1/5/05 Lompoc students will soon see a new feature in every classroom in the form of a posted notice that tells them how to register complaints about the adequacy of their school facilities, teachers and materials.

The signs, expected to appear this month, are the first visible results of a sweeping settlement made in August in the Williams v. California class action lawsuit, which charged that schools across the state were lacking basic provisions, including adequate facilities, teachers and materials.

As a result of the settlement, each public school in California must have in place a uniform complaint process that specifically deals with basic provisions public schools are required to provide. Likewise, each classroom must have a displayed notice that informs students about the process.

Students and parents can file complaints, in person or anonymously, about school deficiencies with their school principal. Principals must fix valid complaints within 30 days. If not satisfied with the resolution, the student, parent or teacher may file an appeal to the school board or the district superintendent, or for facilities problems directly to the state Allocation Board. School districts will provide public summaries of all complaints and their resolutions quarterly.

Notices should begin appearing this month in classrooms in Lompoc Unified School District, said Ann Gary, LUSD superintendent.

The Williams lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of nearly 100 San Francisco County students who filed suit against the state and state education agencies. It charged the state with reneging on its constitutional obligation to provide students with bare essentials necessary for education. The settlement is enacted by a four-bill legislative package that covers a broad scope of issues regarding facilities funding, instructional materials, teacher credentials and public reporting to the School Accountability Report Cards, among other issues.

The settlement specifically targets schools that are ranked in the lowest tiers of the state's Academic Performance Index. Arthur Hapgood and Clarence Ruth Elementary are the only two schools in LUSD in those low tiers, which makes them eligible for additional funding to fulfill any requirements named in the settlement.

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"Hapgood and Clarence Ruth qualify in ranking, but I don't know if money will flow that far," Gary said. "We're talking about big districts like L.A."

Both schools are eligible to receive settlement money for critical facilities repair and costs for oversight activities. Hapgood is eligible for settlement money targeting instructional materials.

While advocates have praised the settlement as a landmark case that ensures recourse for students suffering in inadequate schools, critics say that the settlement doesn't have the financial muscle to stretch across 2,300 struggling schools.

"It's not going to be the panacea that some people think," said Jack O'Connell, state superintendent. "It's going to take more money to help some of those very challenged schools."

A San Francisco Superior Court judge is expected to give final approval of the settlement March 23. Any parents or students of state public schools have until Feb. 15 to file objections to the planned settlement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Staff Writer Mark Baylis can be reached at 736-2313, Ext.105 or by e-mail at mbaylis@pulitzer.net.