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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Thu Jan 26, 2012, 08:10 PM Jan 2012

Lawsuit to ban public-school fees clears key hurdle

Lawsuit to ban public-school fees clears key hurdle

State officials failed Thursday to get a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to enforce the principle that California students have a right to a free education through high school.

The lawsuit arose over the widespread practice of making students pay fees for some classes, activities and certain exams. The practice has been increasing in some areas as cutbacks in state funding have put school districts under greater pressure to raise money to maintain their offerings. Many of the fees, however, predate the recent economic recession in California.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Carl J. West did not rule on the merits of the case, but concluded that the suit should go forward.

“The state itself bears the ultimate authority and responsibility to ensure that its district-based system of common school provides basic equality of educational opportunity,” he wrote, quoting a court's ruling in a 1992 case.

In the recent litigation, which is being pursued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and attorneys from law firm Morrison & Foerster, two students and their families agreed to be plaintiffs, representing students statewide.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/public-school-fee-ban-clears-hurdle.html

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