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HomeEducation CodeCh. 3Art. 6§ 17371 School Board Liability Limits

§ 17371 School Board Liability Limits

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 17371 School Board Liability Limits

Key Takeaways

  • •School board members won't be personally blamed if a school building isn't built to code, as long as they follow the rules in this law.
  • •Engineers or architects hired by the school won't be personally blamed if a building fails, as long as they did their job carefully and followed the rules.
  • •This protection starts when the school board begins to follow the specific steps required by Section 17367.

Example

A school building collapses during an earthquake because it wasn't built to the latest safety codes.

If the school board had already started following the rules in Section 17367 to check and fix the building, they won't be personally responsible for the damage. The engineer who checked the building also won't be in trouble if they did their job carefully and followed the rules.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 17371 School Board Liability Limits

No member of the governing board of a school district shall be held personally liable for injury to persons or damage to property resulting from the fact that a school building was not constructed under the requirements of Article 3 (commencing with Section 17280) of this chapter, if such governing board complies with the provisions of this article. Such limit on liability shall commence when such governing board initiates action to comply with the provisions of Section 17367. A licensed structural engineer or licensed architect employed by a governing board to examine any school building under this article shall not be held personally liable for injury to persons or damage to property as a result of the structural inadequacy and failure of a building, provided he or she has exercised normal professional diligence in carrying out his or her functions under Article 3 (commencing with Section 39140) of this chapter and the provisions of this article. (Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

governing boardpersonally liablenormal professional diligenceArticle 3Section 17367

Related Statutes

  • § 17366 School Facility Repair Plans
  • § 17370 School Board Liability Limits
  • § 17374 School Building Repair Funds
  • § 17267 School Building Plan Filing
  • § 17268 School Building Construction Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 17371.
View Official Source