
• Military families moving to California installations, high school students seeking the State Seal of Biliteracy, and education contractors.

Breakdown ​

Charter School Oversight Notices ​

The bill changes when chartering authorities must notify charter schools about serious concerns found through oversight. Instead of notifying a school within 60 days after completing audit oversight duties, the authority must provide written, timely notice by July 1 each year for material concerns identified during the prior 12 months.

Key takeaways

• Chartering authorities must report material concerns from their oversight and monitoring of charter schools in writing.
• The annual notification deadline is July 1.
• The notice must cover material concerns that arose during the previous 12 months.
• The bill replaces the prior 60-day notice timeline tied to completion of audit oversight responsibilities.
• Because it adds duties for chartering authorities, the bill creates a state-mandated local program.

Teacher Credential Checks and Reporting ​

The bill changes when teacher credential candidates must show clearance information and adds reporting duties for credential preparation programs. It also requires local educational agencies to annually report certain teachers to the state and removes educational joint powers authorities from the definition used for these rules.

Key takeaways

• Before entering an approved preparation program for specified teaching credentials, a candidate must show either a valid Commission on Teacher Credentialing permit or credential, or proof that they applied for a certificate of clearance.
• Candidates who have only applied for a certificate of clearance must receive it before beginning student teaching, clinical practice, or a field experience program.
• Approved preparation programs must send candidate profile information to the commission within 30 days after a candidate starts, update that information each year, and report program completion within 30 days after all credential requirements are met.
• Local educational agencies must annually report to the Department of Education teachers who are subject to the credential and monitoring requirements for courses that provide credit or count toward instructional minutes.
• Educational joint powers authorities are no longer included as local educational agencies for these reporting and credential-monitoring provisions.
• The added duties for local educational agencies create a state-mandated program.

Transitional Kindergarten Language Screening Delay ​

This part delays by one year the rollout of language screening for transitional kindergarten students whose home language is not English. It moves the voluntary field testing of screening tools to 2027–28, requires screening to begin in 2028–29, and extends the deadline to use related state funds through June 30, 2029.

Key takeaways

• The bill moves voluntary field testing of multilingual learner screening tools from the 2026–27 school year to the 2027–28 school year.
• The bill delays the requirement for local educational agencies to screen eligible transitional kindergarten students from 2027–28 to 2028–29.
• The screening applies to transitional kindergarten students whose home language survey identifies a primary language other than English.
• The bill extends the deadline to spend or commit the $10 million appropriation for screening tools, training materials, and field tests from June 30, 2028, to June 30, 2029.
• Extending the availability of the existing appropriation makes an appropriation under the bill.

Military Families’ School Enrollment Addresses ​

The bill lets military parents use additional temporary addresses, including off-base hotels, when applying for, enrolling in, or registering a child for school. This expands the address options already available to families moving under military orders and adds related duties for school districts.

Key takeaways

• Military parents may use an off-base hotel address for school applications, enrollment, and registration.
• The bill expands the existing list of authorized addresses for families relocating under military orders.
• School districts must recognize the newly authorized address options when handling school enrollment matters.
• Because the change creates additional duties for school districts, it establishes a state-mandated local program.

Spanish Assessment and Biliteracy Seal ​

Beginning in the 2024–25 school year, students may use a level 3 score on the high school California Spanish Assessment to show Spanish proficiency for the State Seal of Biliteracy. This adds another way for graduating students to qualify for the seal.

Key takeaways

• A level 3 score on the high school California Spanish Assessment will count as proof of proficiency in a language other than English.
• The new option applies beginning with the 2024–25 school year.
• Students can use this assessment result to meet the non-English language proficiency requirement for the State Seal of Biliteracy.
• The change adds to existing qualifying options, such as certain Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and language proficiency test scores.

Contractor Rules for Child Care Providers ​

This part exempts family daycare homes and certain license-exempt providers from the requirement that local educational agencies contract only with providers that have a business license or business certificate, when applicable, and appropriate insurance. It also allows contractors to charge fees when specified programs authorize those fees, rather than imposing an absolute ban on fees charged to students or their families.

Key takeaways

• Family daycare homes and certain license-exempt providers do not have to meet the policy requirement concerning business licensing or certification and appropriate insurance.
• The exemption applies to the contractor-review policies that school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, and educational joint powers authorities must adopt.
• Contractors generally remain prohibited from charging fees to students or their parents or legal guardians.
• Fees may be charged if they are authorized under specified programs.