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Updated Thu, Feb 19th 2026 8:40 am

Campbell's Innovation Keeps District Ahead of Policy Makers

With 11 new changes to California Education Code in 2026, Campbell Union School District is once again a front runner in innovation and policy.

Students building with plastic cups

We are proud to be a district of innovation and effective policies.  As a result, many of the laws impacting TK-8 districts were already in place in Campbell USD. 

The five laws affecting TK-8 schools and districts are: cell phone restrictions; Trevor Project suicide prevention hotline number on the back of student dentifaction cards (7th grade and up); gender-neutrual bathrooms; phasing out ultra-processed foods in school meals; and prohibiting school staff from allowing immigration officers on campus or sharing student/family information.

In August of 2024, students at Rolling Hills and Monroe Middle Schools and middle school students at Campbell School of Innovation (CSI) began implementing Yondr pouches. Sherman Oaks implemented a phone locker system. Eliminating cell phone use allows students to focus on school and socializing without the distraction of their phones. By requiring students to use only our devices, we can assure safe technology features and filters.

Our Child Nutrition Department has been scratch cooking, sourcing organic meats and produce and using local farms well before the legislators implemented the new requirement. We are also implementing sustainability efforts of reducing plastic, other waste and increasing composting.

The district’s policies and protocols were in place before the California legislators required limitations on releasing student or family information to Immigration Enforcement officials. If ICE officers come to one of our campuses, our staff are trained in implementing protections for our students and their families and will only work with immigration authorities when proper warrants are provided.   

The new law states that schools that have more than one restroom facility per gender must designate a gender-neutral restroom with proper signage. While we have this present at our schools.  There is a requirement that it be an externally facing door, our facilities team is working with those school sites to adjust the new entry requirement for gender-neutral restrooms. We expect to meet the requirement without any major impact on our school campuses. Similarly, for the addition of the Trevor Project suicide prevention hotline number, the district will work with the photography contractor that provides our student identification cards. 

Innovation is one of the many attributes that makes Campbell a great place to learn and a great place to work.