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News and views from a private school perspective
CAPSO
Monthly E-Mailer
California Association of Private School Organizations
| | The Voice of Private Education in California | |
Subscriber (non-member) E-Mailer
CAPSO distributes a monthly E-Mailer to both members and subscribers. While both versions include important national and state legislative updates, current events, and perspectives, the member E-Mailer contains additional exclusive content and resources.
If you are a non-member subscriber, no action is required.
If you are a CAPSO member organization or a CAPSO member organization school leader and are receiving this E-mailer, you are currently receiving the subscriber (non-member) version. To receive the full CAPSO member E-Mailer, please click here to update your status and link your email address to your CAPSO member organization.
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Mission Statement
The California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) is the voice of K-12 private education in California. Its primary mission is to preserve the independence of California’s private schools and to uphold parental choice in education. CAPSO, independently and in collaboration with other community and governmental institutions, is an advocate, catalyst, and creative leader for strengthening and advancing K-12 private education in California. CAPSO’s mission is based on the belief that a healthy, pluralistic society depends upon educational options, parental choice, and dialogue and collaboration between educational entities.
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In This Issue...
Legislative Update
Updates on the EFTC
SB 848 Reminders for Private Schools
Apply to Become a Green Ribbon School
No-Cost Private School PD through Title IIA Funds
Legislative Call to Action
What I've Been Reading
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Legislative Update: CAPSO Lobbying and Advocacy for Private Schools
The California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) continues to play a leading role in advocating for the interests of private schools across the state. This legislative session, CAPSO is actively monitoring 60 bills with potential implications for private education.
Through unified member engagement and proactive lobbying, CAPSO has successfully engaged with multiple legislators to manage private school inclusion and omission in significant pieces of legislation. These outcomes, which will be covered in more detail in the end-of-session legislative review form CAPSO, highlight the power of advocacy and the importance of proactive legislative engagement on behalf of the private school community.
CAPSO's efforts extend beyond monitoring. CAPSO meets with legislators, submits formal position letters, and forms strategic partnerships with aligned organizations. By staying deeply engaged at every stage of the legislative process, CAPSO ensures that private school perspectives are heard and respected in Sacramento.
A robust legislative roundup will be forthcoming at the end of the legislative season. Meanwhile, members are encouraged to view CAPSO's real-time legislation tracker, offering up-to-date information on bills relevant to private education. The tracker can be accessed through the link below.
Visit the CAPSO Legislation Tracker here
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Updates on the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC)
Education Freedom Tax Credit Update
California has not yet indicated whether it will participate in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit. Nevertheless, CAPSO is proactively preparing for the possibility so that our member organizations and schools are positioned to respond thoughtfully should the opportunity become available.
CAPSO is beginning a series of informational webinars and developing supportive materials to help members understand the program, evaluate potential opportunities and risks, and prepare for possible implementation. Our goal is to ensure that CAPSO member schools are equipped with the knowledge and protective guidance necessary to pursue strategic and fully informed participation should California choose to "opt-in."
The first webinar is designed specifically for CAPSO member organization leaders and will focus on establishing and working with Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), including anticipated regulatory considerations based on the guidance previewed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in late June. Member organization leaders have received invitations directly. If you believe you should have received an invitation but did not, please contact the CAPSO office.
View the Treasury Press Release & Preview Remarks here
AFPI Releases EFTC Funding Loss Calculator
The America First Policy Institute has created a funding loss calculator to demonstrate how much money states will be missing out on if they decline to participate in the EFTC. According to AFPI, "the 23 states currently not participating are projected to forego nearly $23 billion in charitable educational donations between 2027 and 2029, resulting in more than 4.1 million lost scholarship opportunities."
According to the calculator, California's three-year funding loss projection is $4.91B.
Access the Funding Loss Calculator here
New Estimates Highlight the Potential Reach of the EFTC
A new analysis from the American Federation for Children estimates that nearly 52 million K–12 students nationwide—approximately 92% of school-age children—could meet the income eligibility requirements for Education Freedom Tax Credit scholarships beginning in 2027. In California, the analysis projects that approximately 5.9 million students, or 92.4% of the state’s K–12 population, could be eligible.
These estimates demonstrate the potentially significant reach of the program; however, access remains dependent upon each state’s decision to participate. California has not yet opted in or indicated whether it will do so.
Read the full analysis from the American Federation for Children here
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SB 848: Important Back-to-School Reminders for Private School Leaders
As private schools prepare for the new school year, leaders are reminded that SB 848 establishes several new requirements affecting private schools, including requirements related to policies, training, reference checks, and recordkeeping. Schools should review the law carefully and confirm that the necessary policies, procedures, and training are in place.
Broadly, private school leaders should be attentive to the following:
Student Safety Policies
- Professional boundaries among students, employees, volunteers, contractors, and other adults
- Age-appropriate electronic communication boundaries with students, including texts and social media
- Facilities and furnishings that promote safe, readily supervised environments
Hiring and Reference Checks
- Pre-employment reference checks regarding egregious misconduct
- Procedures for responding to reference inquiries from other educational institutions
- Personnel-record retention practices related to egregious misconduct
- Separation agreements that do not prevent required reports of egregious misconduct
Mandated Reporters and Training
- Updated volunteer policies reflecting the updated mandated-reporter volunteer definition
- Annual mandated-reporter training for all required individuals
- Compliance with approval and reporting requirements when using alternative training
- Documentation and retention of proof of training completion
CAPSO is aware that many schools are experiencing difficulty with the new requirement that liability insurance providers approve alternative mandated reporter training programs. This approval responsibility resulted from a late amendment to SB 848 intended to address CAPSO’s concern with an earlier proposal that would have assigned approval authority to the California Department of Education.
