Legal update: Recent developments regarding school districts and parcel taxes

By Bode Owoyele, CSBA Associate General Counsel Parcel taxes have long been an essential part of school financing in California. Under the state Constitution, a school district may impose a special tax when a ballot measure proposing the tax is supported by two-thirds of qualified […]

Legal: Board members now subject to “pay-to-play” campaign contribution restrictions (UPDATED)

Update: On Nov. 17, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) discussed the application of amendments to Government Code Section 84308 more fully described in the blog below. The FPPC’s staff attorneys had proposed the commission issue an opinion advising that Government Code Section 84308, as […]

Law allowing remote teleconferenced meetings through 2026 signed by Governor

On Sept. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2449 (Rubio, D-Baldwin Park), which provides additional options for compliant teleconferencing under the Brown Act beyond those provided in current law. AB 2449 provides a teleconferencing option that will be in effect from Jan. 1, 2023, […]

Appeals court issues preliminary injunction in FCA v. San Jose Unified School District

On Aug. 29, a three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction and ruled in a 2-1 decision that San Jose Unified School District must reinstate the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as an Associated Student Body-recognized club at Pioneer […]

Brown Act amendment allows for removal of “disruptive” individuals

On Aug. 22, 2022, Senate Bill 1100, an amendment to the Brown Act, was signed into law giving presiding members of school district boards, county boards of education and other legislative bodies the statutory right to remove a disruptive individual from public meetings. Although federal […]

California Supreme Court holds that Unruh Civil Rights Act does not apply to public school districts

On Aug. 4, in the case of Brennon B. v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court held that  public school districts are not “business establishments” under the Unruh Civil Rights Act and, thus, the Act does not apply to them. CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance filed […]