Judge Limits Simi Schools’ Role in Fighting Vouchers

A Ventura County judge barred the Simi Valley Unified School District on Thursday from using public funds or resources to fight a ballot initiative that would let parents use vouchers to send their children to private schools.

However, school district officials said the temporary restraining order won’t have any impact because the district hasn’t spent public funds on the issue.

Superior Court Judge Richard D. Aldrich, who issued the order, scheduled a May 8 hearing.

It was another victory for the group Excellence Through Choice in Education League, which is promoting the Parental Choice Initiative for the November ballot.

The group has obtained similar court orders against four other Southern California school districts during the last week, according to the league’s attorney, Manuel Klausner.

“This sends a message to school officials that they cannot use public resources to oppose an initiative,” Klausner said. “Education should focus on the education of kids, not a partisan campaign.”

The league sued the district and several officials Wednesday, charging that they violated state law by circulating newsletters to parents urging them to oppose the initiative.

But district officials have contended that the newsletters were the work of the Simi Valley Parent-Teacher Student Assn. and not the district. The association functions independently of the district, they said.

“We want the residents to know that no tax funds are being spent on activities to oppose the voucher system,” Simi Valley Supt. Robert Purvis said.

“The temporary restraining order will have no impact on us,” he said. “It directs us not to use district resources to oppose the voucher system, and we’re not doing that.”

The PTA’s monthly newsletters are printed in the district’s print shop, and the district’s bulk-mailing permit is used to distribute them. The PTA pays the district for the services, and the district doesn’t influence what is printed, Purvis said.

Purvis said that before the lawsuit was filed, officials had already decided not to let the PTA use the bulk-mail permit in the future.

“The temporary restraining order was unnecessary,” he said. “It was a waste of time and expense.”

PTA officials couldn’t be reached to find out whether they intend to distribute any more material on the initiative.

If the initiative is approved by voters, it would give parents who send their children to private or parochial schools a $2,500 voucher each year. Supporters say it will promote healthy competition between private and public schools. Opponents say it will cause millions of dollars to be diverted from the public school system.