L.A. school board may rescind furlough days, restore school year

In the wake of the passage of a state tax measure, Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy will call on the Board of Education next week to restore a full 180-day academic calendar and rescind all planned employee furlough days for the current school year.

The passage of Proposition 30 on Tuesday means that current school district budgets across the state are protected from $5.4 billion in cuts that were otherwise scheduled to take effect.

The day after its passage, teachers union officials called  on the district to restore full pay for employees and to bring back a full school year.  Teachers had accepted up to 10 unpaid furlough days — five of them being instructional days for students

“With their strong support of Proposition 30 the voters of Los Angeles County made it clear they want the LAUSD to do what’s best for our youth,” said Deasy, in a statement. “Restoring the full calendar and keeping our employees in the schools is a pivotal step in this effort.”

Proposition 30 will add a quarter-cent to the state sales tax for four years and impose a seven-year tax hike on California's highest earners. The money raised by the measure — up to $8 billion in the current fiscal year — will prevent the planned $5.4-billion cut from primary and secondary schools, as well as a $250-million reduction in each of the state's two public university systems.

The measure passed statewide with 54% of the vote. In Los Angeles County, voters supported the temporary tax increase with a plurality of 60%.

“The voters of this state literally saved us from an educational calamity,” Deasy said.

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-- Stephen Ceasar

Photo: Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy in 2011. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times