California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order suspending residency requirements for students who were attending traditional and charter public schools that have been impacted by the wildfire. While this measure creates so-called “school choice” for wildfire victims, choice advocates wonder why the governor isn’t supporting this option for more students.
“We are using the full force of the state government to respond to the Los Angeles firestorms and ensure recovery for the thousands of residents who have been impacted by this unimaginable loss, including school-aged children,” said Newsom in a statement. “The executive order I signed today will help bring back some sense of normalcy for our youth by eliminating barriers to getting them back learning in school.”
Under existing California law, a student would have only been able to attend a school outside of the district if the pupil had been approved for “interdistrict attendance.” With the new executive order, impacted students will be able to attend other schools for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year.
