Parents, teachers and students from 42 Los Angeles Unified School District-affiliated charter schools took to the streets Tuesday, Nov. 10, to fight a district plan that would eliminate roughly $100 million in supplemental funding serving nearly 25,000 students.
The money comes from a Charter Block Grant that LAUSD has long provided to affiliated charter campuses that predate the 2012-13 school year. Organizers describe the annual allocation as worth roughly $10 million, though the district has not clarified the exact figure. What’s clear is the scale of the cut: across the 42 schools, it amounts to the equivalent of about 112 full-time staff positions gone.
Demonstrations started at 7:30 a.m. with rallies at 10 charter campuses. Families then converged outside LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m., ahead of public comment before the Board of Education at 3:30 p.m.
At Riverside Drive Charter Elementary in Studio City, parents estimate their school alone stands to lose nearly $500,000 and at least 12 staff positions.
Parents Say Safety Is on the Line
Families aren’t just worried about bigger class sizes. They’re asking who will be watching their kids when something goes wrong.
“So who’s going to watch our kids at recess if there’s an emergency drill, whether it’s a fire drill, an earthquake, or a lockdown?” one parent told ABC7. “We don’t have enough people in the yard to supervise our kids, and you’re asking me to send my 4-year-old to school? You promised that you would keep my kids safe and help them learn. So why is LAUSD cutting the funding?”
The affiliated charter schools remain part of LAUSD, and their staff are district employees, but these campuses have more flexibility than traditional district schools in running their own programs. The supplemental funding dates back to 2013, when California killed its state Charter School Categorical Block Grant and LAUSD began covering the gap out of its own central resources.
District Cites Its Own Fiscal Crisis
LAUSD told The California Post it’s grappling with declining enrollment, rising operating costs, and the loss of one-time federal COVID-19 relief money — pressures the district says have driven a projected $3.6 billion deficit.
“As outlined in the Board-approved Fiscal Stabilization Plan, the District must make difficult decisions and identify ways to reduce costs while maintaining financial stability and preserving local control,” LAUSD said.
The district also framed the cut as a fairness issue, noting the extra money was never given to other affiliated charter schools or to traditional district campuses.
“Because this additional allocation was not provided to other affiliated charter schools or traditional District schools, the change brings greater consistency to how resources are allocated across the District,” the statement said.
LAUSD acknowledged the cuts will hit individual schools differently and said it understands families’ concerns over staffing and services. The district maintains that affiliated charter schools will keep receiving money through norm-based allocations and other existing programs.
With the nation’s second-largest school district facing enrollment declines and a mounting budget hole, officials are hunting for savings across their entire network of campuses. Parents opposing this particular cut say they want the board to reverse course before classrooms lose the staff they say keep kids safe and learning.
