Anyway, when I saw the headline and without seeing which high school it was I immediately knew it was Torrey Pines. I mean, that is just normal. You should see of their facilities which have been largely funded by parents. They have an amazing stadium that was built by a local radio station owner when his kid was on the football team. That kind of thing. So this isn't surprising at Torrey Pines.
Now, I'm a capitalist and I usually am in favor of entrepreneurs figuring out how to make money, be it in business or for a fundraiser. So it's difficult for me to criticize this effort. However, I keep picturing paying $5000, parking in VIP parking, and prancing down to the reserved seats up front with my entourage. I mean...that's just sorta slimy. It's privilege run amok. And it's not needed. If you want to donate a bunch of money to the school, do it. But a better idea for the graduation is to park in the lot and troop into the stands like everyone else. You'll feel better and it's a way better example for your kid.
VIP graduation tickets sold for $5K
Some say offering inappropriate, favors wealthy at Torrey PinesBy Lauryn Schroeder
A nonprofit organization associated with Torrey Pines High is offering VIP tickets to the school’s 2018 graduation ceremony — for $5,000.
According to a Dec. 15 email from the Torrey Pines High School Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for extracurricular, artistic and other educational activities at the school, the VIP package comes with 10 field passes for the ceremony and exclusive seats on the field behind graduates.
“Instead of trying to save seats in the smoldering sun for hours before your students’ high school graduation ceremony…celebrate your graduate’s special day relaxed and in style,” the email says.
According to the foundation’s website, the VIP package includes two preferred parking spots and a gift basket with water, snacks, candy, sunscreen and other school-related keepsakes.
“It’s a very popular fundraising tactic but it’s not appropriate,” said San Diego resident Sally Smith. “Making a $5,000 donation in order to have exclusive seating and parking is indeed giving an instructional privilege to people that have the money to make donations of that size.”
The foundation has been offering VIP tickets to the graduation ceremony for years. They were “one of the most popular items” being sold at a 2012 Torrey Pines High School Foundation fundraiser, which included a live auction. A foundation newsletter as far back as 2006 advertised the ticket package, being sold at the time for the smaller cost of $2,500.
Smith last year filed a complaint with San Dieguito Union High School District, arguing that the VIP treatment established a “two-tier educational system.”
“The facts show 700 students did not have reserved parking and seating or gift baskets of goodies and shade, while five students received these VIP privileges,” the complaint said.
California law mandates that public education shall be provided to students free of charge. A 1991 California Supreme Court ruling determined that the high school graduation ceremony is “an integral part of the educational process.”
In its response, the district said the tickets did not violate state law or the education code. Records show the decision was appealed to the California Department of Education, which sided with the district.
“The key is that no student is required to pay a fee in order to participate in a school-sponsored activity,” San Dieguito Union High superintendent Eric Dill said by email. “There is no evidence that any student was denied participation in the graduation ceremony for failing to make a donation or paying a fee to attend.”
The graduation ceremony is open to anyone who wants to attend at no cost, Dill said. The school suggests a limit of six attendees per student, but that’s just a suggestion.
The ceremony for 2018 graduates will be held on June 15 at the Torrey Pines High School stadium, which has a seating capacity of about 5,000.
The right to a free public education — and what that entails — has come into the forefront of discussion in recent years. As the gap between state funding and education costs widened, many schools tacked on fees for education-related supplies and activities, including sports, after school clubs and field trips.
Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012 signed a law that helped strengthen the free-school promise by banning all school fees related to school activities, including after-school sports and clubs and gym class uniforms. The law said providing a mechanism to waive fees for poor students was not enough and did not make the fees legal.
Schools can solicit voluntary donations of funds or property, and issues still arise — including at Torrey Pines.
Torrey Pines parent Wendy Gumb in January filed a complaint with the district arguing that the school’s baseball program violated state law by requiring students to participate in a fee-based club in order to make the official team.
Gumb cited a letter that asked parents to pay a “MINIMUM donation of $650” and encouraged parents to “bring your checkbooks” to the mandatory parents’ meeting. There were concerns that not paying the fees would jeopardize a child’s standing on the school’s official team.
State officials concluded there was not a “pay-for-play” culture in the program, but at the same time acknowledged there were instances when district policies were not followed.
Gumb said district officials don’t understand the type of environment such a fundraiser creates.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Gumb said. “In our district, especially because it’s more of an affluent district, we see this kind of thing all of the time.”
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