Grim Realities of School Life

By Janice Castro

EAST PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, SUFFERS ONE OF THE HIGHEST homicide rates in the nation. As a result, teachers in the Ravenswood Elementary City School District often find themselves chipping in as much as $500 to help defray the funeral expenses of a student caught in the cross fire. But since minimum expenses for funerals tend to run two to three times as high, the district is facing a grim decision. Next week the school board will discuss whether to buy life insurance for its students in order to make sure that funerals are covered. Since most of the students in the district are poor, district superintendent Charlie Mae Knight is seeking outside contributions to finance the insurance. Says she: "We have a community under siege. We have to take some action."