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Parents are asked to pay to play when kids are pulled out of class

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published March 9, 2007

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. - Tired of parents pulling their kids out of school for a ski trip or a visit to Disneyland, a local school system is billing them for missed class time at $36.13 per day.

That is how much the Scotts Valley district calculates it loses under a formula that doles out school funding according to attendance.

In truth, the bills are a request; no one is required to pay.

But some parents in the well-to-do community 30 miles south of Silicon Valley are paying up to ease their consciences. Others refuse, saying the request is offensive in a state where nearly half the annual budget - $66-billion - is devoted to education.

"I tossed it. It's a public school. I'm not going to be told to pay when I have my kids out," said Helene Handy, who received the letter three times, once for each of her children. "We've got to have a better way to pay for our schools."

School officials said the purpose is twofold - to discourage parents from aiding and abetting hooky, and to recoup money lost to absences.

The 2,800-student district - which is populated with a large number of high-tech specialists and managers and has a median household income of more than $72,000 - sent a letter of explanation in January to parents.

"Are the ski slopes calling? Is the beach beckoning? Are you taking the kids to Disneyland midweek to avoid the crowds?" the letter asked. "If so, we would encourage you to reconsider. When your child misses school, there are consequences for the student and the district."

"Elective absences," or days missed for reasons other than illness, cost the Scotts Valley district $223,000 during the 2005-06 school year, according to the school system. On average, it says, a Scotts Valley child misses 2.3 days because of elective absences.

Within two weeks after the letter went home, the district collected more than $2,000.

When Stan Wilson took his two children to Hawaii for a week, Connor, 6, and Courtney, 8, missed five days. When the family returned, the Wilsons received a note asking for compensation. The letter did not specify how much, but it would have totaled more than $360.

Wilson gave more, writing a check for $500. The tax-deductible "donation" was a bargain compared to the private school tuition he and his wife were prepared to pay before they decided to keep their children in public school, Wilson said.

[Last modified March 9, 2007, 02:27:19]