Orange Trustees Near Grants Ban

Adhering to the philosophy that schools have no business providing social services, trustees of the Orange Unified School District moved a step closer Thursday to barring their schools from applying for any nonacademic grants.

But after hearing pleas from parents and other community leaders at Thursday night’s school board meeting, trustees decided to have a special meeting with those who would be affected by the proposed policy.

The plan would prevent schools from seeking funds for social services such as family counseling, medical and dental care and possibly even free breakfast programs.

Earlier in the day, however, a majority of trustees said they favored the idea.

“We’re not a fast-food chain; we’re an educational institution,” Trustee Max Reissmueller said before the meeting, referring to the federally funded school breakfast program that is offered at 21 of the district’s 36 schools. “I don’t think we were designed to be a welfare system, and I’d rather see our staff spend their time on academics.”

If the policy is approved, schools will not be required to immediately cease their social service programs. But the policy would prevent them from applying to renew the grants when funding expires.

At Lampson Elementary, where three-fourths of all students live in poverty, parents and school officials fear the worst because the school already provides extensive social services through its Heart to Heart program. Using private and government grants, the school offers free counseling to troubled children and families, medical and dental care, adult English and parenting classes and after-school recreation programs.

“I think it’s finally starting to hit home with me that the board doesn’t really understand what we’re doing at Lampson,” said parent Gisela Meier, a volunteer grant writer for the Heart to Heart program. “I’m angry, because we’ve worked for five years on this project and there’s been a lot of thought, effort, love and dedication.

“I’m definitely concerned that the board is taking a swing too far to the right and ultimately, that will be harmful to our schools.”

The board’s proposed plan has alarmed many parents and community leaders, who believe the district’s conservative school board members have become too extreme in their views. About 50 people attended Thursday’s board meeting to show their support for Lampson’s programs. Some wore red Lampson T-shirts and waved signs saying, “We love our kids!! Don’t you?” Eight people spoke against the policy.

“We came here tonight because we are worried,” said Ryan Millhollin, a fourth-grader at the school. “We hope we can keep our special program because students need these services.”

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The school board decided to draft a policy to ban nonacademic grants after Lampson Elementary received $25,000 from the philanthropic Weingart Foundation to help pay for a counselor and a family resource center on campus.

After accepting the grant on a narrow vote at its Jan. 11 meeting, some trustees vowed to scrutinize all future grants for services that the board believes families should provide.

“I would be opposed to anything that detracts from the focus of education,” Trustee Martin Jacobson said prior to the meeting. “I also believe these programs take the responsibility away from parents. I think it’s wrong for people to look at schools as being responsible for taking care of their children’s needs.”

Earlier in the day, Trustee Maureen Aschoff said: “I think it is part of the Republican agenda. I don’t think this is extreme. The schools have become overwhelmed with responsibilities. The voters and the citizens are ready for a change.” At the meeting, she said she would be willing to seek a consensus with parents and school officials.

Stuart Biegel, a UCLA law and education professor, said the school board’s actions “do sound unusual,” but not surprising, considering different philosophies people have toward education.

“The more traditional people believe schools should focus only on the basics of reading, writing and math and should not get involved in social services,” he said. “I don’t believe the majority of people in this country agree with this position, but there’s certainly a sizable number in any given community who might.”