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HomeEducation CodeDiv. 4Pt. 27Ch. 6Art. 4§ 48985 Parental Notices In Primary Language

§ 48985 Parental Notices In Primary Language

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

§ 48985 Parental Notices In Primary Language

Key Takeaways

  • •If 15% or more kids in a school speak the same non-English language at home, the school must send important papers in that language too, not just English.
  • •Parents can reply to these papers in either English or their home language.
  • •The school must check every year which languages need translations and make sure parents get the right papers.
  • •The state tells schools by August 1 each year which languages they need to translate into.

Example

A school has 100 kids, and 20 of them speak Spanish at home.

Since 20 out of 100 kids (20%) speak Spanish, the school must send important papers in Spanish and English. If a parent gets a report card, it will be in both languages, and they can reply in either language.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 48985 Parental Notices In Primary Language

(a) If 15 percent or more of the pupils enrolled in a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, speak a single primary language other than English, as determined from the census data submitted to the department pursuant to Section 52164 in the preceding year, all notices, reports, statements, or records sent to the parent or guardian of any such pupil by the public school or school district shall, in addition to being written in English, be written in the primary language, and may be responded to either in English or the primary language. (b) Pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 64001, the department shall monitor adherence to the requirements of subdivision (a) as part of its regular monitoring and review of public schools and school districts and shall determine the types of documents and languages a public school or school district translates to a primary language other than English, the availability of these documents to parents or guardians who speak a primary language other than English, and the gaps in translations of these documents. (c) Based on census data submitted to the department pursuant to Section 52164 in the preceding fiscal year, the department shall notify a school district, by August 1 of each year, of the schools within the school district, and the primary language other than English, for which the translation of documents is required pursuant to subdivision (a). The department shall make that notification using electronic methods. (d) The department shall use existing resources to comply with subdivisions (b) and (c). (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 51, Sec. 35. (SB 75) Effective July 1, 2019.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

educationschoolportstudentthe california departmenteffective julyinstructionaddition

Related Statutes

  • § 47646 Charter School Special Education
  • § 47647 Charter School Disability Enrollment
  • § 92630 Alumni Data Sharing Rules
  • § 52182 Bilingual Teacher Training Standards
  • § 54682 Dream Resource Center Grants

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 48985.
View Official Source