Students at risk of being forced out of district

Thousands of students throughout California could be forced to return to their neighborhood public schools if a bill allowing them to attend the schools of their choice is not renewed.

The District of Choice program is due to end on July 1 after 17 years in existence. The program allows children to attend the public schools of their preference without obtaining permission from their district of residence.

The proposed Senate Bill 680, co-sponsored by state Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. Bob Huff (DGlendora), could make the option permanent.

"The Districts of Choice program helps thousands of parents and students across the state to choose a school that better meets their needs," said Huff in a written statement. "With the student population declining statewide, Districts of Choice has become a tool that rewards schools doing a great job and motivates other schools to do a better job with our limited education dollars."

While some support the program because they believe it encourages districts to work harder to achieve excellence in order to retain and attract students, others oppose it because state education funding is based on enrollment figures.

"Under these financial times the district is not in favor of this," said Mary Schillinger, assistant superintendent of education for the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

For the 2008-09 school year, Las Virgenes enrolled 1,232 interdistrict permit students and had 487 resident students attend school in other districts, according to Schillinger.

"This does affect us in that our neighboring district, Oak Park, accepts our students without us releasing them. We have students who we wouldn't release if not for this program," Schillinger said.

Oak Park, which enrolls hundreds of interdistrict students each year, would welcome the passage of the bill, said Superintendent Tony Knight.

Oak Park became a District of Choice in 2004 to offset the declining enrollment affecting schools statewide. Oak Park currently has 861 interdistrict students and is at capacity for permit students at all school sites. Waiting lists have been established, Knight said. This year, 92 residents attended school outside of Oak Park.

The district receives about $8,141 in state funding for each enrolled student, totaling about $7 million. The 33 teachers needed for those extra students cost about $2.6 million, leaving the district with about $4.3 million in revenue, according to Knight.

Las Virgenes chose not to become a District of Choice for other reasons, Schillinger said.

"You have no control. You are mandated to accept any student brought to you," Schillinger said. "You may have to undergo additional costs if a student needs extra services. We don't necessarily want to give up all of our abilities. We want to make sure it's a good fit."

Knight acknowledges that District of Choice requires acceptance of any student but says it has not been a problem. The law does not require districts to create new programs for permit students, and the school board has limits on capacity for special education students.

"We have had great students come to us on permit, and they're just like our Oak Park kids. We look at GPA, suspension rates, STAR scores, etc. In all areas, they are statistically about the same as resident students," Knight said. "I think that's a great thing about SB 680—you can't cherry-pick students from other districts."

George and Vivian Holmes continued sending their two children to Oak Park schools after the family moved from Oak Park to Thousand Oaks several years ago. George Holmes said they make voluntary monetary donations to the district in lieu of property taxes. The family hopes the District of Choice law is renewed, but if it is not the couple said they would either move back to Oak Park or have their children move in with Oak Park relatives. Daughter Rachel is completing sixth grade, and son George is completing fifth grade.

"The kids would be upset to leave OPUSD since this is the only school district they know," Vivian Holmes said.

Knight believes that cancellation of the program would be open to legal challenge.

"These students were admitted under AB 97, which guarantees them the opportunity of remaining in the district of choice until graduation without going through a renewal process," Knight said. "It would certainly, however, close the door on new students coming in."