Essential Charter School Policies for 2026-27: Back by Popular Demand!
This fast-paced, practical session delivers a comprehensive overview of the board policies every California charter school needs for legal compliance, effective governance, and operational success. Every year, the list gets longer—and 2026-27 is no exception. This updated presentation highlights new required policies like the Senate Bill (SB) 848 policy, emerging compliance issues, and the unique obligations schools often overlook. How can schools ensure a smartphone policy was developed with "significant stakeholder participation"? What is the difference between a website posting, a “prominent” website posting, and a “one-click” homepage website posting? The presenters will cover that and more. Participants will also learn best practices for developing, organizing, reviewing, and maintaining policies, plus key annual notices and website posting requirements. This session features a slide-by-slide compliance checklist, reference guide links, and sample tools leaders can use immediately. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, engage in discussion, and leave with a clear, actionable roadmap for building a policy framework that works.
Presented by
Greta Proctor Partner Procopio
Greta Proctor is the leader of Procopio’s Education practice. Greta advises on a wide range of operational, governance, and ever-changing regulatory issues for classroom and non-classroom based charter schools. Greta has worked extensively on charter renewals, including appeals. She also counsels schools through special proceedings ranging from OCR complaints to FCMAT extraordinary audits. Greta provides frequent trainings on topics such as teacher credentialing, Board governance, the Brown Act, Public Records Act, avoiding conflicts of interest under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090, and new legislation impacting her clients.
Merrick Wadsworth Partner Procopio
Merrick has worked for charter schools for more than a decade. He advises on a variety of operational issues, including charter renewals and material revisions, authorizer relations, student discipline, board policies and governance, contracts, facility issues, entity formation, government funding requirements, and many others. Merrick regularly provides trainings on Title IX, Brown Act, Public Records Act, avoiding conflicts under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090, board governance, and new legislation impacting charter schools. Prior to law school, Merrick worked as a substitute teacher in all grade levels at the Kings County, California, Office of Education.
