ACLU sues California for allowing school districts to charge fees

[alp227]

Source: Los Angeles Times

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state of California on Friday for allowing school districts to charge students for books, uniforms, classes and other basic supplies.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that more than 30 districts require students and their families to pay for basic supplies that are supposed to be provided at no cost. Districts cited in the lawsuit include Beverly Hills, Burbank and Long Beach.

The Los Angeles Unified School District was not named in the suit, although "we have heard anecdotal reports about Los Angeles," Mark Rosenbaum, chief counsel for the ACLU of Southern California, said at a morning news conference.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-aclu-20100911,0,2030145.story

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Beverly Hills and Burbank are pretty affluent areas, but Long Beach not that much (hint: Snoop Dogg grew up in Long Beach.) I'd frown upon public schools having fees for classes, but I'm OK with fees for extracurriculars like music and sports and deposits for textbooks in case students lose/damage them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. YES!!!

I've been complaining about this for YEARS.

[Dappleganger]

2. We had to pay for workbooks this year.

Of course they said we didn't HAVE to have the workbooks, only that every other child would have them and that our kids may feel left out if they didn't.

It used to not be this way, grrrrrrr.

[Frisbee]

3. One more way to keep the "undesirables" out of the...

classrooms in the more affluent school districts.

[Liberty Belle]

4. Why don't they sue the GOP for slashing budgets and forcnig schools to beg for dollars?

The Republican Party is ruining public education in California! In my view, the ACLU is going after the wrong village.

[wtmusic]

5. Ahem. Our state is broke.

How about a lawsuit to overturn Prop 13? How about a lawsuit to balance the state budget?

All this suit will do is help bankrupt public education in favor of charters.

[defendandprotect]

9. Any hope of getting rid of Prop 13 -- who has it benefited, who has it harmed?

[YvonneCa]

11. Regular...

...citizens who pay property taxes??? ;)

[woo me with science]

15. And yet....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_taj_mahal_schools

LA unveils $578M school, costliest in the nation

Source: Associated Press

Next month's opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968. With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation's most expensive public school ever. The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of "Taj Mahal" schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

"There's no more of the old, windowless cinderblock schools of the '70s where kids felt, 'Oh, back to jail,'" said Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, a school construction journal. "Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning." Not everyone is similarly enthusiastic. "New buildings are nice, but when they're run by the same people who've given us a 50 percent dropout rate, they're a big waste of taxpayer money," said Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution who sits on the California Board of Education. "Parents aren't fooled."

At RFK, the features include fine art murals and a marble memorial depicting the complex's namesake, a manicured public park, a state-of-the-art swimming pool and preservation of pieces of the original hotel. Partly by circumstance and partly by design, the Los Angeles Unified School District has emerged as the mogul of Taj Mahals. The RFK complex follows on the heels of two other LA schools among the nation's costliest — the $377 million Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, which opened in 2008, and the $232 million Visual and Performing Arts High School that debuted in 2009.

The pricey schools have come during a sensitive period for the nation's second-largest school system: Nearly 3,000 teachers have been laid off over the past two years, the academic year and programs have been slashed. The district also faces a $640 million shortfall and some schools persistently rank among the nation's lowest performing. Los Angeles is not alone, however, in building big. Some of the most expensive schools are found in low-performing districts — New York City has a $235 million campus; New Brunswick, N.J., opened a $185 million high school in January. Nationwide, dozens of schools have surpassed $100 million with amenities including atriums, orchestra-pit auditoriums, food courts, even bamboo nooks. The extravagance has led some to wonder where the line should be drawn and whether more money should be spent on teachers.

[wtmusic]

17. That's obscene

"officials say the new schools were planned long before the economic pinch and are funded by $20 billion in voter-approved bonds that do not affect the educational budget."

"Do not affect the educational budget", except when it comes time to repay the bonds - with interest.

[defendandprotect]

24. New schools . . . ??? I'm in NJ and didn't know that--!!!

I detest having to know what's going on in NJ -- it's so confusing and so heart breaking!!

Not that NY is any better.

This is unbelievable!!

[wtmusic]

37. People love f*cking bond measures in CA

then wonder why the state has no cash. Drives me absolutely crazy.

I've been voting no on every bond measure for years now. Enough.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

39. Only in some areas

In many areas the super majority it stopping them

[wtmusic]

41. Some areas are stopping CA state bond measures?

How does that work? :silly:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

42. I was thinking of local bonds, including schools districts

And those have not been passing in many areas

[wtmusic]

43. Ah, ok.

I would have to agree, there seems to be increasing awareness that bond money is borrowed.

We need to raise state taxes, but Brown doesn't dare suggest it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. If you think Prop 13 is the problem, you are mistaken...It was Prop 4, about a year later

Minor historical point, but an important one. The Gann initiative sets the top line for all levels of government

[defendandprotect]

25. Obviously, many of us think Prop 13 is the problem so please fill us in ....!!!

Hartmann was talking about this the other day, as well --

If you can explain further -- please do!!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. Prop 13 limited one revenue from one source. Prop 4 limited the top line of government

After Prop 13 passed, governments in CA started raising/creating taxes and fees in other areas. Prop 4 was the reaction to it. It passed with 75% support. Its been tinkered with somewhat, but overall remains in place.

Prop 13 is the high profile whipping boy, but Prop 4 is much more of an overall limit.

[davidinalameda]

6. they're suing school districts

making them use money that could go to the schools to hire lawyers to defend a suit about school funding

seems to be defeating the purpose of the suit here

[David__77]

7. They probably have legal staff.

Also, the districts can settle out of court. ACLU will be after corrective action.

[davidinalameda]

18. they're still going to have to spend money on the suit

this is a bad idea by the ACLU

[w4rma]

23. Then I guess the school districts will back down pretty quick. They can't win in court. They can

only stall a decision. Do they want to waste money trying to stall? My bet is that many will, because the point of these fees isn't to raise money, but to help filter out a certain type of student.

[Xithras]

36. I don't know of any California public school districts that have in-house counsel.

Typically, they simply keep a private firm on retainer.

[David__77]

45. At least two in my area do.

They both have one fully-qualified attorney, as well as a legal assistant. Of course, they also do contract with private firms as needed. In this case, they simply need to sit down with ACLU, and capitulate. Cheap and easy.

[defendandprotect]

8. "uniforms" .. ... ???? for pubic schools ???

[YvonneCa]

12. Welcome to California! Yes, many school districts...

...in California have adopted uniform policies, mosty at the request of their communities. ;)

[defendandprotect]

26. Are they uniform uniforms ... or like just a specific white shirt/dark pants???

Do girls get to wear pants or are uniforms skirts?

[YvonneCa]

32. I can only speak from my...

...district's policy...which is white top, navy bottoms. It's pretty 'unisex' otherwise. They are for purchase at local stores.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

29. In CA, a parents can opt out of uniform requirements

Attempts to have a dress code that is effectively a uniform policy have been turned back in the courts here as well.

Uniform rules by state: http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/policy_reports/dress_codes/statebystate.html

[YvonneCa]

31. This is true. Waivers are available...

...for families that request them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

34. Waivers imply request/permission. Opt out means the school has no discrestion in the matter

[YvonneCa]

35. I know and agree. It was set up that way in my district...

...on purpose. ;)

[tammywammy]

14. The public schools around here mostly have uniforms too n/t

[defendandprotect]

27. There's a lot of convenience in uniforms -- "fashion" is expensive for families .....

I can see all the points of it in that regard --

[YvonneCa]

33. In addition to the 'fashion'...

...expense, it removes stigma that lack of resources can cause. In a high-poverty district, that can be a good thing.

[Xithras]

38. I'm in CA. My kids elementary school required uniforms.

And not just "blue pants, white shirt". There was a specific uniform that they had to wear, only available through the school. Boys got the choice of a black pant or short, and a long or short sleeve white shirt. Girls got the same option, but with a "skort" instead of shorts.

The school offered free uniforms to any child that also qualified for the free lunch program, paid for by the PTA boosters.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

40. You have the right to opt out of it if you choose

Though from what I understand the pressure not to can be extraordinary

[Xithras]

44. In a uniform wearing school, it's rare for a kid to want to opt out.

The schools and school districts themselves can't punish kids who don't wear uniforms, but the social pressure from the other kids is still there. Want your kid to be picked on? Send him to school in blue jeans while all the other kids are wearing slacks. Kids are terrible when it comes to singling out kids who are perceived as "different".

And if you complain to the office, you simply get, "Put him in a uniform, we'll even give you a few at no charge".

Yep, personal experience them.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. I'm against all fees in public schools.

Fees for extracurricular activities effectively exclude lower income students from participation unless there's a easy mechanism for subsidies. Deposits on textbooks are just absurd and again represent a serious barrier to low income students.

We pay parcel taxes to supplement the local school district budgets. That's a legal mechanism in this state for paying for extras.

If the ACLU doesn't prevail in this law suit, watch the mandatory fee scheme spread statewide. I don't think that's in the best interest of our public school students.


eta to correct last statement

[Nevernose]

13. Thats exactly what our district does.

There's a small fee for art and food electives ($20) I believe and another ($100 or so) for football. There are checks in place for students who can't afford it. The problen at my school - urban, at risk - is that it all adds up and can take away quite a bit of money from other programs. Meanwhile, kids in more affluent neighborhoods who could afford to pay much more pay at least the same as our kids, leaving the rest of their schools' budgets intact. Although it always seems odd to me that, even though the schools are allegedly funded to the same amount per pupil, the schools in nicer neighborhoods are always cleaner, have working facilities, more textbooks, three computer labs and three mobile laptop labs, more textbooks, lower teacher/student ratio...and no one in authority can explain why.

[defendandprotect]

28. Obviously, that all begins to "privatize" the pubic schools in a way . . . doesn't it??

Agree re the differences in schools --

elites are still fighting Brown vs Board of Education -- IMO

[woo me with science]

16. Good. nt

[unkachuck]

20. this shits got to stop....

"Free public schools are the linchpin of our democracy," he said. "What we have are 'pay-to-learn' schools."

....my daughter was bitching about this the other day....it's costing her over $600 to send two kids to school and she has a third one starting school next year....

[Diana Prince]

21. We pay for supplies every year...

We pay for the normal things such as paper, pencils, notebooks and pens. We then have to buy markers, colored pencils, glue, printer paper, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and zip lock bags of various sizes that are for the entire class. We do not get to bring any extras home at the end of the year. On top of that, it is recommended that the kids buy the school planner as it has the school code of conduct which they are required to sign. They must have a planner whether it is bought from the school or a store. Gym is a required course and only a uniform purchased from the school can be used. My 8th grader runs cross country and is in band. Those two fees alone are $65.

This from a public school.

[AwakeAtLast]

22. Music is not an extracurricular - it is a subject taught during the school day

At least it is where I teach.