Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Welcome Back to School!

As we welcome students back for the 2026–27 school year, I want to thank you for your extraordinary leadership and commitment to California’s children. Across our state, educators, administrators, and school staff continue to create learning environments where every student can thrive.

This year begins with tremendous momentum. The 2026–27 State Budget delivers historic investments in public education while new laws strengthen student safety, well-being, and educational success. Together, these developments provide important opportunities for local educational agencies (LEAs) to advance student achievement and support the whole child.

Below are key updates for LEAs as we start the new school year.

New Law Information and Resources

Senate Bill 848: Strengthening Child Abuse Prevention and Employee Screening

Beginning this school year, LEAs must implement expanded safeguards designed to prevent child abuse and educator misconduct, which include adopting and publicly posting safe environment and abuse prevention policies and resources.

Key requirements include:

• Enhanced background and hiring review processes for prospective employees
• Training for educators, administrators, and students on recognizing signs of grooming and abuse
• Policies governing employee interactions with students, volunteers, contractors, and colleagues
• Restrictions on inappropriate electronic and social media communications
• Expanded mandated reporter requirements for school personnel and certain volunteers

LEAs should review local policies, training programs, and onboarding procedures to ensure compliance and reinforce student safety.

Resource: California Department of Education (CDE) Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking Prevention web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/vp/sb848.asp.

Assembly Bill 3216: Cell Phone Policies for Every School

The Phone-Free Schools Act requires every school district, county office of education, and charter school to have a policy limiting student cell phone use during the school day.

The goals are to:

• Reduce classroom distractions
• Support student mental health and well-being
• Minimize cyberbullying and social media-related disruptions
• Increase student engagement with learning and peers

LEAs should clearly communicate board-approved policies to students, families, and staff and ensure consistent implementation across campuses.

Resource: Governor Gavin Newsom’s press release at https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/23/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-to-limit-the-use-of-smartphones-during-school-hours/.

Senate Bill 760: All-Gender Restroom Access

As of July 1, schools are required to provide at least one gender-neutral restroom on campus, except in limited situations where a campus has only one student restroom designated for boys and one for girls. Signage must clearly identify the restroom as open to all genders, and the facility must remain unlocked during school hours.

LEAs should review facilities and signage to confirm compliance and clearly communicate restroom access to school communities.

Resource: CDE All-Access Restrooms web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/allaccessrestroom.asp.

Assembly Bill 727: Suicide Prevention Resources for LGBTQ+ Students on Student Identification Cards

Student identification cards issued by California public secondary schools must now include contact information for The Trevor Project, a crisis and suicide prevention resource for LGBTQ+ youth.

This requirement increases awareness of crisis and mental health resources available to students. LEAs should work with appropriate vendors to ensure that newly issued identification cards meet statutory requirements.

Resource: CDE Supporting LGBTQ+ Students web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/supportlgbtq.asp.

Supporting Student Health and Nutrition

I encourage LEAs to continue prioritizing student health and wellness through high-quality school nutrition programs. The CDE’s Nutrition Services Division offers a wide range of free professional learning opportunities through the CDE Child Nutrition Programs Learning Library web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/ed/cnpcoursecatalog.asp. These learning opportunities include administrative review preparation, program compliance training, and on-demand resources designed to strengthen local operations and promote continuous improvement.

In addition, school nutrition leaders should be aware of recent federal updates to nutrition standards, including expanded milk options in school meal programs and new Dietary Guidelines for Americans that emphasize nutrient-dense foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and reduced consumption of highly processed foods and added sugars.

California will continue advancing healthier school meals through new restrictions on certain food additives and the phased reduction of ultra-processed foods in school meal programs. The CDE will provide guidance, training, and technical assistance to support implementation.

Literacy Resources and Professional Learning

California’s Statewide Literacy Office will offer a series of webinars, regional literacy institutes, guidance documents, and implementation resources, including new Literacy Roadmap materials for grades six through twelve and support for reading difficulties screening, throughout the 2026–27 school year. Please visit the CDE California Literacy web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cl/ for more information and to register.

Looking Ahead

The CDE remains committed to partnering with LEAs to successfully implement these new investments and requirements. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to California’s students and families. Together, we will continue building schools where every student can thrive.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction