In city that grew on military contracts
$385M cut from L.A. schools budget
By Adrian Garcia
Los Angeles
"Imagine the day schools receive all the money they need
while the military resorts to bake sales for its funding." This
thought-provoking message was prominently displayed on car
bumpers on the streets of Los Angeles a decade ago. Ten years
later, we continue imagining.
The Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD) board
approved $384.6 million in budget reductions on April 30. These
reductions will have especially detrimental consequences for
students of color in inner-city schools.
In a "coincidental" move, on May 10 the House of
Representatives approved the greatest increase in military
spending in decades. The $383 billion--yes, billion--measure
was sent to the Senate for final approval. It's almost exactly
1,000 times larger than the school budget cuts.
Included in the House's generous offer is money for a new
mobile artillery cannon that the Pentagon has explicitly stated
it is not interested in developing. The price for the
development of this self-loading Crusader is $475 million.
Imagine schools receiving money that administrators didn't
ask for?
"It's a whole plot. The budget cuts didn't start with the
district. It's the ruling class's attempt to maintain its
oppressive rule over minorities and those less capable of
defending themselves," commented Juan Fernandez, an LAUSD
fifth-grade teacher, when asked about the school board's
decision to cut the budget.
"The budget cuts will force schools to eliminate enrichment
programs for students and badly needed supplies, like books,"
added another LAUSD teacher who chose to remain anonymous.
The budget cuts approved by the Los Angeles school board
have serious implications for students and teachers alike. A
$48.3-million cut will force an increase in class size up to
two students in grades 4 through 12. Never mind that classrooms
throughout inner-city schools are already overcrowded.
Another $19.2 million in cuts will require special education
classrooms and programs to also increase in class size. Never
mind that special education classrooms and programs have been
suffering from financial neglect for years.
A $17-million cut will eliminate per-pupil surplus funds.
Never mind that students in East Los Angeles are already
required to share textbooks that are in tattered conditions and
that their schools are in grave disrepair.
The most menacing attack directed at teachers is a
$52-million cut of money needed to cover health and welfare
benefits increases. Prior to the proposed budget cuts, teachers
were informed that they should not expect an increase in salary
for the next five years.
The budget cuts proposed by the district will also affect
the number of teacher's aides, nurses and counselors allocated
to schools--this despite claims by Stephanie Brady, LAUSD board
member, that the board did not approve any layoffs.
Despite the budget cuts, Superintendent Roy Romer has
announced his goals for Los Angeles schools: improving reading,
math and professional development opportunities for teachers,
as well as building and expanding schools. As always, students
and teachers are expected to perform without the necessary
funding.
As a result, teachers are leaving the profession. Schools
are in dire need of new teachers. A school union representative
commented that this is exactly what the school district desires
and is promoting. "The school district is purposely trying to
hire a lot of new teachers for the purpose of exploiting them,"
stated a United Teachers Los Angeles representative.
It is essential that members of the working class join
teachers and parents in a united struggle against these
reactionary policies--policies that endanger the livelihood of
children in the richest state in the U.S.
Reprinted from the June 6, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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