School facilities bond measure gains steam; boards can show support with resolution

With less than two months until the March 3 primary election, new polling shows that 53 percent of likely voters support a critical state bond measure that would provide $15 billion for facilities at California’s preschools, K-12 schools, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. […]

$75 million in grants available for student mental health services

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission is now accepting applications for California’s new competitive grant program to help local educational agencies and county behavioral health departments establish or strengthen partnerships that will increase students’ access to mental health services. According to the request […]

Deadline fast approaches for mandated policy on bullying prevention

Recognizing that bullying and fear disrupt student learning, California state law requires districts, county offices of education and charter schools to adopt procedures for preventing acts of bullying, including cyberbullying, by Dec. 31, 2019. Additionally, state law mandates that boards adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination, […]

Convening highlights keys to supporting immigrant and refugee students

One in six California K-12 students has at least one undocumented parent and approximately 250,000 of the state’s students ages 3–17 are undocumented. Recognizing the increasingly difficult climate facing these students, Californians Together presented the Statewide Convening for the Support of Immigrant and Refugee Students […]

Most teens say vaping permeates their everyday life, in-person or online

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declaring that youth use of e-cigarettes has hit “epidemic proportions” and school districts — including the nation’s second largest — recently filing lawsuits against device manufacturers, a new nationwide poll further illustrates the issue’s prevalence. Nearly eight in […]

Audit finds state, LEAs not doing enough to identify and support students experiencing homelessness

A new report from the State Auditor finds local educational agencies are not doing enough to identify youths experiencing homelessness, in turn limiting the opportunities to support these students. The report cites that many of these shortcomings stem from the California Department of Education’s inadequate […]

CSBA testifies before federal advisory committee on impact of immigration enforcement on California’s children

On Oct. 16, 2019, the California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights hosted a public meeting to hear testimony regarding the impact of federal immigration enforcement on California’s children. The committee was tasked with examining the impact of Immigration & Customs Enforcement […]

Resources can guide leaders through difficult decisions during wildfire season

A challenging combination of raging wildfires, poor air quality and planned power outages meant to prevent further fires has already led to myriad school closures up and down the Golden State this fall — with significant time left in the state’s wildfire season. California’s dynamic […]