Article 6.5 - Training

California Education Code — §§ 35220-35223

Sections (5)

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 618, Sec. 1. (AB 640) Effective January 1, 2026.

For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(a)“Entity managing a charter school” means a nonprofit public benefit corporation operating a charter school consistent with Section 47604.

(b)“K–12 public education school finance laws” includes both of the following:

(1)Laws related to the creation and approval of a local educational agency budget to support pupil learning and achievement, including, but not limited to, Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 42100) of Part 24.

(2)Laws related to fiscal penalties for noncompliance, including, but not limited to, those in Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 42238) of Part 24, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 46100) of Part 26 of Division 4, including Sections 46207 and 46208, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 47600) of Part 26.8 of Division 4, Sections 45037, 47612.5, 51745.6, 51749.5, and 60150, and Section 11960 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c)“Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(d)(1) “Local educational agency official” means either of the following:

(A) Any regular member of the governing board of a school district or of a county board of education.

(B) Any regular member of the governing body of a charter school or of an entity managing a charter school.

(2)For purposes of paragraph (1), “regular member” has the same meaning as in Section 1000, 35012, or 47604.2 that is applicable to a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

§ 35220.5

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 618, Sec. 1. (AB 640) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)(1) The County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team established pursuant to Section 42127.8 shall, in consultation with the department, develop, on or before October 1, 2026, a curriculum for the topics described in subdivision (b) of Section 35220 that shall be used to satisfy the requirement of subdivision (a) of Section 35221. The curriculum shall be posted on the internet websites of the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team and the department.

(2)In developing the curriculum pursuant to paragraph (1),

the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team shall solicit input from experts in the topics described in subdivision (b) of Section 35220 and the public.

(b)The curriculum developed pursuant to

subdivision (a) shall be updated periodically to reflect statutory changes to the laws described in subdivision (b) of Section 35220.

§ 35221

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 618, Sec. 1. (AB 640) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)Each local educational agency official shall receive training in K–12 public education school finance laws pursuant to this article.

(b)An entity offering training courses to meet the requirements of this article shall use the curriculum

developed pursuant to Section 35220.5.

(c)(1) In order to meet the requirement of subdivision (a), a local educational agency or a consortium of local educational agencies shall only use the following methods:

(A) Offer training courses using local educational agency employees or contracted legal counsel with demonstrable experience in the applicable topic described in subdivision (b) of Section 35220 for which it will provide training.

(B) (i) Arrange for its

local educational agency officials to receive training courses through an entity that meets all of the following requirements:

(I) One of the entity’s primary functions is supporting local educational agencies with technical assistance and expertise in the applicable topic described in subdivision (b) of Section 35220 for which it will provide training.

(II) The entity has demonstrable experience supporting local educational agencies with technical assistance and expertise.

(III) The entity has trainers that each possess demonstrable experience

in the applicable topic described in

subdivision (b) of Section 35220 for which it will provide training.

(ii) (I) Local educational agency officials of school districts and county offices of education shall only receive training from an entity described in clause (i) with demonstrable experience supporting school districts and county offices of education with technical assistance and expertise, or as provided by subparagraph (A) (C), or (D).

(II) Local educational agency officials of charter schools or an entity managing charter schools shall only receive training from an entity with demonstrable

experience supporting charter schools with technical assistance and expertise, or as provided by subparagraph (A) (C), or (D).

(C) Arrange for its local educational agency officials to receive training courses through the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team established pursuant to Section 42127.8. The County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team may charge a fee to local educational agencies for providing the training.

(D) Arrange for its local educational agency officials to receive training courses through a nonprofit statewide education association led by officials who govern school districts and county offices of education.

(E) Offer their own, or arrange through a different entity that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B)

(C), or (D), sets of self-study materials with tests.

(2)Courses offered or arranged pursuant to subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1), as applicable, may be taken at home, in person, or online.

(d)A local educational agency official that has successfully completed the California School Boards Association’s Masters in Governance program and provides their local educational agency with proof of their participation and completion of the program, to comply with Section 35222, shall be exempt from the requirement of subdivision (a).

(e)A training course covering the topics described in

subdivision (b) of Section 35220 shall be no longer than four hours.

(f)A provider of a training course that meets the requirements of this article shall provide participants with proof of participation to comply with Section 35222.

(g)A local educational agency shall provide information to its officials at least annually on training available to meet the

requirements of this article.

§ 35222

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 618, Sec. 1. (AB 640) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)A local educational agency shall maintain records showing both of the following:

(1)The dates on which each local educational agency official satisfied the requirements of this article.

(2)The entity that provided the training to the local educational agency official.

(b)Notwithstanding any other law, a local educational agency shall maintain the records required by this section for at least five years after a local educational agency official receives the training. These records are public records subject to disclosure under the California

Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).

§ 35223

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 618, Sec. 1. (AB 640) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)Each local educational agency official in local educational agency service as of April 1, 2027, except for officials whose term of office ends before April 1, 2028, shall receive the training required by subdivision (a) of Section 35221 before April 1, 2028.

(b)Each local educational agency official who commences

their initial service, or who commences a subsequent nonconsecutive term, with a local educational agency on or after April 1, 2027, shall receive the training required by subdivision (a) of Section 35221 no later than one year from the first day of their initial service, or of their subsequent nonconsecutive term, as applicable, with the local educational agency. Each local educational agency official described in this subdivision is encouraged to begin the training required by subdivision (a) of Section 35221 before the first meeting of the governing board or body that occurs after the election or appointment of the official.

(c)For purposes of this article, a local educational agency official who received training pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) during their initial term, and who then serves one or more consecutive

terms, shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of this article.