La Grange Missteps Aren’t Rare for Schools

By Michelle Hatfield, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Jul. 3–LA GRANGE — The rural La Grange School District is embroiled in controversy over accounting and financial practices, as well as an apparent decision to close its charter school for next year.

Such strife underscores the importance of oversight, training and support offered to smaller school districts by county offices of education.

La Grange’s turmoil comes after a report from the Stanislaus County civil grand jury released last month. The report outlines a number of concerns, including portable buildings placed on campus without state approval, permits or safety inspections; special education serv- ices provided out of compliance with state requirements; student attendance recorded irregularly; lack of a job description or evaluation for the principal-superintendent; and lax oversight by the board of trustees.

The district has until Sept. 1 to respond.

Such missteps are not uncommon for rural, isolated, smaller school districts, which are required to teach the same skills and file the same paperwork with the state as other districts with more staff, said Al Sandrini, interim executive director of the Small School Districts’ Association of California.

With a small staff, checks and balances — those that a governing board or assistant superintendents would provide — become crucial.

State looking at La Grange

In addition to the civil grand jury’s inquiry, the state Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team will look at La Grange’s student attendance accounting and state fund spending, said Don Gatti, county assistant superintendent of business services.

With a population of 250, La Grange thrived during California’s mining days. The district, tucked on the eastern edge of Stanislaus County, has only 15 students living in it.

The school sits on a hill peering over the main street along Highway 132, next to the town’s post office and cemetery. A parched, yellow grass field and playground construction greet students at recess and lunch.

Two years ago, La Grange opened a charter school that attracted students from Mariposa and Tuolumne counties. Enrollment swelled to 70 and a handful of portables were added to the one-building campus.

With expected cuts in state funding, Joseph Magnu, La Grange’s principal-superintendent, recommended closing the charter school this fall to avoid losing money. Even without a charter school, La Grange’s 2008-09 budget of $320,000 shows a $45,000 deficit.

When it looked as though the charter school would be closed, parents and laid-off teachers protested. The group submitted a budget proposal that would keep the charter school, but instead of six teachers, employ two or three. Members said there’s been no response.

Teachers, parents frustrated

Frustrated by what they call deafening silence or apathy, parents and teachers went to the Stanislaus County Office of Education.

County offices of education act as support networks for all county public schools. They assist with instruction, compliance with laws and budget regulations. For many school districts, the offices also are the main providers of special education serv- ices for student needs — ranging from learning disabilities to severe physical disabilities.

Extra support is given to small school districts that don’t have the money to employ staff beyond teachers and custodians. Of Stanislaus County’s 25 school districts, seven fall into this category: Knights Ferry, Roberts Ferry Union, Gratton, Shiloh, La Grange, Paradise and Valley Home Joint.

Sandra Putnam at the Stanislaus County Office of Education acts as chief business officer for the seven districts. The county office holds quarterly meetings to update the seven superintendents on teaching, textbooks, technology and budgets, Gatti said.

La Grange’s Magnu said the county office provides instructional assistance, performs all business services, and handles the district’s mail delivery, student hearing and sight testing, as well as legal counseling and state budget data.

“The delivery of services is a daunting task for any size school district. We do the best we can with the resources that are provided,” said Magnu, who supervised six teachers and taught classes last year.

Training for board members

The county also offers training and workshops for small-district board members. The support from the county office of education is helpful for small-district educators who sometimes lack the practical experience needed to run a district or serve on a governing board.

“Boards will run the spectrum because of a lack of training,” Sandrini said. “They have not been advised of their roles. They rely on their instincts and their own gut feelings. Some misunderstand their role — they follow the superintendent too much; others go beyond their duties.”

District budgets are the only items county offices of education monitor heavily, Gatti said. County officials must respect districts’ autonomy, he said. “They have their own superintendents and their own boards of trustees.”

In California, small school districts tend to have higher test scores than other districts, usually a benefit of small class sizes and individual attention from teachers, Sandrini said.

In tight budget times, some residents talk of combining small districts, but politics, school history and the wish to preserve community significance make that a hard step to take.

“(Consolidation) makes sense from the bottom-line point of view,” Gatti said, “but these communities thrive because these schools are there.”

Bee staff writer Michelle Hatfield can be reached at mhatfield@modbee.com or 578-2339.

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