Ask an Expert: Judy Goddess
Using California School Law To Advocate For Your Kids

There are rumors of financial mismanagement at our local school district, but we don't know if they're true. We've seen the district's published budget, but it's too general to be helpful. Are school district financial records open to public inspection? How might we get more information without causing trouble for our daughter?

The school district is public and so is its budget. Unfortunately, these budgets tend to be unclear because most districts simply don't report the information clearly. Some districts actually don't even know what's going on with the budgets of their individual schools. This is not a situation the public should have to tolerate.

Therefore I can understand the difficulty you're having understanding your district's budget. If your district does not provide school-based budgets, it's very difficult to understand where any of the money is going. I also respect your concern about not causing trouble for your daughter. One way to look at the situation is to realize that you're fighting for a quality education, not attacking the school district or board. It will also help you (and take some pressure off your daughter) if you can find a group of other parents who are similarly concerned.

First, study the budget as thoroughly as you can. It would be helpful to have an inside source if you want to get fairly accurate information.

Then, if you think money might have been misused, try to interest a reporter on the issue. He or she can ask the questions your parent group may be afraid to ask. (Again, a reporter would be much more likely to get involved if you're working with other parents.) If you can get sufficient publicity — even if that publicity is only through an e-mail chat line — and stay on top of the issue, it's been my experience that eventually the district will feel the need to publicly refute your charges and address your concerns.

One bit of good news is that this situation will change in about a year. At that time a new state mandate will kick in, which will require districts to report their school-specific spending more clearly to the public.

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