Anderson School District Votes for Parents, Boots Community Schools

Written by Katie E. Gorman

Shasta County’s Anderson Union High School District Board led by Trustee Jackie LaBarbara set a statewide precedent last week to become the first California public school system district to refuse a big cash infusion to sell-out parents’ rights to make their child’s healthcare decisions.

The State of California took $4.1 billion of Covid-19 funding in 2021 to implement the ‘California Community Schools Partnership Program’ aimed at transforming local schools into social service hubs controlling “wraparound services.”

During the Biden administration, Community Schools federal funding increased five-fold to support of what Biden claimed would help “families, students, and their surrounding communities to not only improve student academic performance, but also solve problems beyond the classroom and campus walls.”

Fort Miller Middle School in Fresno was heralded as an early adopter of Community Schools. By joining the program, administrators highlighted that they were able to offer clothing, hygiene and snack closets; a backpack program; washers and dryers for food and clothing pantries; family resource fairs; and a van to transport students living miles away from the school.

Shasta County Office of Education (SCOE) representing 28,145 kindergarten through twelfth graders, joined the program in 2022. The State of California rewarded SCOE with $9.7 million in administrative fees and offered $37 million to entice its local schools to opt-in to Community Schools initiative.

As a potential member of the first Shasta County school consortium, Anderson Union High School District (AUHSD) could have received a stunning $4,084 per student to join the Community Schools gravy train.

Unbeknownst to Trustees, the former AUHSD Superintendent Hopper had used his delegated administrative authority to join the initiative, without engaging in the messy conversations about controversial “It takes a Village” ideological goals of Community Schools.

Instead of funding teachers, tutors, or educational resources; Community Schools grants expand school administrators’ authority to authorize mental health services; reduce school discipline in the name of “restorative justice;” and provide school-based health centers that potentially would be offering reproductive health services, STI testing, and abortion referrals.

When Trustee Jackie LaBarbara, who also sits on SCOE’s board, discovered their former Superintendent’s independent action; the AUHSD Board formally reclaimed its signing authority at a September 17, 2024 meeting. According to LaBarbera:

“I was shocked when I learned Anderson was a California Community School. It happened without the board’s knowledge, which I’m finding out is happening all over California. I’m extremely proud of my fellow board members who pulled the curtain back to see beyond months of emotionally charged public comment and shaming instigated by several districtwide calls to action by administration carrying the agenda of California’s largest teachers' union.”

Following November elections, a New AUHSD Board met on Feb 26^th to consider exiting the Community Schools initiative.

Despite concerted pressure from the California Teachers’ Association leadership to stay the course, Board Chair Staci Adams and Trustee LaBarbera were joined by new Trustees Julia Rinauro and Omana Weeks to be first local school district in California to opt-out of Community Schools.

As the Board meeting adjourned, the room erupted in triumph as parents wiped away tears of relief knowing their rights had been defended. The Teachers’ Association leadership stomped out, shouting the F-word at parents in protest.

But the Anderson parents stood tall knowing their voices had been heard for the first time, in a long time. Their school board had chosen the families, the students, and the integrity of education over government overreach.

In that moment it was clear, Anderson had set a California precedent, a spark that could ignite a movement.