Marin County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
• Agency Response
Dr. Tracy Smith Novato*
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
Some Marin public schools do not comply with "free public education" law because they ask students or their families to bring supplies to school. Response: We agree with the finding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
All Marin public schools should follow California's "free public education" law. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. All Novato Unified School District (NUSD) schools and classes follow California Education Code 49011 and 56040(a) regarding the provision of a free and appropriate public education.
F2
Schools may not circumvent the "free public education" law by offering families any kind of waiver or exemption option. Response: We agree with the finding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Marin public schools should provide, at no cost to the student or their families, all the supplies, materials, and equipment necessary for students to fully participate at school. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. NUSD schools and classes provide all required supplies, materials and equipment at no cost to students or their families to fully participate at school.
F3
Some Marin public schools distribute supply lists to families that indicate the family can seek a waiver or become exempt from bringing supplies in some specified way. Response: We agree with the finding. Some Marin public schools distribute supply lists to families that are labeled "optional."
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Marin public schools should not distribute school supply lists to students or their families. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. NUSD schools and classes do not provide school supply lists to students or their families.
F4
Response: We agree with the finding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Marin public schools should not distribute school supply lists that indicate the supplies are optional. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. NUSD schools and classes do not distribute school supply lists indicating that the supplies are optional.
F5
Teachers often spend their personal fund to provide supplies, materials, or equipment for students. Response: We agree with the finding. Engage. Inspire. Empower. BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Debbie Butler, Diane Gasson, Julie Jacobson, Magali Limeta, Greg Mack, Ross Millerick, Abbey Picus www.NUSD.org 2 Page | 2 unty Grand JuNovato Unified School District Response to the Marin County Grand Jury Report "A Free Public Education Includes School Supplies"
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The superintendent of each school district should ensure that the schools in their district are in compliance with California law with respect to school supplies. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. The Novato Unified School District Superintendent has directed and ensured that all supplies, materials, and equipment needed to participate in educational activities within NUSD schools and classes are provided free of charge. If a Marin public school chooses to solicit donations of any kind from anyone, whether
* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.