Does the punishment fit the crime? You are adjudicated a felon because you used your ex-spouse's residency so that your kids can go to a better school. How far would you go to get your children into a better public school? The best intentions of one Ohio woman landed her in jail.
In a highly unusual case, Kelley Williams-Bolar, a single mother who lived in Akron public housing, was convicted of lying about her residency in order to send her two daughters to a highly-ranked school. Her sentence, which inflamed emotions in the community, was 10 days in jail.
Kelley Williams-Bolar's attempt to provide her daughters with a better education has landed her behind bars. She was convicted of lying about her residency to get her daughters into a better school district. "It's overwhelming. I'm exhausted," she said. "I did this for them, so there it is. I did this for them."
Williams-Bolar decided four years ago to send her daughters to a highly ranked school in neighboring Copley-Fairlawn School District. But it wasn't her Akron district of residence, so her children were ineligible to attend school there, even though her father lived within the district's boundaries. (Couldn't the kids have lived with him?) The school district accused Williams-Bolar of lying about her address, falsifying records and, when confronted, having her father file false court papers to get around the system.
Williams-Bolar said she did it to keep her children safe and that she lived part-time with her dad. "When my home got broken into, I felt it was my duty to do something else," Williams-Bolar said. While her children are no longer attending schools in the Copley-Fairlawn District, school officials said she was cheating because her daughters received a quality education without paying taxes to fund it.
"Those dollars need to stay home with our students," school district officials said.
The Sentence Intended as Deterrent
The district hired a private investigator, who shot video showing Williams-Bolar driving her children in the district. The school officials asked her to pay $30,000 in back tuition. Williams-Bolar refused and was indicted and convicted of falsifying her residency records. She was sentenced last week to 10 days in county jail and put on three years of probation.
"I'm not going to give up on my education," said Williams-Bolar, who plans to appeal the conviction. But the judge said as of now, she can't become a teacher. "Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today," the judge said. "The court's taking into consideration that is also a punishment that you will have to serve."
She will also be required to perform community service "I don't think they wanted money," Williams-Bolar said. They, the school district, spent about $6,000 to bring Williams-Bolar to trial, a sum that included hiring a private investigator to follow her and her children.
Copley-Fairlawn Superintendent Brian Poe said the district has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because of children illegally enrolled in its schools. The cases are usually resolved by parents proving they live in the district, taking their kids out of the schools or paying tuition of about $800 a month, the station reported.
Williams-Bolar's case was the first residency challenge to reach a criminal courtroom, but Poe said it was to send a message. "If you're paying taxes on a home here ... those dollars need to stay home with our students," Poe said, according to the station.
The sentence puts Williams-Bolar's teaching career at risk. She is close to graduating with an education degree from the University of Akron and works as a special needs teaching assistant at a high school, the Beacon Journal reported.. They wanted me to be an example." Presiding Judge Patricia Cosgrove acknowledged as much.
Here's the rub. Teachers are needed, especially special education teachers. So because this woman wanted her kids to go to a better school she is now a felon and most likely will never be able to be a teacher. Is this really an appropriate punishment? I think not.
