HOW INDEPENDENT IS CCSA’S “INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE FOR RODRIGUEZ AND DID HIS STUDENTS FOOT THE BILL?

Contact: Dan Nyaradi Cell: 541-480-4948 2/23/15   HOW INDEPENDENT IS CCSA’S “INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE  FOR RODRIGUEZ AND DID HIS STUDENTS FOOT THE BILL? Los Angeles – According to its website, membership in the California Charter School Association (CCSA) is five dollars ($5.00) per child per year. The Partnership to Uplift Communities (PUC) is a charter chain opened in 1999 by Dr. Ref Rodriguez. In 2014 alone, PUC schools contributed over $21,000.00 to CCSA, with more anticipated in 2015 as two new PUC schools were opened. Assuming each PUC school joined CCSA in a timely manner, and that dues have been consistent and paid, PUC charter schools have given about $140,000.00 to CCSA over the years. Are tax dollars meant for student learning flowing to the charter lobby group from PUC classrooms? Or, is the $20,000.00 per year paid to CCSA considered a tax-deductible contribution from Rodriguez similar to a business association or a 501c3? Furthermore, Rodriguez currently sits on CCSA’s Board of Trustees according to PUC’s website (2/25/15). So, again, one must ask, how independent is CCSA’s “Independent Expenditure” on Rodriguez?   PUC School Year Opened 2014 Cumulative Dollars         PUC CALS 2000 $1530 $19,335 PUC CALS HS 2003 $1165 $12,400 PUC Early College 2004 $2200 $16,895 PUC ES Community 1999 $0 $600 PUC Community Middle PUC ECALS PUC Excel PUC Inspire PUC Lakeview PUC Lakeview HS PUC Milagro PUC Nueva Esperanza PUC Santa Rosa PUC Triumph PUC Triumph HS 1999 2011 2006 2014 2004 2010 2004 2009 2010 2007 2010 $1740 $2060 $1595 $0 $1765 $1560 $1440 $1730 $1065 $1730 $1460   $21,905 $4,805 $10,900 $600 $11,895 $4,545 $11,230 $6,475 $4,975 $9,970 $3,655       Over $140,000.00 Sources: http://www.calcharters.org/services/membership/school.html, the California Department of Education http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ and PUC’s websitehttp://www.pucschools.org/about/founders.php)   ###   Paid for by Re-Elect Bennett Kayser for School Board 2015 – 419 North Larchmont Blvd., #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004 – ID #1361502 – Additional information is available at Ethics.lacity.org – Bennett2015.com – (323) 283-5574