Bay Area teacher can't bypass red tape to replace outdated classroom chairs

SAN LORENZO, Calif. (KTVU) - Some parents in the East Bay are shaking their heads, not understanding why a teacher who raised money to buy new furniture for her students isn't being allowed to use it.

When you step inside Ms. Bellamy's English classroom at San Lorenzo High School, it doesn't take long to find what she's unhappy about.
　
"They're made from metal and wood and the metal has been torn, it has sections that will snag clothing," said Amy Bellamy.
　
Bellamy is referring to the chairs the students sit on. She says they are 60 years old and for the past 3 years she has asked to have them replaced.
　
"They acted like I'd asked for the moon and the stars," said Bellamy. "I was told there are no chairs, there won't be chairs, you need to stop asking. I said 'okay' so I did a GoFundMe. I got about $500 paid for, I paid for the other $200."
　
She went online and bought 24 green chairs still in the wrapping from an online school supply resaler, but her superiors told her she could not bring them to her classroom. So they now sit outside on her apartment patio.
　
"It shouldn't be this hard for something as simple as chairs. It's just rediculous," said Bellamy.
　
The San Lorenzo Unified School District says while they applaud the teacher's fundraising, they're concerned about putting the chairs in the classroom, citing the district's accountability and the purchasing protocol.
　
"These are the things we get audited on so there's a lot of things that would trigger some compliance issues on our end. It's not simply just the fact it wasn't a district-approved vendor," said Assistant Superintendent Annette Heldman.
　
"But wouldn't there be a liability issue with broken-down splintered chairs?" said one parent.
　
Several parents, a school employee and the teachers' union expressed frustration with the district's strict policies.
　
"This school has no money and they can't accept donated chairs either? That's ridiculous," said Dave, whose daughter is a senior at San Lorenzo High.
　
"We have so many really dedicated teachers in our district who would do anything for their kids. This teacher is a hero," said San Lorenzo Education Association President Donna Pinkney.
　
The school district says there are several steps Ms. Bellamy would have to take in order to get the new chairs in the classroom.

In the meantime, they've ordered 151 new chairs and 30 tables that are set to arrive in 2 weeks.