Stratton v. Board of Trustees

Opinion

PERLUSS, J.* This is an action by a group of parents who seek to enjoin the trustees of Plumas Unified School District from closing the Meadow Valley Elementary School. From a judgment in favor of defendants, plaintiffs appeal.

The single issue presented is the interpretation and application of section 3106 of the Education Code.

Meadow Valley Elementary School is located in the small community of Meadow Valley. It is within the Plumas County Unified School District, and is approximately eight and a half miles distant from Quincy Elementary [421]School in Quincy. Only the first six grades are taught in the Meadow Valley School. Kindergarten and high school students from Meadow Valley are bussed to Quincy.

After the school district unification in 1949, the board of trustees permitted students to attend either the Meadow Valley or the Quincy School as their parents desired. It was found, however, that on occasion children registered at Meadow Valley, unbeknownst to school or parents, would take the school bus to Quincy and attend the Quincy School for the day. At the request of Meadow Valley parents, accordingly, in 1956, the board adopted the policy that Meadow Valley students could attend only the Meadow Valley School and could not attend the Quincy School without special justification.

Some of the Meadow Valley parents ultimately became dissatisfied with this policy for various reasons and wanted to send their children to the Quincy School. In response to their request, the board’s minutes of February 4, 1969, reflect in minute order 4969, “The subject of attendance at Meadow Valley School was thoroughly discussed by the Board, the Administrative Staff, and members of the audience. ... It was moved by Mrs. Bohne, seconded by Mr. Guzenski that the parents residing in the community of Meadow Valley, be given the option of sending their children to either Quincy Elementary School or Meadow Valley Elementary School, but that a parent’s decision, once made on the school of attendance, is irrevocable for that school year. Record vote: Ayes, Guzenski, Bohne, Boss, Garrett. Noes, Rutherford. Motion carried.”

Pursuant to this action, the parents of Meadow Valley exercised their option to send their children to one school or the other for the 1969-1970 school year. During that year, the Meadow Valley School had one teacher and nine students.