LAUSD’s $749 Million Gamble

21Mar
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

In another effort to empty out the ocean using only a spoon, LAUSD does it again. It currently finds itself in yet another lose-lose situation. While LAUSD was pinned to the mat by the UTLA teacher strike over teacher salaries and a gamut of all kinds of issues, up to and including blaming public charter schools for virtually everything that is wrong with schools at LAUSD, the district yelled “uncle” to the tune of billions of dollars. The problem with that is that not only does the district not currently have the money to meet its obligations, it also promised to use money (pretend money) in the future which it does not currently have. LAUSD has very few ways to come up with said money.  

As bad as that is, how bad is it that the employees of the district would apparently rather bankrupt their employer than make concessions to keep the district fiscally solvent? It’s all bad and one big mess actually. And it’s also all left for the property owners of Los Angeles to clean this mess with their money. To be clear, property owners already foot the bill for public education. Property taxes are the main source of revenue used to fund public education. Another property tax means that homeowners will provide an additional stream of funding thus paying for the same thing twice with their property taxes. If I still lived in Los Angeles, I would NOT support this bailout.

Somehow, some way, the district will need to come up with over $749 million dollars to fund its recent smackdown.    

Measure EE will be on the ballot in June. If it passes, it will provide an additional $350 million in revenue. Do you see the problem? In addition to crossing fingers on the parcel tax, drastic cuts within the district will also be made. By the way, none of this addresses the fact that there are still some pretty terrible schools throughout LAUSD that won’t be helped by any of this. I guess the actual “education” part doesn’t matter as long as the adults are getting paid.      

 

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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