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Ruling against Fillmore's student transfer rules challenged
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More from Education: K-12An attorney for the Fillmore school board appeared in court Thursday to challenge a 16-month-old Ventura County Board of Education decision that allowed several families to transfer their children out of Fillmore schools.
The Fillmore Unified School District denied about 30 percent of its 2007-08 interdistrict transfer requests, and more than a dozen Fillmore families appealed those denials to the county board.
In June 2007, the county board ruled that Fillmore's decision-making process rejecting the transfer requests was flawed and that the families should be able to send their children to public schools outside the district.
In doing so, the county board violated state law, attorney Aaron O'Donnell told a Ventura County Superior Court judge Thursday.
The county board's attorney disagreed. And after the hearing, county Trustee Chris Valenzano said the board applied the law correctly.
"Ultimately, as a board, we did what we thought was in the best interest of the students and the parents," Valenzano said.
Judge Ken Riley is expected to rule on the issue by the end of next week.
State law allows Fillmore and other districts with fewer than 50,000 students to limit transfers to 3 percent of overall enrollment. Fillmore adopted that policy in 2006 and used it as a basis for its denials.
But the county board received legal advice that the limit should not be applied to multi-year transfers involving child care issues, parents who work for other school districts or students already attending other districts under previously granted transfers. Many of the Fillmore parents who appealed to the county board said their requests fit those exemption criteria.
Fillmore school officials disagreed, saying the 3 percent cap applies to all requests.
Attorney Henry Kraft, representing the county board, and Barbara Macri-Ortiz, representing the families, argued Thursday that the case is moot because the students finished the 2007-08 school year months ago and are now several months into the 2008-09 school year. All have remained in schools outside the Fillmore district.
O'Donnell, however, said it's an ongoing issue because both Fillmore and the county board continue to decide on other transfer requests and appeals based on the same state law.
Fillmore Unified officials said they agree that the interest of students is key in the case, but they have to be concerned about the entire district and act on behalf of all of its 3,800 students.
Districts get funding based on the number of students, and Fillmore officials said losing that funding could put programs and staff positions in jeopardy.
"Clearly, the interest of the students is important here," O'Donnell told the judge. "But it's not only about the students who wish to transfer."
Posted by handyhood on October 31, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't blame the parents for not wanting their children in the Fillmore schools. I grew up in Fillmore. I was a Fill moron. I are a graduate of the Fillmore Schools.
Posted by rebel123 on October 31, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a tough call. Fundamentally I believe parents should be able to put their kid in any public school they want as long as they can get them there. However it opens the door for ad hoc segregation for one, and for parents with means to choose schools with better reputations, thus leaving a district with an over abundance of lower income students. Bottom line, improve your schools so parents don't want to leave.
Posted by whatevers on October 31, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
handyhood - you can't blame the school for being a "fill moron" like you said. You are a moron because you chose to be one.
I lived in Fillmore and went to school there and turned out just fine.
Im not saying we don't have bad teachers because we do. My daughter attended private school last year and let me tell you I found some teachers that really didn't care and others that really did.
I wasnt impressed so my daughter is now back in public school.
If a child wants to learn and interested in education they will learn and ask for help. If they are morons and don't care, no matter what the teacher does or doesn't do, kids will decide what they want for themselves and always blame the teachers instead of themselves for not learning. If one teacher doesn't help go then go to another that may want to or that you can maybe explain things in a different way where you can understand.
My problem at private was that I had to pay a teacher to tutor her on top of my 600 dollar monthly tuition that didn't fly with me.
I'm a strong beleiver that teachers can do so much then it's up to the parents to find our kids extra help. Unfortunately some (actually a lot of parents) leave it all up to the teacher and that is not fair either.
Posted by Brownpride on October 31, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Twilight zone! The kids are stuck in hell! Let the kids be free!
Posted by harleyriidr on October 31, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said "whatevers." I'd like to add one of the reasons parents ask for an out of district transfer is because they work outside of Fillmore. Unfortunately, there is a scarce amount of good jobs in town.
My kids were in a private school in Ventura because I was working in Ventura. I now work closer to home and they now go to public school in Fillmore. I'm very happy with the education they receive. Let's not forget, parent involvment is crucial and we can't just depend on teachers.
Posted by somepeople on October 31, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree well said whatever’s! It is not just up to the teachers, the parents and kids have to take responsibility as well!
Posted by Brownpride on October 31, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do your kids say "A" after each sentence A?
Posted by ironwoman on October 31, 2008 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why hasn't the Star banned Brownpride yet?
Posted by handyhood on October 31, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
whatevers- I should have clarified myself. I graduated in 1974 so things may have changed. I don't live in Fillmore anymore and have no desire to. I do agree that it takes more than teachers to educate a child. The problem, as I see it, is that with both parents having to work to make ends meet, the children are most times the ones who suffer because of it. I give kudos to a working family who still make the raising and education of their children the top priority. I should also mention that even when I was in school there were a few teachers who were excellent teachers.
