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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Priceless: The cost of free public education | Thoughts on Public Education

Priceless: The cost of free public education | Thoughts on Public Education:

Priceless: The cost of free public education

Bill would crackdown on illegal school fees
By Kathryn Baron

Graphing calculator for your child’s algebra class: $120. Your daughter’s cheerleader uniforms: $1,000. Lab fees for AP physics: $150. Being required to purchase these items by your child’s school: Unconstitutional.

It’s been nearly a year to the day since the American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit against the State of California and former Gov. Schwarzenegger for not stopping school districts from charging fees for everything from field trips to textbooks, and from band uniforms to art supplies.

A bill on Gov. Brown’s desk would essentially settle the lawsuit. AB 165 by Assemblyman Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) would create a complaint process for parents and student