Los Angeles Schools Run Nation's Second Largest District

In terms of numbers, Los Angeles Schools make upSchwarzenegger and the California Department of
the second largest public school district in the country.Finance. It alleged that they had failed to appropriately
Only New York City Schools top them. The issues offund Proposition 98 during the 2004 to 2006 school
running any urban system are complex, but in massiveyears. O'Connell is using the lawsuit's awards to
districts the numbers make efforts even more difficult.provide $2.7 billion to some of California and Los
Los Angeles Schools Struggle with Graduation RatesAngeles Schools' highest risk schools. The funds are
Simply getting students to graduate is a challenge forpart of a program called the Quality Education
the Los Angeles Schools. A 2006 USA Today studyInvestment Act. The funds will provide chosen Los
reported that Los Angeles Schools were amongAngeles Schools with additional per pupil funds of $500
several large urban districts with less than 50% of itsfor k-3rd grade, $900 for 4th through 8th, and $1,000
students gradating from high school on time. Thatfor 9th through 12th . Los Angeles Schools intend to
report put the number of graduates in Los Angelesuse the money for hiring more teachers, addressing
Schools at 44.2%. This is well under the Californiaclass size concerns, professional development, and
state graduation rate of 71%. Another report releasedhiring in-school counselors. Los Angeles Schools are in
from Princeton University in 2005 estimated the lostneed in many areas. The national achievement gap is
income of these dropouts at over $36 billion. Thesehuge here because of a large population of English
numbers are not surprising to educators in the LosLanguage Learners, and a low socio-economic
Angeles Schools. Numerous studies over the yearspopulation. One concern of the Princeton study
have confirmed what Los Angeles Schools teachersmentioned above is that it pointed out huge
know. High School drop-outs are far more likely todiscrepancies in graduation rates between white and
become teen parents, commit crimes, and usenon-white students. African-American students and
government funded social and medical services.Hispanic students have the lowest graduation rates;
Graduates have higher incomes, raise better-educatedand Los Angeles Schools are largely made up of
children, and experience other social benefits. Losthese student minorities. Over 100 Los Angeles
Angeles Schools Receive Funds As the result of aSchools will receive the additional funds over the next
2005 lawsuit filed by State Schools Chief Jackseven years.
O'Connell and the California Teachers Association,Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12,
some of the poorest rated Los Angeles Schools wereproviding free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and
awarded extra funding in May of 2007. The lawsuitprivate K-12 schools.
was filed in 2006 against California Governor