The governing board of 50度灰视频 Public Schools posted a letter on the district website Friday providing an explanation behind its legal action that has angered charter school parents across 50度灰视频.
states that their attempt to keep revenue from the desegregation sales tax in district schools, rather than from allowing it to also fund charters, is not an attack on the city鈥檚 35 charters, or independent public schools. Instead, the letter states, it is attempt to protect the will of the voters who approved the tax in 1999.
鈥淭his litigation is the result of almost 8 years of unsuccessfully working with the State to get it to live up to its promises and contractual obligations of the 1999 Desegregation Settlement Agreement,鈥 the letter states. In 1999, voters approved a 鈪-cent sales tax to pay for programs to remedy the impact of segregation in the city school system, such as summer school, vocational education and preschool. The tax was critical piece of the settlement agreement, which the state also agreed to.
People are also reading…
In April, the SAB joined plaintiffs involved in the settlement agreement and filed a legal motion accusing the state of violating the agreement by indirectly sending more than $42 million of desegregation money over 10 years to charter schools 鈥 money the SAB says should be returned.
Doing so would bankrupt and essentially close most of the charter schools. Charter schools educate about one third of students 鈥斅燼bout 10,500 of them 鈥斅爀nrolled in public schools throughout the city.
鈥淭he legal action being taken has been characterized in the press and on social media as a dispute between SLPS and charter schools,鈥 the letters says. 鈥淪imply stated, that is not the case. The District鈥檚 stance on partnerships and relationships with charter schools remains unchanged. We remain focused on creating great options for the young people of our community.鈥
The letter is the SAB鈥檚 first public response to the after the motion was filed on April 11 in U.S. District Court. In the weeks since, charter school organizers and parents have launched campaigns on social media urging them to drop the legal proceeding. Some have questioned its timing, coming right after the charter school community helped district officials galvanize support for a successful property tax increase.
鈥淲hile the timing of the public announcement of the motion being filed on the heels of the successful passage of Proposition 1 is unfortunate, the actual legal proceedings have been in motion for quite some time,鈥 the letter from the SAB states. 鈥淩emember, Proposition 1 will benefit all public school children in 50度灰视频, both charter and SLPS students, and has no connection to the legal action being taken against the State.鈥
Earlier this week, to allow them to intervene in the litigation and join as plaintiffs. They also asked that the judge dismiss the motion to enforce the desegregation settlement agreement.