Posted on 04/12/2006 10:41:36 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
There is new evidence that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has misled voters as to the actual need for its gargantuan and highly expensive building program. The district's latest estimates show that enrollment in the nation's second largest school district is declining much more rapidly than previously revealed. The precipitous decline could result in some of the schools now being built with bond money sitting as empty and useless as Saddam Hussein's former palaces.
The reaction of most citizens of Los Angeles to the mere mention of LAUSD is intense disgust.
After all, this district has built a reputation of mismanagement that has gained national attention, with actions like committing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to build a high school on an abandoned oil field that is leaching toxic chemicals.
In spite of this, the district has been able to win approval of four school bond measures since 1997 with a face value of nearly $14 billion -- bonds that will cost taxpayers almost $28 billion when interest is paid.
To pass all of these bonds, which cumulatively will cost most homeowners many hundreds of dollars, the LAUSD has argued that the money is critically needed to update and repair facilities and to relieve overcrowding.
When taxpayers examined arguments for the most recent bond, last November's Measure Y, they found that the LAUSD's own budget documents revealed that the district was in the midst of a significant long-term decline in enrollment.
Based on this information, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association stated in the ballot argument against the bond that billions of dollars from previous bonds remained unspent and that the prudent thing to do, based on the district's estimates that it would need to provide space for fewer students in coming years, would be to delay an additional bond until more demographic information is available regarding future enrollment.
Lawyers, who also helped draft the bond for the school district, filed suit in the name of an LAUSD parent charging that claims of a "long-term trend of declining enrollment" were "false and misleading" and must be deleted from the ballot book. After reviewing the LAUSD's own documents that showed that enrollment began to decline in 2002 and would continue to decline into 2009 -- a total of nearly 30,000 students -- the judge ruled that the argument would remain as written.
Now the other shoe has dropped. The LAUD has just released its latest enrollment estimates showing a decline of over 100,000 students over the next 6 years. Ironically, the just passed Measure Y promised to provide space for 20,000 new students, while the district will be losing nearly 20,000 students per year.
When asked why they would push another bond when the need for the additional classrooms could not be clearly demonstrated, several school officials commented to the press that there was a desire to take advantage of the ability of Superintendent Roy Romer, the charismatic former Colorado governor who plans to retire later this year, to sell bonds to Los Angeles voters.
One district department head was philosophical about the enrollment decline, saying that it would allow the district to address overcrowding ahead of schedule. Obviously true, but the real question now is will the 20,000 seats made available by the latest bond, and the several hundred thousands seats being paid for by the previous three bonds, actually be filled? Since Los Angeles area officials are now committed to spending billions to house the homeless, is it too far a stretch to say these facilities may end up as homeless shelters?
Roy Romer would like to be remembered as the LAUSD's "Great Builder". And using his salesmanship skills, he has certainly delivered as the "rainmaker" that school officials were seeking. However, in future years, taxpayers are more likely to remember him as the guy who unleashed a torrent of taxes to pay for empty classrooms.
bttt
Amazing!
The liberal abortion rate and early death rate (aids/drug) are out stripping the illegal alien increases in the LA area.
So what? Money grows on trees, right?
If only the L.A. liberals would get mad enough to vote out every person responsible for this scam.
The schools will fill back up once Amnesty passes.
(shudder)
All of you stop complaining...it's all for the CHILDREN!!
This is sickening, yet so typical of the outright incompetence that exists at LAUSD.
Where's Nancy Pelosi harping about a "Culture of Corruption?"
And despite this, Arnie's $222 Billion dollar plan included another $60 Billion for schools ($48 Billion for K-12),
much of which would be slotted to LAUSD.
Maybe the illegals are smart enough to realize the education they get from LAUSD is worth what they pay for it in taxes, and don't bother sending their kids to be brainwashed.
Free baby sitting, lunches, school nurses and other bennies are the big attraction at first.
If and when they can afford private school, they send their kids to private school.
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