SB 549: Heritage schools: enrollment and notice.

Under existing law, a heritage school is a school that, among other things, offers education or academic tutoring, or both, in a world language and education on the culture, traditions, or history of a country other than the United States to children who are at least 4 years and 9 months of age and no older than 18 years of age and who attend a public or private full-time day school. Existing law exempts a heritage school from licensure by the State Department of Social Services as a child day care center, as specified.

This bill would expand the definition of heritage school to also include a school that provides services to children younger than 4 years and 9 months of age who are enrolled in kindergarten, including transitional kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

Existing law requires a heritage school, upon a pupils enrollment in a heritage school, to provide a notice to the pupils parent or guardian stating that the heritage school is exempt from childcare licensure and that attendance at a heritage school does not satisfy Californias compulsory education requirements.

This bill would require a heritage school, upon a pupils enrollment in a heritage school, to also provide notice that the State Department of Education has no regulatory authority over heritage schools and does not monitor heritage school operations or instruction.