AB-150 Opens Up New Problems

On October 1st of this year, a new law known as AB-150 implemented by the State of California will cause all curricular and extracurricular school activities to drop all mandatory fees. Classes, school clubs, and after school sports will all suffer a financial blow after this law takes effect.  So far there have been mixed reactions about the new law and its future effects from students and teachers at Irvington High School.

“When clubs first start out, they have no money to begin with, so it will be hard for them to plan events,” explained sophomore Michelle Tu. “AB-150 is a bad thing.”

On the other hand, other students believe AB-150 will have be a plus for students.

“In a way I think it’s good, because I don’t have to pay the [mandatory] fees,” said senior Lauren Tam, president of the Irvington Literary Club. “But for the clubs, it’s bad.”

Clubs can only collect an optional donation from members which is not as efficient as requiring mandatory member fee. The Junior Statesmen of America, Speech and Debate, and Key Club are just some of the major clubs on campus who usually charge a mandatory fee in order for members to be part of the national organization.

“You can be in the Irvington [JSA] club for free,” said Mr. Phillips, the teacher advisor for the Junior Statesmen of America club. “But to be in the national [JSA] club you have to pay a fee . . . it’s going to be confusing.”

Some teachers are becoming more and more creative as AB-150 tightens its grip around the fine line between mandatory and optional fees.

“We cannot require lab fees, but we can ask for donations and hopefully get enough,” said Mrs.Paulsen, who teaches Stitchery, Culinary Arts, Parenting, and Creative Clothing. “I don’t like it because in the past, we always made due. Now the law says, no fees for anything.”