L.A. School District Reorganizes

The school board voted unanimously April 11 to break up the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District into 11 mini-districts, with each having its own superintendent.

The plan calls for shrinking the district's 2,000-person central office by more than 800 positions, and transferring many of these employees to the new local districts, each with 50 to 75 schools. About 300 jobs would be eliminated through retirements, voluntary departures and elimination of vacant jobs. Officials project savings of $46 million from the district's $7.7 billion budget.

The reorganization of the nation's second largest school district was spearheaded by interim Superintendent Ramon Cortines. Its goals are to give schools better access to resources; to improve communication between parents and teachers and to focus attention on student achievement, especially reading.

"Student achievement is the only reason to reorganize," said school board President Genethia Hudley Hayes. "We've failed every sector of our youngsters."

Cortines, a former schools chief in New York City and San Francisco, was chosen last year to head the district temporarily, pending a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent. But since taking control in January, he has moved aggressively to reorganize the district and has placed new emphasis on improving reading skills. Cortines will appoint the district superintendents from a list of finalists recommended by local community panels. The new general superintendent will oversee the superintendents of the mini-districts. Officials expect the plan to be implemented by July, when the new school year begins.

	Related Links Download the entire LAUSD reorganization plan (This is in PDF format, Acrobat Reader needed) L.A. Unified Gets Dismal Ratings From Public, Poll Says

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