California Schools to Change From August: What to Know

California schools are set to implement a number of changes in the upcoming school year starting August.

Schools will be required to print suicide prevention resources on student identification cards, and start planning for the future of students with special needs as soon as they enter high school.

Newsweek contacted California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s office and the California Department of Education for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

The measures are part of a legislative agenda championed by Newsom to improve access to mental health services for students, and to support students with special needs.

What To Know

Under Senate Bill 1063, public or private schools that serve students in grades seven to 12 and issue identification cards will be required to print the number for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on students’ IDs.

This is a change from a previous requirement to have the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline printed on ID cards, according to the bill.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s three-digit number, which launched in 2022, replaced the National Suicide Prevention Line’s 10-digit number, even though that still remains active.

The law also allows schools to print a QR code on ID cards linking to the mental health resources website of the county in which the school is located.

Assembly Bill 438, which was approved last year, requires that individualized education programs, or IEPs, include measurable post-secondary goals and transition services for students with special needs from as early as when they start high school, if determined appropriate by the IEP team.

The change will mean that planning for the student’s post-secondary goals could begin up to two years earlier than previously, according to Newsom’s office.

What People Are Saying

California State Senator Shannon Grove, a Republican who authored Senate Bill 1063, said in a statement last year: “Updating student ID cards so children have immediate access to mental health resources is smart policy… I am thrilled that students across the state of California will now have essential mental health resources at their fingertips to combat their distress.”

The California Department of Education said in a statement in May: “As explained in AB 438, existing law requires IEPs to include appropriate measurable postsecondary goals and transition services, as defined, beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when a pupil is 16 years old, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, which are to be updated annually.

“Beginning July 1, 2025, AB 438 requires an IEP to include measurable postsecondary goals and transition services, if determined appropriate by a pupil’s IEP team, beginning when an individual with exceptional needs starts their high school experience and not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the pupil is 16 years of age.”