Attending "wrong" school brings felony conviction

Only in conservaland can a parent be convicted of a felony for enrolling her son in the "wrong" school district.

Not long ago, a woman from Clayton County, Georgia - where the right-wing school system is so bad that it lost its accreditation - decided to move to her sister's home in neighboring Henry County so she could enroll her teenage son in school there.

The result? A felony conviction. Prosecutors charged the woman and her brother-in-law of making a false writing - and they were convicted. Each of the defendants received 5 years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service, and were ordered to pay the Henry County school system the cost of back tuition.

What false writing did they make? If the teen lived in Henry County, how is enrolling him in school there making a false writing?

Are we going to prosecute every family that relocates in the hopes of finding what they believe is a better school system? That's exactly what happened here.

Also, I want to know what the big deal is about trying to attend an out-of-district public school, when the schools in your own district are deplorable. There's a few valid concerns, like tax dollars being spent to educate out-of-town students, but these concerns are pretty minor compared to the ravages of being subjected to a lousy school system. After all, schools not only spend money on each student, but also receive money.

Probably everywhere in America, there is "the school." Almost anyone who wants a public education is stuck with the school in their own district, no matter how bad it is.

The conservative "solution" has been to try to throw money at private schools instead. But conservatives have generally been opposed to letting kids attend out-of-district public schools. They like a captive audience. (If you think conservatives haven't opposed it, my experiences prove otherwise.)

This wouldn't be an issue if school officials would straighten up their act. But I guess they figure it's easier to hold kids hostage.

These days, America's schools often mean no future for our young people.

(Source: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/henry/stories/2009/02/07/felony_henry_school.html)