‘57% on Welfare Lack Basic Skills’
It is interesting to note that the State of California is willing to spend $300 million annually on a Workfare program when “an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure.”
Los Angeles Unified School District year-round-school Fair Avenue (North Hollywood) received notification last month that $102,000 of special funds for school improvement, bilingual education, and Chapter 1 (federal program for disadvantaged children) programs will end July 1.
Specifically, this means that the 130 children who attend daily classes in remedial reading, transitional reading (Spanish to English), and ESL (English as a Second Language) will no longer have these special opportunities available to them. The new school year starts July 1, and the money will no longer be available to these students. The programs are not being cut; they are being eliminated!
Schools can provide appropriate education to help prevent welfare dependency, but it takes dollars to do it. Why are our funds being cut? Does our state prefer to wait until the damage is done? Why not nip this gigantic problem now? Help! Help! Help!
MARI SZULGA
Northridge
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