# California Court Advances Student Data Privacy Claim

On October 26, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California denied PowerSchool’s motion for partial judgment, allowing plaintiffs’ claim under the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) to proceed. The claim alleges that PowerSchool maintained and shared student medical information for health-care purposes; the court did not determine whether the company violated the law. For school districts and education-technology contractors, the ruling highlights potential legal exposure when student health records are handled by software platforms.

- School districts and education-technology contractors should review data flows, access controls, authorizations, and contract terms for platforms that handle student health records.
- The decision is procedural, not a finding of liability; procurement teams should distinguish the allegations from an established violation when evaluating providers.
- Organizations procuring or supplying education software should assess how responsibilities for handling and sharing student medical information are addressed in their arrangements.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance, Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 31, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California (S.D. Cal.)

### Vendors
- PowerSchool (Defendant and education-software provider)

### Sources
- [Could School Software Be a Health-Care Provider? | Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider - JDSupra](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/could-school-software-be-a-health-care-6250492) - JD Supra