VISTA -- Despite some people's concerns that students might be harmed, Vista school trustees removed any possibility Thursday of students leaving campus to attend confidential medical appointments without parental notification.

The Vista Unified School District board voted unanimously at its regular meeting to modify its existing student-release policy. The old policy allowed school authorities to excuse students for confidential appointments without notifying parents.

Also at the meeting, board members discussed expected budget cuts, a proposal opposed by many district employees from bus drivers to classroom aides. Some people carried signs protesting the cuts outside the meeting. The board also sparred over an alleged violation of the state open-meetings law.

Twelve speakers addressed the board on changing the student-release policy, and most were parents who said they would not approve of their children leaving school without their knowledge under any circumstances, especially to seek medical treatment for procedures that could include abortion.

A few speakers said they worried for students who face abuse at the hands of their parents and have no other access to medical treatment.

Dr. John Rott, who said he is a local pediatrician, said California law requires him to treat any minor who comes to him for treatment, regardless of whether or not they have informed their parents.

"Often the kids would rather die than tell their parents," Rott said. "I think the effect on our most vulnerable children will be a negative one."

Dr. David Jones, a family practice doctor with 40 years of experience in Vista, said he often counseled minor patients -- who were unexpectedly pregnant or who had some other medical issue like a sexually-transmitted disease -- to speak to their parents.

"I think parents need to be involved in medical decisions with their kids," Jones said.

Though they acknowledged that some students might have more trouble accessing medical care if their parents had to be notified first, trustees ultimately came down on the side of parental rights.

Board member Steve Lilly said he understood parents who simply could not accept the idea of their children leaving any campus without their knowledge.

"I would have been furious had a school released one of my kids without telling me," Lilly said.

Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com.