Public School Choice Gains Support in Assembly Appropriations

Today, SB 680, which allows parents to send their child to whatever public school district they choose that participates in the District of Choice (DOC) program, passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee on a 9-3 bipartisan vote. The program was terminated July 1, 2009; SB 680 would reinstate the program for seven years and allow hundreds of new school districts to become districts of choice.

SB 680, jointly authored by Senator Gloria Romero (D-East Los Angeles) and co-authored by Senator Bob Huff (R-Glendora), would also allow more than 5,000 students to stay in public schools best suited for their academic needs.

"Parents and their families are a step closer today in regaining access to a quality public education for their children," said Senator Gloria Romero, chair of the Senate Education Committee.  "This solution allows parents--not bureaucrats--to decide which public school their children should attend."

The bill previously passed the Senate Floor and Assembly Education Committee with bipartisan support.  On June 30 the Assembly Appropriations Committee defeated the bill however; the vote today was on reconsideration of the previous vote.   

Because the DOC program expired July 1, a student who had transferred to a school in a district other than the school district of their residence could be forced to return to their district of residence. In many cases, students could be sent to an unfamiliar school or one that their parents do not feel meets their academic needs.  The DOC program is the only program in current law that provides parents an option to enroll their child in a public school of their choice without permission from their resident district.

"Parents know what is best for their children and they should be the ones charged with making the best choices for them," said Romero.  "Parents choose where their child worships, what TV programs they watch, the food they eat  and where their family shops and they must be allowed to choose where their child will receive the best public education to meet their academic needs."

The DOC program, also referred to as a cross-district or open enrollment option, has operated successfully for 16 years through four program extensions.  SB 680 would now allow any of the more than 1,000 California public school districts to elect to become a DOC. 

The bill recognizes the negative effects of "educational redlining" and seeks to end a practice that holds children hostage by a zip code. This is often the case when students, especially poor and minority children, are assigned to a persistently low-performing school in their neighborhood.  Most students who participate in the DOC program transfer from a low-performing school to DOC schools with an Academic Performance Index of 100, 200 and even 300 points higher than their former school.

"Allowing parents to choose what public school is best for their children truly promotes excellence in education," said Senator Huff. "Our schools will be better than they would be otherwise by giving parents more choices." 

"This legislation is really about providing equal opportunities in education for all California students," said Romero.  "Parents, not zip codes, should decide if a school is providing those opportunities for their child."

SB 680 next will be heard on the Assembly Floor.