Board to Vote on New Study of Ethnic Mix at 15 Schools

The Board of Education is scheduled to vote in two weeks on a plan to study changing the ethnic composition at 15 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, 10 of them in the San Fernando Valley.

The new proposal, similar to one defeated by the board in January, calls for surveys of parents and faculty at each school to find out if they believe the district would be creating segregated campuses if ethnic ratios were changed to allow enrollments of 70% minority students and 30% white students.

The district operates under court-approved desegregation guidelines that established a ratio of 60% minority students to 40% white at most schools. Changing the ethnic composition would allow the district to place more minority students from overcrowded campuses at the schools.

The board is scheduled to vote April 4 on the proposed study.

Two months ago, the board voted against a similar plan to study increasing the ethnic ratio to 70%-30% at 27 schools.

Board members decided to abandon the proposal after they could not agree on a list of schools to study.

The new plan “is exactly the same as the other proposal,” district spokesman Bill Rivera said Monday, except it involves fewer schools.

Seventy-six schools, 53 of them in the Valley, have had their ethnic ratios changed to 70%-30%. District officials said they believe the changes would stand up in court, although there have been no legal challenges.

The Valley schools named for possible study in the latest proposal are: Bertrand Avenue Elementary in Reseda, Burbank Boulevard, Rio Vista and Toluca Lake elementary schools and Reed Junior High School in North Hollywood, Andasol Avenue Elementary in Northridge, Harding Street Elementary in Sylmar, Lassen Elementary in Sepulveda, Limerick Avenue Elementary in Canoga Park and Canoga Park High School.

Other schools named for possible study are: Chapman Elementary in Gardena, Dana Junior High in San Pedro, Brockton Avenue Elementary in West Los Angeles, and Laurel and Rosewood elementary schools in Hollywood.