COUNTY SUPERVISORS SEEK CHANGE IN LAUSD PERMIT PLAN

Posted by: Tony Spearman to  myFOXla.com | Text Story by: City News

Tuesday, 30 Mar 2010, 6:48 PM PDT -- The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday sought to modify a plan by the Los Angeles Unified School District to cancel "interdistrict permits," which enable students who live within LAUSD boundaries to go to schools in other districts.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said students should be allowed to finish out their education at their current elementary, middle or high schools before being forced to attend an LAUSD school.

The district should "do this rationally, in a phased-in approach," rather than canceling all transfer permits summarily, Yaroslavsky said.

As proposed by the LAUSD, students enrolled outside the LAUSD would have to transfer to LAUSD schools this summer, unless they have less a year left to graduation or promotion to the next level of schooling.

Superintendent Ramon Cortines and the LAUSD Board of Education are hoping that canceling interdistrict permits will save about $51 million in state funding.

The change is expected to affect about 80 percent of the 12,000-plus students granted interdistrict permits. In Torrance alone, 2,169 students attend school under the transfer permits.

But Yaroslavsky said the LAUSD's gain will be a revenue loss to other districts, calling it a "zero-sum game."

The board voted unanimously to send a letter to the LAUSD asking for the change.

●●smf's 2¢: before anyone gets their knickers in a twist about the County Supes minding their own business one needs to consider:

1. The County Supervisors are the appointing authority for the County Board of Education, which oversees the Los Angeles County Office of Education – which in turn oversees all school districts in LA County – including LAUSD and the other districts who ‘receive’ LAUSD permit students.
2. LACOE is in charge of overseeing all school district budgets. LA County collects and disburses all revenues for all school districts and actually writes the checks for all school districts in the county.
3. Should any LA County school district fail fiscally it is LACOE that would declare it insolvent take it over as receiver in cahoots with FCMAT – the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

please also see this: SCHOOL CHOICE? DISTRICT RESTRICTS STUDENTS ABILITY TO CHOOSE