MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA'S SCHOOL REFORM BUDGET

from LA TIMES HOMEROOM BLOG

July 1, 2008 - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school reform effort hopes to spend $15.5 million this coming school year to benefit the 10 schools it will oversee. This plan would require close to $6 million in additional fundraising. Here are some highlights from Howard Blume, whose story on Villaraigosa's plan is here:

Partnership support team and office expenses: $4.043 million     $202. per student

Technology: $1.475 million   $74. per student

Student interventions: $1.391 million  $70. per student

Staff training: $820,000    $41. per student

Building school culture: $765,000    $38. per student

"Scholarly" uniforms: $693,000   $35. per student

Facilities improvements: $500,000   $25. per student

Parent and community meetings: $201,000  $10. per student

Transportation for field trips: $100,000    $5. per student

Source: Budget documents

The partnership proposes to spend about $775 more than than LAUSD spends on each student; ironically that is almost exactly the amount the state has reduced in per pupil spending from last year to the District (including the  partnership schools).

This projected expenditure - of which 38% remains to be raised - comes from city hall and seems to be missing the promised participation and input from the school communities themselves. It brings accounting practices and accountability to a whole new level. -smf