L.A. Schools Note Drop of 5,000 Pupils

Los Angeles Unified School District enrollment has fallen more than 5,000 students since October, continuing a downward trend that has defied district projections.

Enrollment last fall rose by 2,000 students to 592,273, about 12,000 short of the number district officials had expected.

The latest enrollment report, which was based on information gathered during the first week in March, showed total enrollment had dropped 1% or 5,677 students, for a total of 586,596.

Pattern of Growth

The Los Angeles district had grown by more than 20,000 pupils between 1985 and 1987, and officials say they are still anticipating massive growth over the next several years.

District spokesman William Rivera said enrollment usually drops at mid-year. But this year’s decline was slightly more than double the decrease the district experienced last year.

Although district officials were not sure of the reasons for the decline, they speculated that uncertainty caused by the federal amnesty law for undocumented aliens may be a major factor.

The sharpest declines occurred in the heavily Latino regions of the district--the East San Fernando Valley, East Los Angeles and the southeastern area encompassing South Gate, Bell and Huntington Park.

Eleven other school districts out of 95 in Los Angeles County have reported smaller-than-expected enrollment increases, said Robert L. Grossman, director of communications for the county superintendent of schools office.

The 11 districts--Pomona, Montebello, El Monte City, El Monte Union, San Gabriel, Hacienda-La Puente, Pasadena, Garvey, Baldwin Park, Covina Valley and Inglewood--all have substantial Latino and Asian immigrant communities.

County education officials had projected an increase of 26,000 to 28,000 new pupils countywide, but only 11,000 additional students enrolled last fall.

A DECREASE IN SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Enrollment in Los Angeles Unified School District schools has dropped by more than 5,000 since October, although officials are not sure why. The drop follows disappointing enrollment figures reported last fall when 12,000 fewer students than expected were in class at the beginning of the school year. Losses are shown in parentheses.

CHANGE IN ENROLLMENT BY GRADE

Enrollment Change Enrollment Change 1987 to 1988 1986 to 1987 School Level Students Percent Students Percent ELEMENTARY Kindergarten 1,215 2.5% 1,431 3.0% Grades 1-3 (1,082) (0.7%) 100 0.1% Grades 4-6 (811) (0.6%) (205) (0.2%) Ungraded 699 12.4% 728 13.4% Total 21 0.0% 2,056 0.6% SECONDARY Junior High Schools (1,524) (1.3%) (436) (0.4%) Senior High Schools (5,976) (4.7%) (5,101) (3.9%) Total (7,457) (2.9%) (5,582) (2.2%) ALL SCHOOLS K-12* Total (7,457) (2.9%) (5,582) (2.2%)

* Includes special education, continuation, opportunity schools

CHANGE IN ENROLLMENT BY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT REGION

Area of City Students % A Watts to San Pedro (40) (0.1) B Southeast L.A. (500) (0.8) C Central Los Angeles (11) (0.1) D West Los Angeles 6 0.0 Area of City Students % E So. San Fern. Valley (195) (0.3) F No. San Fern. Valley 150 (0.2) G Downtown/East L.A. (313) (0.6) H Northeast L.A. (885) (1.7)