ARTICLE 5.5. Pupil Fees [49010. - 49014.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 5.5.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 49010. Section 49010.

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Educational activity” means an activity offered by a school, school district, charter school, or county office of education that constitutes an integral fundamental part of elementary and secondary education, including, but not limited to, curricular and extracurricular activities. (b) “Pupil fee” means a fee, deposit, or other charge imposed on pupils, or a pupil’s parents or guardians, in violation of Section 49011 and Section 5 of Article IX of the California Constitution, which require educational activities to be provided free of charge to all pupils without regard to their families’ ability or willingness to pay fees or request special waivers, as provided for in Hartzell v. Connell (1984) 35 Cal.3d 899. A pupil fee includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (1) A fee charged to a pupil as a condition for registering for school or classes, or as a condition for participation in a class or an extracurricular activity, regardless of whether the class or activity is elective or compulsory, or is for credit. (2) A security deposit, or other payment, that a pupil is required to make to obtain a lock, locker, book, class apparatus, musical instrument, uniform, or other materials or equipment. (3) A purchase that a pupil is required to make to obtain materials, supplies, equipment, or uniforms associated with an educational activity.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 49011. Section 49011.

(a) A pupil enrolled in a public school shall not be required to pay a pupil fee for participation in an educational activity. (b) All of the following requirements apply to the prohibition identified in subdivision (a): (1) All supplies, materials, and equipment needed to participate in educational activities shall be provided to pupils free of charge. (2) A fee waiver policy shall not make a pupil fee permissible. (3) School districts and schools shall not establish a two-tier educational system by requiring a minimal educational standard and also offering a second, higher educational standard that pupils may only obtain through payment of a fee or purchase of additional supplies that the school district or school does not provide. (4) A school district or school shall not offer course credit or privileges related to educational activities in exchange for money or donations of goods or services from a pupil or a pupil’s parents or guardians, and a school district or school shall not remove course credit or privileges related to educational activities, or otherwise discriminate against a pupil, because the pupil or the pupil’s parents or guardians did not or will not provide money or donations of goods or services to the school district or school. (c) This article shall not be interpreted to prohibit solicitation of voluntary donations of funds or property, voluntary participation in fundraising activities, or school districts, schools, and other entities from providing pupils prizes or other recognition for voluntarily participating in fundraising activities. (d) This article applies to all public schools, including, but not limited to, charter schools and alternative schools. (e) This article is declarative of existing law and shall not be interpreted to prohibit the imposition of a fee, deposit, or other charge otherwise allowed by law.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 49012. Section 49012.

(a) Commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year, and every three years thereafter, the department shall develop and distribute guidance for county superintendents of schools, district superintendents, and charter school administrators regarding the imposition of pupil fees for participation in educational activities in public schools. The department shall post the guidance on the department’s Internet Web site. (b) The guidance developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not constitute a regulation subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 49013. Section 49013.

(a) A complaint of noncompliance with the requirements of this article may be filed with the principal of a school under the Uniform Complaint Procedures set forth in Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 4600) of Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. (b) A complaint may be filed anonymously if the complaint provides evidence or information leading to evidence to support an allegation of noncompliance with the requirements of this article. (c) A complainant not satisfied with the decision of a public school may appeal the decision to the department and shall receive a written appeal decision within 60 days of the department’s receipt of the appeal. (d) If a public school finds merit in a complaint, or the department finds merit in an appeal, the public school shall provide a remedy to all affected pupils, parents, and guardians that, where applicable, includes reasonable efforts by the public school to ensure full reimbursement to all affected pupils, parents, and guardians, subject to procedures established through regulations adopted by the state board. (e) Information regarding the requirements of this article shall be included in the annual notification distributed to pupils, parents and guardians, employees, and other interested parties pursuant to Section 4622 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. (f) Public schools shall establish local policies and procedures to implement the provisions of this section on or before March 1, 2013.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 49014. Section 49014.

(a) A pupil or former pupil, unless emancipated at the time the debt is incurred, shall not owe or be billed for a debt owed to a public school or school district. (b) A public school or school district shall not, because of a debt owed to the public school or school district, take negative action against a pupil or former pupil, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (1) Denying full credit for any assignments for a class. (2) Denying full and equal participation in classroom activity. (3) Denying access to on-campus educational facilities, including, but not limited to, the library. (4) Denying or withholding grades or transcripts. (5) Denying or withholding a diploma. (6) Limiting or barring participation in an extracurricular activity, club, or sport. (7) Limiting or excluding from participation in an educational activity, field trip, or school ceremony. (c) (1) A public school or school district shall provide an itemized invoice for any amount owed by the parent or guardian on behalf of a pupil or former pupil before pursuing payment of the debt and shall provide a receipt to the parent or guardian of a pupil or former pupil for each payment made to the public school or school district for any amount owed by the parent or guardian on behalf of the pupil or former pupil. (2) The invoice required in paragraph (1) shall include references to school policies relating to debt collection and the rights established in this section and Section 49557.5. (d) Except as provided in subdivision (g), a debt collector, as defined in Section 803 of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1692a), shall not report a debt owed by a parent or guardian to a credit reporting agency if the debt collector is contracted with a public school or school district for the purpose of pursuing the repayment of a debt owed by a parent or guardian of a pupil or former pupil. (e) A public school or school district shall not sell debt owed by a parent or guardian of a pupil or former pupil. (f) Any waiver by a parent, guardian, pupil, or former pupil of the provisions of this section is contrary to public policy and shall be unenforceable and void. (g) (1) This section shall not apply to debt owed as a result of vandalism or to cover the replacement cost of public school or school district books, supplies, or property loaned to a pupil that the pupil fails to return or that are willfully cut, defaced, or otherwise injured. A public school or school district may offer a pupil or former pupil, with the permission of the parent or guardian of the pupil or former pupil, alternative, nonmonetary forms of compensation to settle debt described in this paragraph. Alternatives that include service or work in exchange for repayment of a debt shall comply with all provisions of the Labor Code, including those sections relating to youth employment. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply if the pupil is a current or former homeless child or youth or a current or former foster youth. (h) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Foster youth” has the same meaning as in Section 42238.01. (2) “Homeless child or youth” has the same meaning as “homeless children and youths” in Section 11434a(2) of Title 42 of the United States Code. (3) “Public school” includes the state special schools, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 48927, charter schools, schools operated by a county office of education, and schools within a school district. (4) “School district” means a school district or county office of education.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026