As students and families enter the new year, there will be many new laws already in place or coming soon in the following school year that one will need to take notice of.
From menstruation products available for students at the elementary level to expanded mental health protection, there will be many new healthcare options accessible for students this year. There will also be an increase in transitional kindergarten programs where children as young as 3 years old will enroll in elementary school programs. Also, ethnic study will become a required course and there will be a change in the relationship between students and their homework.
Health
Students will have more control this year on the health products and services they would like to use.
As part of the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021, it is required for grades 6 to 12 to provide free menstrual products in school restrooms. In this school year, menstrual products must be available for students in grades 3 to 5 who may have gotten their period early.
There is also a new bill that allows students who are ages 12 and older to have consent over their mental health treatment. Before this bill, decisions about a minor’s mental health would fall onto one’s parents or guardians. This bill allows students to communicate how much their guardians know about their treatments and to break the stigma of mental health challenges in families.
Curriculum
This year will open free academic experiences for students at a younger age and provide new approaches to learning.
In the 2025-26 school year, TK programs will take form for students whose fourth birthday falls between June 2 and Sept 2. These courses will have a better-balanced adult-to-student ratio, enabling students to enter kindergarten more prepared and less likely to be held back in school. TK helps improve students’ with their cognitive and motor skills before learning literacy and math skills.
The debate about whether ethnic studies is a necessary course requirement was finally settled in favor by the state legislature last year and will begin its first year in California schools next year. It will be a high school graduation requirement in the 2029-2030 school year to take a one-semester course.
The course is designed to have teachers present a variety of subjects and themes of communities from various backgrounds and analyze American history from diverse perspectives.
In the next school year, the Healthy Homework Act will enact a homework policy that will be updated every five years that will be posted on schools’ websites. This bill aims to help improve the quality of students’ homework over the quantity and help them become more engaged with their assignments. According to a Stanford University study, homework is the cause of 56% of a student’s primary stress that impacts physical health.
