Band fees in Southern California made illegal

[azul]

I recently met with the band directors I teach with and heard that the ACLU had made band fees illegal in all the Southern California public school districts which also caused several schools to completely got rid of their fairly successful programs. Should this concern us drum corps folk at all?

[AlexL]

Probably not, as drum corps are private organizations.

Im guessing the court argument had to do with public schools, that were supposed be offering universal services, effectively offering one that wasnt open to everyone because of the fees involved.

Edited May 25, 2011 by AlexL

[contrajedi8]

Those who can, teach.

Those who cannot pass laws about teaching.

[Tusayan]

I recently met with the band directors I teach with and heard that the ACLU had made band fees illegal in all the Southern California public school districts which also caused several schools to completely got rid of their fairly successful programs.

The ACLU doesn't have the power to make anything illegal. The California constitution already banned schools from charging fees for educational or extra curricular purposes. With the decrease in state funding many school districts have resorted to charging participation fees in violation of the state constitution. The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit last year to force the state to enforce the existing ban on fees and as a way to get the state to properly fund local school districts. The parties reached a settlement last December under which the state of California agreed to monitoring and enforcement procedures and to seek legislation that would enable students to be reimbursed for the illegal fees.

https://www.aclu-sc.org/releases/view/103057

[cowtown]

I guess in California we can put to rest the idea the Marching Band = Drum Corps

sort of, just don't think about it and it makes sense, kind of....maybe

[HockeyDad]

How does that AFFECT us?

I would say, it might have an effect. A negative one.

[corpsband]

The ACLU doesn't have the power to make anything illegal. The California constitution already banned schools from charging fees for educational or extra curricular purposes. With the decrease in state funding many school districts have resorted to charging participation fees in violation of the state constitution. The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit last year to force the state to enforce the existing ban on fees and as a way to get the state to properly fund local school districts. The parties reached a settlement last December under which the state of California agreed to monitoring and enforcement procedures and to seek legislation that would enable students to be reimbursed for the illegal fees.

https://www.aclu-sc....ses/view/103057

This is just semantic tap-dancing.

The impact on the marching band activity is as described.

[DCIfan90]

The bands should do something called "fair share." Everybody pays their fair share into the program, but they aren't required to pay it. Therefore it's not a fee.

[CasualFan]

Oh dear, poor Southern California. Now they will have to start band booster programs like the rest of the country has for the past 20-30 years.

[bawker]

Folks,

We've had a few reports regarding this conversation.

This is in danger of falling outside of the realm of our little world and turning into purely a political and/or pedagogical minefield. While there are valid points on either side of this particular issue, the discussion itself is trending towards falling outside of the Guidelines regarding current events we have set here.

The thread will remain open, but let's please try to relate this back to drum corps and/or music education if at all possible.

Thanks!