As students settle in for a new semester, state lawmakers have implemented new legislation. In response to statewide and local issues on student safety, these bills focus on education and heightened national political tensions.

The enforcement of these laws means major changes to student life. According to Palo Alto Vice Mayor Greer Stone, youth perspectives carry weight in city government.

“As elected leaders, we’re so used to hearing from older people in the community,” he said “But when young people speak up, especially regarding local government and their towns and their communities, our ears really perk up.”

Senate Bill 98

Under Senate Bill 98, which took effect on Jan. 1, California schools must alert students and staff if immigration enforcement agents are on campus.

Recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted several arrests across the nation that civil rights advocates and local officials say were warrantless, including instances in which agents entered homes without court orders. The new measure limits ICE’s ability to enter certain school areas without a warrant or court order, a move Stone says responds to the Trump administration’s current actions and strengthens protections for the community.

“(The current government) reminds me of more authoritarian types of regimes that we’ve seen around the world,” he said. “Anything our state can do to be able to push back is a worthy endeavor.”

Senior Lauren Murakami — co-president of the Civic Engagement and Education Project — works to educate students on civic issues and current events. She maintains a similar viewpoint, placing schools as important sanctuaries for education.

“I think (SB 98) will increase student safety and transparency within communities,” she said. “Schools are a place to learn, not a place where we should have to worry about our safety.”

PAUSD hosted a training in March 2025 for staff on appropriate safety protocols in the event of an ICE raid, according to Assistant Principal Kat Catalano in a press conference with The Oracle on Jan. 21.

California law decrees that state police officers cannot check immigration status. Under that law, when reporting a crime to the Palo Alto Police Department, officers will not ask about legal status. If they do discover that someone is undocumented, they are precluded from reporting that to any federal agency.

Senate Bill 640

Senate Bill 640 took effect on Jan. 1, expanding the California State University Direct Admissions Program to include every school district in the state. All qualified California high school students who maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher are now guaranteed admission to a CSU campus, beginning the next fall 2027 application cycle.

The measure could be especially helpful for students who lack access to private college services due to financial barriers.

“I know a lot of people who don’t have access to things like college counselors or (other) higher-level resources to help them with their college application process,” Murakami said. “(SB 640) will give them some sense of comfort in knowing that they already have at least one option to go to.”

Stone said he supports SB 640 as part of a broader effort to ensure access to free public education for all students.

“We have some of the best state schools in the country,” he said. “I think (this is) a step in the right direction to ensure that all students do have a state school that they are able to get into because we all learn at different phases. We all find success at our own pace.”

Assembly Bill 461

Assembly Bill 461, which went into effect on Jan. 1, relaxes school attendance policies, repealing laws that once allowed parents or guardians of chronically absent students to face misdemeanor charges.

Stone, who also teaches high school history, raises concerns about how this bill might negatively impact students’ work habits, both in school and later in the workplace. He notes attendance issues as a challenge persistent among his own students — one that he said
lawmakers may not fully understand without classroom experience.

“We have seen chronic absenteeism increase across the state,” he said. “(They have) been removing accountability from the classroom, (and) we’re now seeing what is happening when you have students who have grown up in environments without those types of consequences entering the workforce.”

According to Assistant Principal Erik Olah, addressing the root causes of chronically absent students’ records is more effective than harsh punishment, which he said can add to the existing issues that being regularly absent causes.

“Ultimately, for me, it’s about finding (out) the why: Why is it that you’re not coming to school, and (how can we) help break barriers down?” he said. “There are natural consequences of not going to class, and that (affects) your grades. (Gunn administration’s approach is) really focused on solutions-based discussion, not punishment.”

Olah raises concerns about these students’ futures, pointing to the extreme potential consequences that such behavioral patterns can lead to in the professional world. “What happens in the future when you have a job, and you’re missing it, or you’re late?” he said. “You’re not going to get paid, and then you’re getting fired. So it’s (important to instill) that kind of mindset at this point and understanding why it matters now to set that character for yourself going forward.”