Council to Help Schools Relieve Overcrowding

The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously to help officials of the Los Angeles Unified School District solve the district’s growing overcrowding problems.

The council agreed Tuesday to set up a joint committee with the district after hearing Board of Education President Jackie Goldberg call for an end to the “historic separation between our decision-making.” The committee will look into ways that the two governing bodies can work together to find new school sites, replace housing lost to new schools, plan for future enrollment and lobby in Sacramento. Goldberg said it is important for the council to consider school needs when deciding zoning and planning issues.

Several council members applauded Goldberg’s efforts. Overcrowding in the schools “is a critical, critical problem. . . . We have only seen the tip of the iceberg on this problem,” Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said.