SCHOOL REPORT : New Rate Schedule Doubles Some Fees

The L.A. Unified School District’s Board of Education meets the first and third Monday of each month. Important actions and other information about meetings will be included in School Report.

The board voted Monday to adopt a new rate schedule that more than doubles fees charged to some community groups who rent school facilities for meetings, dances, sports activities and other events.

After objections from members of several square dance clubs, which sponsor classes and dances at schools, the board agreed to consider eliminating the custodial fee for groups willing to do their own cleaning.

The new fees, which range from $95 for three hours of classroom rental to $705 for a stadium, are expected to generate about $500,000. Fees had not been increased since 1980. Nonprofit children’s groups, such as Boy Scouts or Camp Fire Girls, will continue to meet for free or at minimal cost.

“Our old scale subsidized groups and we could no longer (afford to) do that,” said board President Jackie Goldberg.

FUTURE FILE

DRIVER EDUCATION: The board is expected to vote later this month on whether to spend $2.7 million to provide driver training for 13,024 students this year. State funds for driver training were eliminated by Gov. George Deukmejian during this year’s budget process. More than 24,000 district students had been served annually under the state-funded program.

Classroom Capsule

Beginning with the spring semester, the district will offer an ethnic studies course as a graduation course option to 9th- and 10th-graders.