That's the title of a Beverly Hills 90210 episode in which Andrea is nearly found out for attending West Beverly High instead of her assigned high school, located in a lower-income part of town. While Andrea gets away with her illegal transfer, many students aren't able to cross district boundaries to attend a better school. In these cases, district boundaries serve as an artificial barrier to choice, often limiting school options to the low-performing schools within district boundaries -- boundaries that often reflect the racial and economic segregation of larger society.
It was this often arbitrary and segregating effect of district boundaries (and not the 90210 episode) that motivated us to look at the potential of interdistrict choice to offer more options to students in low-performing schools. To our surprise, we found that interdistrict choice on a large scale is unlikely to benefit a large percent of students - only 10 to 20 percent are likely to find a better school option (see the full report here).
Above, Dianne Piché, Executive Director of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights and longtime civil rights advocate, responds to our report and offers her insight on what it means for the discussion on desegregation and school choice. Thanks to Dianne for her thoughtful comments--I expect that they will spark some good discussion about our conclusions and what those conclusions might mean for the future of interdistrict school choice.
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What about the West Aurora story implies the family wanting to attend the school district because it's a better district?
This issue, at face value from what I read in the story, seems to be that the district is overlooking the underlying reason the family is in West's district--hardship because of marital problems and financial problems--foreclosure.
If those circumstances are correctly reported, and if they are in fact the reason the family moved in with the grandparents, then the family is considered to fit under the definition of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance law--as homeless.
In that case they would be able to attend West without paying out-of-district tuition. Homeless students, including those doubled-up with family/friends or staying in motels or any combination of highly mobility, can attend their old school (school of origin), or the school in the attendance area where they are now staying.
And, they don't need to prove residency or have someone act as a legal guardian. Fees are waived. Transportation assistance might be warranted. Supplies are made available.
And if a district is challenging a family's residency--they are obliged to look at the possibility homelessness might be at the root of the problem.
West should be happy that a pit bull attorney hasn't taken up this case. Ouch. That would cost more than the $8600 tuition.
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