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Kept Out of School: Group Home Threatens to File Lawsuit Against Apple Valley School District Over Long Delays to Get Students Enrolled

Posted on: Monday, 6 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Tracie Troha

ight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Mar. 6--APPLE VALLEY --Christine, a 17-year-old living in an Apple Valley group home for foster children, wiped tears from her eyes as she talked about not being able to go to school. "It's horrible. I don't like it," she said. "I feel like I'm missing out on a lot. I feel I should be able to get help with stuff." Christine, whose last name is kept confidential, spent the past two months waiting for acceptance into the Apple Valley Unified School District. She is one of several foster children living in the Alpha Connection residential treatment facility who have faced long delays in being enrolled in school. Barron Wilson, Alpha Connection executive director, said state law requires the foster children to be enrolled in school within two days of their placement in the facility. Yet enrolling these children in Apple Valley schools can take as long as six months. Cathy Smith, Alpha program coordinator, said long delays occur with nearly every child admitted into the treatment program. "It's really frustrating for us," she said. "According to Assembly Bill 490, foster children must be enrolled in school immediately, regardless of whether the paperwork is complete." Superintendent Steven Webb said he was aware of the state law and the district is working to address Alpha Connection's concerns. "AB 490 is a codified requirement," he said. "Unless we receive a complete case file, it's hard to determine placement. Anytime we review a case file that involves a foster child, it involves multiple players to make sure the district is making appropriate placement and identifying needs in the education plan." Webb added that the district also has to consider the safety of the rest of the student body. Since many of the students in Alpha Connection are from the juvenile justice system or the county probation department, they have a history of disruptive behavior. "Obviously we are going to make sure as a receiving system we appropriately receive those students," he said. "We have a duty to make sure our students are safe." Wilson said Alpha Connection is considering filing a lawsuit against the school district on claims of violating the children's rights. "The kids are stigmatized as being troubled or bad kids," Wilson said. "They're stopped at the gate, while newcomers can just walk in and enroll their kids without a problem." Wilson said before a foster child from Alpha Connection is admitted into school, administrators conduct a lengthy review of the child's history. "They try to find out as much information about the kids as possible, but most of the crimes they committed are kept confidential," Wilson said. "Then it takes forever to set up an Individualized Education Plan. They bring school officials and psychologists in to address the educational needs and goals of the kids. Then they determine what school to send them to." In the meantime, Wilson said, the foster children are not allowed to enter a classroom within the district. "My kids are sitting at home and falling grossly behind on academics," Wilson said. "They have been in placement all their lives. We promise the county to provide a good education for them, then we get calls from case workers wanting to know why the kids aren't in school." Another student in the Alpha program, 16-year-old Scharod, has also been waiting for nearly two months to attend school and said the boredom of sitting at home has been getting him into trouble. "I'm already way behind on my credits," he said. Dana, a 15-year-old foster child who was admitted into school after a three-month wait, said she is struggling to catch up on her schoolwork. "My teacher gives me certain things to work on, but I don't know how to do it," she said. "I'm trying, but it's kind of hard." Wilson said he understands the concerns of the district, but he's tired of the long wait for enrollment. "We are trying to work with the district, but they are profiling, and I think it's wrong," Wilson said. Tracie Troha can be reached at 955-5358 or at ttroha@vvdailypress.com. From Here: -- Back to today's news -- News Archive -- Join the discussion at the community forum

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Copyright (c) 2006, Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.

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Source: Daily Press - Victorville, California

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