LAUSD, Other Districts Sue California to Regain Funding

School districts in California are arguing that they’re owed ‘adequate’ funding from the state, with LAUSD alone claiming it’s over $2 billion short.

Los Angeles Unified School district has joined a lawsuit against the state education funding cuts that they claim are illegal, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The suit, filed the California School Board Association, Association of California School Administrators, and several school districts, seeks to force the state to reverse $2.1 billion in funding cut from the 2011-2012 state budget. The plaintiffs believe they are owed the money under a 1998 law passed by ballot that guarantees that the state “adequately” fund education.

“California’s schools and students were shortchanged in the last budget cycle,” said Alice Petrossian, president of the school administrators association. “These cuts violate Prop. 98 and are clearly unconstitutional.”

The named defendants are the state of California as well as the state controller, director of finance and superintendent of public instruction.

H.D. Palmer, who is the spokesman for the California Department of Finance disputed the allegation, saying that the funding level for education hasn’t changed from last year while at the same time other programs were drastically cut to close the state’s $26 billion deficit. The LAUSD claims it has lost over $2 billion due to cuts over the past four years, and had to lay off thousands of teachers and administrators as a result.

“The LAUSD joined this lawsuit to restore more vital funds that had been designated for the LAUSD schools under the voter-approved Proposition 98 formula, but which were cut from the 2011-2012 state budget,” the district said in a written statement.

This is only the latest in a number of skirmishes between the state and LAUSD. Earlier this week, the district filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit against California Governor Jerry Brown and his effort to redirect funding away from local redevelopment agencies and use it for other social programs. The brief was file on the advice of a newly-appointed district board member from Silver Lake, Bennet Kayser. According to EchoParkPatch.com, LAUSD is worried that taking funding away from the CRAs will have a negative impact on a large portion of its student population, 79% of whom qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch programs.

Comments

Roque Burio Jr

November 24, 2011 at 9:40 am

From Roque Burio Jr the lemon who can dance and can also sing.
Here is my song on the the suit for funding filed by LAUSD against the state of California: I think the Legislature of California should conduct investigatiion how LAUSD spent its budget during the past several years. I heard that LAUSD spent $500,000 to make me resign from the district– but the truth is that I recieved only $50,00 in setlements for thecase me for false accusations and charges against me by the said district. What happened to the four hundred fifty thousand dollars? Who got the almost half a million dollars? Does it not that the LAUSD deserves some kind of counter suits from the State of California. I seemto remeber that someone in the LAUSD Office of the Inspector General said They all went to the nawyers. But It seems that I can not recall name of the lawyers.

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Roque Buriio Jr

November 30, 2011 at 9:48 am

From Roque burio Jr. the lemon who can dance and sing:
Here is my doubtful song on LAUSD asking the Court to determine the adequacy of the fund allotted by the Legislature to LAUSD. It seems that LAUSD is asking the Court to have the facility to determine what is adequate and not adequate for its budget which I believe should be the function of legislature.
It is very exciting because the LAUSD will finally and must present evidence to the Court on how it spent its budget that made it inadequate contrary to the determination of the legislature. The legislature has the power to cut budget if it finds that the budget appropriated was excessive or misspent as maybe shown in the expenses of the LAUSD.

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Roque Burio, Jr.

May 16, 2012 at 3:04 pm

From Roque Burio Jr. one of the lemons who can dance but can also sing. Here is my song for the lawyers who are talking out of their ignorance or lack of knowledge on how teachers become tenured at least in LAUSD. Teachers are evaluated by their principals for at least three years or more consecutive years and under the very rigorous observations of administrators. If after those three years or more they come out satisfactory, then they become tenured or permanent. The tenure status of teachers is never automatic as these lawyers are trying to mislead the public. Also all those tenured teachers must have professional Clear Teaching Credential issued by the State of California. My email is burio2sch@yahoo.com if you need more information lawyers.

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