L.A. school board approves huge budget cuts

The L.A. Unified School Board approved a budget this afternoon that includes nearly $1.6 billion in potential cuts over the next three years.

The budget includes nearly $132 million in cuts for the district’s current fiscal year and about $143 million for the next year, and will result in less transportation, larger class sizes and layoffs.

The measure passed by a 5-2 vote, with board members Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte and Julie Korenstein voting against it.

Protesters had gathering at L.A. Unified headquarters to voice their displeasure over the school district’s budget.

Unified officials have already slashed almost $570 million from this year’s books, stopped offering most summer school classes and issued preliminary layoff notices to nearly 2,200 teachers in an attempt to balance the budget.

Protesters, including parents and district staff as well as union officials, have urged the district to preserve class size and not lay off teachers by focusing cuts away from school sites and using more federal stimulus money.

-- Jason Song at LAUSD Headquarters

Comments

[Dick Diamond]

I see how many teachers will be laid off. How many administrators will lose their jobs? Not too many, I trust.

[anonymous]

The LAUSD just voted to eliminate Art and Music from our schools. This is the worst decision I have ever heard of. Do they not realize that music is the most practical application of math and science there is? Music is about counting, understanding fractions (time signatures and tempos), working together and setting aside cultural differences, and personal discipline, not to mention developing personal creativity and expression. I guess now art and music will be only for the elite schools and students who's parents can afford private lessons. What a bunch of morons!.. Unbelievable!

[Marlena Sanchez]

How many administrators and their staff were laid off - that is where the cuts should begin - then cut everything else - teachers should be last on the list nor first.

[Captain Obvious]

Why not just stop teaching illegal aliens?

[Richard M]

Good. Cut more and let them increase the size of the class as much as they can. The sooner they realize that the illegals are taking up all the space and our tax dollars, the better off we will be. Once the problem becomes too big, maybe then they will start charging non-contributors for sending their students to our schools like every other country does to outsiders.

[joe s]

the administrators need to own up to their mistakes, and would someone please take a look at the accounting division of LAUSD, also its time for administration to get out of the wells fargo tower, renovate a old school and go to work, parking should be free! lausd should be ashamed of itself,
WHAT A FAILURE!

[paula hurdle]

LAUSD is obese and the fat that it needs to cut it doesn't With thousands of teacher layoffs, how many administrators and out of class personnel were cut? Not many if any. Until the school board gets its priorities together(i.e. Students and teachers are the bread and butter of the district) all other personnel are just support. If priority is not given to students and the teachers that educate them, then we will continue to fail in unified.

[WritingOn TheWall]

I'm sure this will be good for home prices for homes smothered by LAUSD. Not.

[Eric]

Maybe the teachers should agree to all take less in salary. Then they wouldn't have to lay off teachers. But no, the teachers union is too greedy to do that. They are paid way to much money to have such a high drop out rate.

[jubilee shine]

yes how many administrators get axed??

& how many of the high paid outside consultants??

let us know.

[Eric]

Another thing, you teachers and union workers voted in all the democrats and liberals who ruined California's budget. The pay of union workers in the state of California is one of the biggest problems in California's budget. NOW, you too get to face the consequences of having a recession. Every other industry has suffered. Welcome to the club. Now this twice about the people you vote for.

[rst2536]

Please see "DUNCES PART 1" on http://poemsonaffairsofstate.blogspot.com/2007/04/dunces.html

[TruthHound]

No sympathy for Teachers and their thug unions...especially when they can pull krap like this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090622/ap_on_re_us/us_rubber_rooms

[LOUI]

They axed teachers and ask us to be nation of competitiveness, In God Sake Tell Me How???

[Joan]

If we focused on Illegal immagration, there would not have to be budget cuts in the state, or the city. Wake up! and help the citizens of the USA.

[Carlos Fuentes]

Reconquista! We shold bus our children to Beverly Hills schools and make privledged children go to LAUSD schools in Watts. Not until then will anything change. Bring back bussing! Why should my children go to bad East LA schools? Everyone should be treated equal.

