K–12 | Daily Report

Student money earmarked for band, cheerleading and other extracurricular activities are being improperly raided by San Diego Unified school administrators to pay for faculty supplies, equipment and events, according to a grand jury investigative report released Wednesday.

From March 2008 to October 2009, at least $107,882 in student extra-curricular funds were used by various schools to benefit the faculty.

The practice is so widespread, the Grand Jury reports, that 75 percent of district schools routinely take from the student funds.

This occurs while students at nearly all district schools are required to pay fees to participate in extracurricular activities, in apparent violation of district policy and a 1984 state Supreme Court ruling banning the practice.

In one instance during the 2006-2007 school year, San Diego's School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) snatched its students' entire extracurricular savings – $65,568 – and deposited it into the schools' main account.

A 2009 School District audit of SCPA discovered additional withdrawals from the students' account were used to pay for the staff's Christmas party, drinking mugs, polo shirts and other unauthorized expenditures. School officials denied that the money was ever student funds, but repaid $19,000 at the urging of district auditors. The rest remains unpaid.

At the same time, music students at the school were required to pay for their own instruments and performance clothing, the probe found. According to the report:

The 2009/2010 catalog for The School of Creative and Performing Arts musical program requires that students enrolled in classes’ for-credit provide their own instruments and performance apparel, with the exception of large percussion and other large instruments. Depending upon the course, students “will be required to purchase choir apparel,” “will be required to participate in fundraising” and “must provide their own instrument and text [music publications]” for brass, woodwinds, and small strings.

… The 2009/2010 catalog requirement that students of The School purchase choir outfits and provide their own instrument and text for brass, woodwinds, and small strings is in violation of California law and the guidelines issued by District Counsel.

Some of these fees can get downright costly, too.

During bad economic times, the Grand Jury has found charges to get as high as:

• $4,250 for the marching band at Clairemont High School.
• $1,833 for the cheerleading program at Madison High School.
• $1,120 for the cheerleading program at Mira Mesa High School.

Grand jury forewoman Victoria Stubblefield told the Voice of San Diego:

I think what we are seeing in San Diego Unified is probably happening in every school district in the county.

San Diego officials have until August to respond to the grand jury's findings.

In February, we wrote about the growing number of complaints from parents about districts' forcing their children to "pay to play." Some parents in Clovis have filed a lawsuit to stop the practice.