Posted by FILLMOREFLASH on November 2, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Handyhood-it's just too bad that you didn't or couldn't take advantage of the things to do in good ol' Fillmore!!!! Maybe you just chose to be a 'moron' as you stated and didn't take part in the great athletic teams Fillmore high was yielding back in the 70's!! Maybe sports wasn't your calling but i do believe they did offer an array of other activities that may have suited your needs!!!! And i am glad to hear that you don't live in Fillmore anymore because we certainly don't need your NEGATIVE vibes here!! I am proud to say that i am a Fillmore Alum and wouldn't trade my childhood memories or High School years for NOTHING!!!!!!!!! You just go and keep up with the 'JONES' and leave us 'FILLMORIANS' alone!!!We're all doing just fine thank you very much!!!!!!!!!
Posted by americanmade on November 3, 2008 at 8:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A childs education starts at home with the parents. I am a firm believer in that. Our two kids went to Mountain View School for one semester and that was all it took for us to realize that this district is not for us. Our childrens education was compromised for the sake of teaching the non-english speaking students english. It starts with the parents themselves who cant speak the American language or refuse to learn it. The american society needs to stop catering to this type of behavior. If these parents want there kids to have a good education then they will put there Escalades and BMW`s aside and start to pay for AFTERSCHOOL tutoring. Thats what I do when the need arises. We now have to spend over 8,000 dollars a year for private education because the damn stupid school district wont allow any transfers. If they want these transfers to stop taking place then they need to step up to the plate and demand that these kids be taught the english language that I was taught as an infant. The governments need to stop handing out all these freebies to these people and demand them to be a FUNCTIONING part of society and not a FREELOADING part of society.
Posted by noname on November 7, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
handyhood,
That was your doing and your parents...or should I say lack of parents?
Don't blame a school district for your actions and decisions.
If your statement were remotely true, then Fillmore School District would not produce students who are ready for the UC system. Let me explain, for you may not know what this means: University of California. They hold some of the highest and toughest standards, which graduating high school students must meet in order to be admitted. How many Fillmore graduates are admitted to the UC system? Countless!
You may be a hood...merely by your own doing!
Posted by AnnaWhaat on November 7, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Brownpride , I agree ! And even the principals do not care!!! In middle School my nephew was harrassed and threatened so bad, even having ten homies following him walk home. Did she do anything to stop it?NO!!!!!!!! They do not care about the children there.
americanmade ,Your kids went to Mountain View School?????Where the heck is that at? Not in Fillmore, there is San Cayetano on Mt.View. BUT I DO agree with your Comment entirely!!!!!
Posted by opns on November 9, 2008 at 9:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've been busy and sick recently. Hello Anna and Handyhood.
Fillmore is beautiful, beautiful, of all the cities i must say. Years ago i heard someone call local Fillmorians "indios". Well with that said.... anyway.
So whats going on @ Fillmore High. Too many gangbangers, taggers, bi-lingual education? Why are these parents so unhappy with the school.
Facts please. Blunt. Nice. I just know Fillmore is pretty.
Posted by faybie on November 16, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
One can't blame parents who wish to leave the most dysfunctional district in our fair county.
I worked for the FUSD for a short time. Not only did I find that the Latino students were a very low priority, the ones with special needs routinely went without services due to poor recruitment and retention of special ed staff. Couple that with cronyism and prehistoric personnel management, and you have a district which does not comply with state and federal laws.
At a meeting with the asst. superintendent for instruction, I heard her say, "Our students don't test well-- I just don't know why". I found that to be horrifyingly ignorant and certainly representative of what is wrong with the district.
If I was a parent and denied the right to move my child out of the district, I'll sell my home and move-- far away!
Posted by OHStrackmom on November 17, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL, I live in Oxnard but I grew up in Santa Paula. I had alot of friends from Fillmore who grew up to be wonderful people...some not so great, but again, you can't blame the educational system. There are several parts to raising good kids and negativity isn't one of them. Parents should take more responsibility for their kids. I grew up in Santa Paula, and I'm not a gang memeber, never was! There are good paths and bad, if you aren't doing everything to make sure your child is taking the right one, there's nothing a teacher or principal can do-it's on you. Stop complaining about the system and looking for others to blame...blame yourself.
Posted by BCKAHUNA on November 21, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We give our children life, love and an education. I don't beleive in compromise in any part of this equation. That said I think fillmore has routinely been on the bottom, or second to the bottom with santa paula, in education according to the state of calif. I wouldn't allow education to be a weak link in raising my children in fillmore. I can tell you this my kids test well especially after they had a good education that both parent and educator took seriously. I would not let fillmore cram there small thinking education system down my throat, K-6 was good though.
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