[RICHARD]

Eric is an ASS! Big dropout rate? If parents would support teacher more aggressively then there would not be such a dropout rate. Most students in LAUSD have parents that don't give a damn. Not all, but most. As far a salary, they already make a notoriously low salary. They deserve more for what they have to go through. Before you start barking Eric, make sure you're at the right tree, idiot.

[Carol]

I, too, would like to know exactly how many administrators and out of classroom personnel will be cut.

We have far too many out of classroom personnel on school campuses, as well. When push comes to shove, it is only the teachers who will be missed in layoffs. 100% of teachers' time is in student contact. How much time does any other position spend with the kids?

[Craig Francisco]

The LAUSD has no business enrolling illegal aliens in it's schools while cutting services for legitimate students. Start requiring parents to show U.S. birth certificates and Social Security cards for their children before they are allowed to enroll in classes.

[IvanG]

I think that we should look into breaking up LAUSD. That would give teachers' unions less power, increase local control so that schools could adapt more easily to their students, and reduce the layers of bureaucracy. I do not perceive that large school districts help produce better-educated students.

[Horrified]

Yes, I would like to know how many administrators will be laid off as well. Why do we need so many administrators at LAUSD? It's time to let them go and have the teachers administrate if needed.

Once again, LAUSD cares more about their jobs than the children.

WELL DONE, LAUSD.

[jules]

"Why not just stop teaching illegal aliens?"

Because illegal alien children have a constitutional right to public education. The Supreme Court said so in 1982.

[Soraya]

Come on Jason Song, everyone's asking, HOW MANY ADMINISTRATORS and CONSULTANTS???

[Bob Johnson]

The most highly paid teachers in the country producing a 50% dropout rate. Of course these failures can't be fired but taxpayers are required to continue funding this nightmare example of liberalism run amok. What a joke

[kileigh]

I guess Mr. Bob Johnson has never worked for LAUSD. As a teacher I am appalled that he fails to see how hard we work! It is NOT our fault there is a 50% dropout rate. Do you really think your hard working taxpayer dollars are paying for my salary? How about all of the cuts that can be made from the top down? How about coming into my school and teaching 180 days with 43 plus kids? You really do not have any idea what teachers are up against. If you think that we don't earn every single dollar, you are delusional. And furthermore, I would not be opposed to furlough days, as well as a temporary freeze on step increases. If it saves jobs, then I'm all for it! Shame on you Bob Johnson! Come and teach for our district and see what it is really like, instead of insulting teachers that are some of the best in the district!

[michelle weldon]

As a teacher I am concerned by these cuts. Right now, my inner city classroom does not have art and music. We take 1 or 2 free field trips, soon to be none, and I am still paying out of my own pocket for things that the students need. I am opposed to furlough days unless it is guarenteed that it will save teacher jobs. The district can't do that. They just want the teachers who have continuously financed their own classrooms to take more cuts. If pay cuts would assure no teacher layoffs, many teachers would agree. We are not greedy, just trying to support our families like everyone else. Could you please tell me what other job would have their employees pay for office supplies to do their work.

[Captain Obvious]

"Because illegal alien children have a constitutional right to public education. The Supreme Court said so in 1982."

Great. Welcome to the cost of that naive idealism.

Meanwhile, middle class citizens who have been funding this debacle have been voting with their feet and leaving California in droves. Who can blame them? Yeah, I know, you couldn't care less.

[mloupe]

Okay I'm the art instructor who has 31 years in the class that got the ax. Yes I have spent $3000.00 per year on art supplies for my kids. I work at a continuation school with reading scores from 2.3 to 11th grade. Imagine 27-30 of these students in one class when we had 10 to 15. I would live the Fire Department to Come to Metropolitan High on the 7th of July. We are keeping teachers who don't have all the credentials because Cortines turned the decision on who to keep to the principal. LAUSD ????????