Poway School District & the ACLU Resolve iPad Concern

The Poway Unified School District and the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties resolved a thorny issue in which a district elementary school apparently pressured families to pay for iPads for their 4^th and 5^th grade students, in violation of the California Constitution.

As shown in a fruitful conversation between Superintendent John Collins and the San Diego ACLU’s legal director, David Loy, the district understands the issue of illegal school fees and will take appropriate action to prevent similar problems in the future. According to the district, the iPad program at Tierra Bonita Elementary School program will go forward.

The California Constitution restricts the imposition of fees for educational activities, saying that a public education should be free.

“We are delighted to resolve this problem constructively,” said David Loy, legal director for the San Diego ACLU. “If possible, we prefer to resolve matters without litigation, and we’re glad the district worked with us to address the needs of families in the district. The ACLU’s interest is to help our school districts provide the best possible education for children, consistent with California law.”