State Law: Parents Shouldn't Pay For Extra Curricular Activities

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) --  Parents usually foot the bill for their students' extra curricular activity fees, but a decades old state law says they shouldn't have to.

"Economy is not in a good situation as it is, so we're having to come up with money we don't really have," says Michelle Davis.

But according to parents like Michelle, schools want that money, and physics to football programs are feeling that school fees in public schools are on the rise.

"California school children have had a constitutional right to go to school for free, since basically our state's founding," says Tiffany Mok, ACLU.

Now, in a settlement agreement in a case filed by the ACLU, school districts across California will have to make that even more abundantly clear, giving notice that any money or supplies asked for can be denied by parents and students.

"Do you think that the school districts make it clear that these are donations and they're absolutely not required?" asked CBS13 reporter Derek Shore.

"No, because the way it was stated it needed to be paid," says Davis.

While schools may ask for donations, they cannot require them.  Those donations include extra curricular activities like sports.

But, the San Juan School District says they aren't concerned about it.

"I don't see any major concerns with anyone of the programs in our district at this point, again as I've said, we've always operated on the policy that it needs to be a donation, and parents are not required to provide that donation," said Trent Allen, San Juan School District.