California Schools: Big Changes Coming in 2025

In 2025, classrooms in California will experience significant changes. Fewer phones in schools, updated history lessons, and new course requirements are on the horizon. California universities are saying goodbye to legacy admissions, where students were favored if they had family or donor ties. This shift might give more students a fair chance at entry. Smartphone use is also getting limited. California has joined other states in restricting or banning phones in schools, though districts have until 2026 to have full rules in place.

In a unique move, California is now the first state to stop schools from telling parents if their child uses different pronouns or names. This law aims to protect students in the LGBTQ+ community. History classes will go deeper into the negatives of Spanish colonization and the Gold Rush, ensuring perspectives from Native Americans are covered. High schoolers will take a semester of ethnic studies too. Students might also see new classes on personal finance and dangers of fentanyl. But with changes come challenges. Debates over how to teach the new ethnic studies course and how to handle gender identity are expected to continue. The state faces budget issues too, with falling enrollment and dwindling funds.

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