Although this represents an improvement over assigning the California Department of Education authority to approve private school mandated reporter training programs, it does not reflect CAPSO’s preferred outcome: preserving the responsibility of private school governing authorities to select alternative training programs and platforms that comply with state law.
CAPSO is working closely with the California Legislature to advance a solution and will share updates as they become available. Because the desired correction depends on the legislative process, however, even if CAPSO succeeds in securing an amendment, the revised language is unlikely to take effect in time for beginning-of-year training for the 2026–27 school year.
CAPSO is not a law firm, and the information we provide does not constitute legal advice. These reminders are offered for educational and informational purposes only. Schools are encouraged to consult their legal counsel regarding their specific obligations.
Access CAPSO resources related to SB 848 here
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CAPSO Represents California at the Summer 2026 Council for American Private Education (CAPE) SCN Conference
As California’s state affiliate to the Council for American Private Education (CAPE), CAPSO joined private education leaders from across the country at CAPE’s State CAPE Network Summer Institute. CAPSO contributed to important conversations and collaborations regarding the federal scholarship tax credit, school choice, private school regulation and teacher licensure, accreditation, artificial intelligence, and opportunities to strengthen member services beyond legislative advocacy. Building on this national engagement, CAPSO has also been invited to serve on a school choice panel at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Non-Public Education fall national conference—ensuring California’s private school perspective is represented in this important national dialogue.
CAPSO’s national engagement directly benefits our members by providing early insight into emerging federal policies and national trends, access to expertise and effective practices from across the country, and opportunities to shape conversations that may affect California’s private schools. These relationships strengthen CAPSO’s ability to anticipate change, share timely information, and advocate effectively on behalf of our diverse private school community.
CAPSO is honored to host this national conference in 2027, and we look forward to sharing more about our continued advocacy and engagement on behalf of our members.
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Apply to Become a Green Ribbon School!
Did you know that private schools that participate in the Green Ribbon School process have the opportunity to be recognized at both the State and national levels?
The Green Ribbon School process is an opportunity to showcase efforts and be recognized for progress towards sustainability across three pillars:
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Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs;
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Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and
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Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education
Each June, the California Department of Education launches the California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) application process, inviting public and private schools, districts, and county offices of education to showcase their achievements in sustainability. Participating schools have the opportunity to demonstrate achievement and earn points in pillar categories recognized in one of four tiered levels:
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Bronze Level (Entry Level Commitment): 55-64.9%
- Silver Level (Mid Integration): 65-74.9%
- Gold Level (Full Integration): 75% or better
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Green Achiever: Exemplary Achievement with Full Integration - Green achievers are nominated for Federal recognition in the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Program (ED-GRS).
Schools don't need to wait to apply until they have met full integration. Schools that apply will be supported with mentorship and resources, and schools with a 55%+ will be recognized with Bronze achievement by the California Department of Education!
Ready to Learn More?
California Green Ribbon Schools Achievers and Applicants Network: The CA Green Ribbon School Achiever and Applicant Network meets quarterly and aims to unite past, current, and future CA Green Ribbon Schools applicants dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and programs within their school communities. The network gives participants the chance to network with each other to inspire and share best practices.
The application opens in June and schools are encouraged to begin learning about the application process starting in January. A comprehensive toolkit is available. Use the link below to learn more!
Green Ribbon School Toolkit and Resources
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No Cost Private School PD Available
The California Department of Education receives funds through Title II, Part A, Equitable Services to provide no-cost professional development to private school educators.
The website, https://www.capspdnow.com, offers over 1000 no-cost courses available to schools and teachers in an on-demand format. Private school teachers and administrators can join the CaPSPD email distribution list to receive notifications about upcoming development opportunities by sending a blank email to join-private-school-professional-development@mlist.cde.ca.gov
Learn More About CaPSPDNow
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Legislative Call to Action | | | |
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Invite Your Legislators to School This Fall
As we start a new academic year, this is a perfect time to remind policymakers that private schools are a vibrant and essential part of their districts—and that our school communities are their constituents.
While CAPSO regularly provides legislators with comprehensive lists of member schools and engages in legislative advocacy on your behalf, one of the most meaningful and lasting impressions comes from experiencing a school firsthand. A visit to your campus allows legislators to see the impact of private education in their own communities.
Opening school events offer an ideal opportunity to extend an invitation. Consider reviewing your upcoming calendar for events—such as back-to-school events, student showcases, or community gatherings—where a legislator’s presence would be both appropriate and mutually beneficial.
How to Identify and Contact Your Local Representatives
You can look up your State Senator and Assemblymember here:
https://www.capso.org/contact-your-california-legislators
Invitations can be extended via email or phone. To support your outreach, CAPSO has provided a simple email template you can customize for your school:
access template here
A personal invitation from a constituent school can make a meaningful difference in helping legislators better understand and support private education in California.
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What I've Been Reading... | | | | Stay part of the conversation and follow our page on LinkedIn! | | The California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) uses AI as a tool to support administrative and operational efficiency. All AI-generated content is subject to professional expertise, careful review, and formal approval before use. | | | | |
