Williams Settlement

The Williams Lawsuit Settlement, reached and enacted into law in August 2004, aligns with the current goals of providing equitable educational opportunity and closing the achievement gap in San Bernardino County and throughout California. The Williams Legislation offers an opportunity for county and district superintendents to work collaboratively to support and assist under-performing schools to improve student achievement.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed Williams v. California in 2000 on behalf of the plaintiffs-nearly 100 students from San Francisco County- as a class action lawsuit against the State of California and its educational agencies. The basis of the lawsuit was that public school agencies failed to provide public school students with equal access to instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities and qualified teachers. The issues of equity for poor and minority students, particularly in large and urban school districts, were the crux of the case.

The legislation calls for county superintendents to annually visit deciles 1-3 schools to ensure their compliance with the Williams Legislation and also to report annually to the district governing board, the county board of education and the county board of supervisors on the status of those schools.

Fundamentally, there should be no disparity in the adequacy of textbooks, housing and staffing for California's public schools students. San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools works collaboratively with its districts in a manner that will benefit their students, staff and schools.

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Williams Settlement Legislation
Williams vs. California Settlement