ACLU Investigates Calif. School District Fees

Los Angeles

The American Civil Liberties Union is examining school districts across California to determine if they are illegally charging students mandatory fees, an attorney said Friday.

The ACLU has received reports that cash-strapped districts are levying fees for everything from textbooks to cheerleading squads, which violates the state constitution's guarantee of a free, public education, said staff attorney David Sapp.

The issue is growing due to severe budget cutbacks in state education spending over the past...