My first response to this story was: "Here's a real shocker: a state agency agrees with what school district officials say, without bothering to investigate fully."
My second response (Aug. 31, 2008): Some people have a different perspective on this story. Reportedly, parents on the Casita School Site Council were unhappy that all the Title I money was going to Title I kids, instead of to their own kids. I'll try to find out more about it.
State sides with VUSD in dispute over site money
School board has final say in how specific funds are spent
By STACY BRANDT -
August 15, 2008
State officials have sided with the Vista Unified School District in a disagreement about who has final say over how school site money is spent.
In a decision released last month, an official with the California Department of Education denied six appeals filed by members of the school site council at Casita Center for Technology, Science and Math in Vista.
A site council is a group of parents and school employees that puts together a budget on how money set aside for school improvements should be spent.
Lisa Hoffman, a member of the council and librarian at the school, said she doesn't expect the Casita group to appeal the state's decision, though she was surprised and disheartened by it.
"I'm not happy with the way the state did this," she said, adding that state workers didn't fully investigate the situation and simply took the word of district officials...
The feud between the site council and district started with disagreements over Lindamood-Bell Reading Process, the reading program that district officials have pushed to expand in recent years. Some parents have complained about the cost of the program, arguing that the money could be put to better use...
In June, after the group had filed the complaint with the state, the council and district administrators struck a compromise.
The deal gave the council more than $35,000 to spend as it sees fit, and set aside the rest of the school's nearly $180,000 in site money to pay for Lindamood-Bell workers and someone to oversee a new program for students learning to speak English.
District officials are working to create a policy that would clarify the role of the school site councils.
"We want our school site councils to be effective," Superintendent Joyce Bales said. "There's a lot of money that's coming into the district, so we want to make sure that it's impacting the classroom and supporting the classroom teachers."
[Blogger's note:]
There is a lot of competition among adults in children's schools, complete with bullying, sabotage, and all manner of behavior for which children would be severely punished. I suggest a workshop on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. All school staffs need traning, and parent should be invited, too.]
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