My Learning Source California › Homeschooling in California › California News
The latest California news on homeschooling, alternative schools and school choice, with a short summary of each story. Updated every week.
Christian Post · Wed, Nov 4, 2026
Two employees of the International School of Monterey, a publicly funded charter school in Seaside, California, have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling nearly $300,000 in school funds. Food services director Terry Bumper, 42, is accused of misusing at least $58,800, and he has pleaded not guilty. Chief financial officer Rosa Segura, 45, is separately accused of spending more than
KALW · Mon, Nov 2, 2026
An independent analysis by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) rates the risk of fiscal insolvency for Oakland Unified School District as "high," with a score of 47.7%, above the 40% threshold. The Oct. 29 report cites concerns about budgeting, deficit spending, leadership turnover and missed deadlines. In a press release, the district noted that 11 other districts, including San Francisco Unified, were also rated high risk. Superintendent Denise Saddler said her team is working to balance the budget. FCMAT will present the report to the Board of Education on Nov. 12, and the district will give an update on its stabilization plan on Dec. 9.
HSLDA
A new California law, the Safe Learning Environments Act, takes effect July 1, 2026, with provisions aimed at protecting students from sexual abuse and other misconduct in schools. Its major provisions apply to private schools, including those with homeschool students enrolled, sometimes called PSPs. Parents teaching their own children at home, often called PSA schools, are not covered by those parts. By July 1, 2026, PSPs must adopt written policies on professional boundaries and social media contact, and they must provide annual child abuse prevention training. Organizations that hire staff should also know that a statewide data system for tracking misconduct records is expected by July 1, 2027, and will be mandatory for private schools with employees. HSLDA encourages families to review the law to see what applies to their group.
Real Impact
Real Impact has published a roundup of 2026 California bills, labeling each as oppose, support or watching. Among those it opposes is AB 1631, which would require one year of kindergarten before first grade in public or charter schools. It would let parents choose public, private or homeschool kindergarten. AB 1763, also marked oppose, would excuse student absences for religious holidays or ceremonies in California public schools without parental written requests or school approval. AB 1644, marked watching, would require schools to ban smartphones for K-8 students throughout the school day starting July 1, 2027. Families can find the full list in the complete article.
Fox News (via WFMD) · Fri, Oct 30, 2026
A California father of five, John Woolard, says his family's public charter school program rejected homeschooling materials that mentioned God or faith, even though he says the books met state academic standards. He says the family has had to pay for those resources out of pocket, and that a teacher and principal acknowledged the religious content was the objection. Stephanie Taub, senior counsel with First Liberty Institute, calls the policy discriminatory toward families seeking a faith-based education. After an unfavorable lower-court decision, the family is seeking Supreme Court review, and Taub expects to learn whether the justices will take the case in the next few months. The California Department of Education said it cannot comment on pending litigation.
California Consortium for Independent Study · Sat, Oct 24, 2026
The Governor signed several bills this year affecting students. SB 1017 gives foster youth age 14 and older access to their school records, as homeless and unaccompanied youth already have. AB 1659 requires districts and charter schools receiving a juvenile court student to assign a staff point person to work with county education and probation offices. AB 2007 bars youth programs from conditioning enrollment on parental consent to use a child's image or information in marketing; parents may revoke consent by email during enrollment and for up to a year afterward. AB 1709 prohibits covered platforms from providing addictive features to users under 16.
CalMatters · Tue, Oct 6, 2026
Highlands Community and Technical Schools, a Sacramento-area charter school serving about 2,000 adults, has filed for bankruptcy in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California after negotiations over repaying a disputed debt broke down. The school remains open, and a hearing is set for Thursday. The state Department of Education is demanding 43 million, and Twin Rivers Unified, which holds the school's charter, says it is owed .4 million. Highlands disputes these charges, which stem from a 2025 state audit that raised concerns about attendance reporting, hiring and spending. The school says it has addressed 18 of the auditor's 19 recommendations and has appealed the remaining one. Its petition for a new charter, California Learning Academy, is still pending before the Sutter County Board of Education.
fpmca.org · Tue, Sep 29, 2026
The Private School Affidavit for the 2026-2027 school year is now available on the California Department of Education's website, with the regular filing period running October 1 to 15. The CDE opened early filing on August 1, but the article notes that the legal filing period itself has not changed and that the form appears essentially the same as last year. Families who have filed before are encouraged to file in October as usual, while brand-new homeschoolers may file now or wait until October 1. The article says no laws affecting private home education have changed, and that the affidavit does not require families to reveal their children's names. Step-by-step guidance is available from HSLDA or CHEA.
The Christian Post · Mon, Aug 24, 2026
Three California families have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their challenge to a policy that lets charter schools deny funding and academic credit for religious materials in independent study programs. Backed by First Liberty Institute, they say they were turned away from works by William Penn and Jonathan Edwards, and from a grammar sentence reading "God sends the rain to help plants grow." The Ninth Circuit ruled against them last September, and the schools have cited California's constitution and Education Code, which bar sectarian instruction in public schools. The Supreme Court could decide whether to take up the case as soon as this fall, with conferences resuming Sept. 28.
Governor of California (gov.ca.gov) · Fri, Aug 21, 2026
California has reached one million claimed CalKIDS accounts, a state-funded savings program that gives eligible children money for college or career training. Governor Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom marked the milestone and announced the California Golden Start Challenge with Invest America, which asks businesses and philanthropists to contribute to CalKIDS and federal 530A accounts. Eligible students can receive up to
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