The new math in LAUSD: Too many schools

Campus closures and staff cuts haven’t kept pace with the district’s declining enrollment.

- By Howarp BLUME

SYLVIA HERRERA watches from below as her daughter and others enter their classroom at 24th Street Elementary in Jefferson Park.

A steep drop in Los Angeles Unified student enrollment — 27% over about 10 years and 44% over about 20 — has not been matched by a proportionate drop in the number of campuses or employees, one of several markers indicating difficult decisions ahead for the nation’s second-largest school system, a report released Thursday shows.

The contrast is creating a math problem for Los Angeles Unified: how to cut costs while also preserving what’s most important for students — and also best for employees.

The challenge ahead is laid out in a study by the local nonprofit Great Public Schools NOW that acknowledges there are neither perfect nor easy answers.

The loss of students has “profound implications for the district's finances and operations, as fewer students mean less state and federal funding at the district level, resulting in reduced staffing, limited program offerings, and underutilized facilities,” the report states.

At the same time, despite LAUSD losing more than 300,000 students since its peak enrollment 23 years ago, the number of operating schools has declined only slightly, less than 5%, the report says, adding: “This mismatch contributes to underutilized campuses and thinly spread district resources.”

Confronting the enrollment decline also plays out in staffing levels, employee pay and retiree health benefits, among other considerations.

The new report echoes concerns raised by L.A. schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho, although he has yet to fully address the financial implications. In budget presentations over the last few months, he has repeatedly said he must balance a potential future financial crisis with adequately meeting current needs.