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SACRAMENTO-
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said schools cannot force parents to volunteer.
“We encourage parents to volunteer at their schools, but we want to make it very clear that no school can require parents to volunteer in order for a student to enroll in school or participate in an educational activity,” Torlakson wrote.
In fact, it’s illegal for public schools to “remove course credit or privileges related to educational activities,” regardless if it gets students or parents to volunteer or donate.
The state Department of Education issued Torlakson’s statement after questions came in regarding volunteering from parents.
