More Minority Pupils Sought in 24 Schools

Ethnic ratios may be changed at 24 San Fernando Valley schools in order to accommodate more minority students from crowded schools in the East Valley, East Los Angeles, Hollywood and other parts of Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Monday that it wants to change the ratios to allow enrollments of 70% minority students and 30% white students at some campuses. Now, the district adheres to a 60% minority and 40% white ratio.

According to guidelines based on a landmark California desegregation case, increasing minority enrollment to 70% at schools that historically have never had so high a level can be done only if the community says it would not perceive such a school to be racially segregated.

Last spring, the district conducted such a survey at 21 Valley schools, and neither the community nor the faculty objected, district officials said. The campuses adopted the 70%-30% ratio this fall.

The new district study will include an analysis of the racial and ethnic composition of the resident student body at each school, a survey of the school’s staff and administration, an examination of the racial and ethnic composition of students participating in athletics and other extracurricular activities and a survey of community and staff attitudes about the school.

The attitude surveys are conducted in three ways. Administrators and faculty will fill out questionnaires that will be returned to district headquarters. All parents of children at a school will receive a similar questionnaire, which can be returned with their children or mailed to the school. Community organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and fraternal organizations, also will be surveyed.

High schools involved in the survey are Grant High in Van Nuys and Verdugo Hills High in Tujunga.

Junior highs are Frost in Granada Hills, Fulton in Van Nuys, Henry in Granada Hills, Millikan in Sherman Oaks, Mount Gleason in Sunland, Nobel in Northridge, Parkman in Woodland Hills and Olive Vista in Sylmar.

Elementary schools are Chase in Panorama City; Calabash and Lockhurst in Woodland Hills; Danube in Granada Hills; Encino, Erwin, Gault, Lemay and Stagg in Van Nuys; Justice in Canoga Park; Lanai in Encino; Nestle in Tarzana; Sunny Brae in Canoga Park and Vanalden in Reseda.